The most unpleasant travellers?

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Who are the most unpleasant travellers to meet on the road?

Americans
6
21%
Japanese
5
17%
Israelis
13
45%
British
2
7%
French
3
10%
 
Total votes : 29

my choice

Postby muskrat » Mon Aug 16, 2004 11:08 pm

This is probably more demographic than geographic.

1. British (middleage and up) whining, whimpering way of complaining about everything because its not like it is back home. Duh!

2. Israeli's arguing to settle a hotel account and the amazing cluster fuck seating arrangements on El Al.

3. Germans at the hotel pool. They all promptly and exactly at 6.00am run down to the pool and put a towel and book to 'reserve' a chair. Then dissapear back to their room until midday or later. "Huh how can ALL the pool chairs and tables be taken, no one is here".

4. Tourists (and locals) that stink soooo much it makes you puke if you cant get away quick after that first whiff. That accolade seems to go to middle eastern types esp hasidic jews and heavily veiled women. Dont they tub or use deoderant?
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Postby RYP » Mon Aug 16, 2004 11:40 pm

oh yeah....I forgot about the older tourists... like the British tourists and the goddam French ones that stay at those nasty "Cheap and Cheerful"hotels One group scrunchs up their pasty faces and says "do you mind putting that cigarette out' while the other blows it in their face all throughout dinner and condemning US politics as if you were the head of the Republican party. The British of course just complain. The French argue and the Germans just fart a lot.

The English have the best comb overs, the French the best nose hairs and the Germans, by far have the whitest largest thighs. The Americans are close but they take the cake for the strangest shoes.
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Postby redharen » Mon Aug 16, 2004 11:45 pm

The Sayuth Efrican accent is the thing that annoys me the most.
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Postby rickshaw92 » Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:15 am

Well I dont much care for the Israelies.
Im reallly fuclimg pissed but fespite that I can still hit a tarfet at 1000m plus. mayVRVe bnot tonight but it qint beyond the wit if man. Nowhammy.
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o

Postby Piggs » Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:37 am

redharen wrote:The Sayuth Efrican accent is the thing that annoys me the most.


That really hurts...I had a thick South African accent when I first moved back to the States. If anything I got more chicks than it offended.

It's an accent that you only generally develope from speaking Afrikaanse.

Ek praat die Taal, en jou?
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Postby redharen » Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:43 am

It's all right, Piggs--I used to have a South African girlfriend and I think the nastiness of the breakup caused anything remotely connected to her to annoy me. Don't take it personally.

I've never met Israeli tourists anywhere except in the States and in Israel, but even in their homeland, they're hard to get along with. Surprisingly, though, every time I've called them on their rudeness, etc., they're utterly mortified and apologize profusely. Like when I'm at McDonald's in Jerusalem and ask if they understand the concept of a line. Next thing you know, someone lets you go ahead of them. Go figure...
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Postby Kurt » Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:47 am

Isreali's

Not even a contest really. My typical Isreali experience is them complaining that good hotels cost too much and then demanding that the $10 hotel instantly improve their service and rooms to that of a $60 hotel.

Distant second are the Brits (I know the Brit BFCers are not like this) but when you get a bunch of British people together on a plane, it seems that they view the plane, stewardesses and other passengers as a source of their entertainment..But this only happens when a group of four or more is traveling together and then only on the panes or trains.
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Re: o

Postby Kurt » Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:50 am

Piggs wrote:That really hurts...I had a thick South African accent when I first moved back to the States. If anything I got more chicks than it offended.

It's an accent that you only generally develope from speaking Afrikaanse.

Ek praat die Taal, en jou?


Wow...ANother South African in Wisconsin??!!

I met a stewardess on a Northwest flight from DTW to Wausau who was an Afrikaaner.
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Observations from the front

Postby Lochaber » Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:07 am

Having spent some time working in a backpackers and a fair bit of time in the hospitality industry, I observed these laws:

1. The asshole factor of a given group of tourists is directly proportional to the number of people of the same nationality in it. A group of 5 Americans or a group of 5 Brits, or a group of 5 Germans, will almost always be assholes, but a group of 5 people from various countries won't.
For some reason, Americans are especially susceptible to this phenomenon.

2. Scandinavians are generally cool, the most respectful of the country they're in.

3. Germans have a roughly 40% chance of being assholes, 60% chance of being awesomely cool. Least likely to complain about how everything is better back home.

4. Of the 100 or so Israelis I have met, all but 2 have been aggressive, rude assholes. Time and time again I was stunned by the frequency that they would live up to their own sterotype. They are pretty much reviled by every Kiwi tourism operator.

5. Aussies and Kiwis are the most overrepresented travellers given their home populations. We're everywhere.
Get entertained at bfst.blogspot.com
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Postby Jimbo » Tue Aug 17, 2004 2:45 am

I would have to agree about the Isrealis, but the Japanese? What gives with that? All the Japanese I've met traveling have been fine, very unassuming. Even the times I've been to Japan they've been very nice and have gone out of their way to help me with certain situations.
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Ahem!

Postby Ciarrai » Tue Aug 17, 2004 3:10 am

First of all wearing the Maple Leaf on our bags is because we are tired of assholes thinking we Canadians are Americans. We are not insulted by the grand comparison just tired of explaining that "Yes, really Canada is a completely different country then the U.S. Funny that we have to explain that because most people in Europe say "I'don't think your American but your accent is beautiful (maybe Australian).

I say we are Yankees with British Grammar (which means Newfs).

I only take issue with cultures that don't know how to queue. If you walk in to a place where you see 5 people standing with nothing else to do but they seem to be in a straight line, that means you should watch your fucking manners and realize your at the end of the fucking queue instead of rushing to a counter with that UNICEF frame of mind worrying on whether your will get the last gallon jug of potable water. Its Tim Horton's fuckface and I think you and your family will survive if you wait the 2 minutes to get your double-double coffee with timbits.

That and you you seem to be opening a door for your self when walking into any kind of establishment and there is someone immediately behind you, common fucking courtesy is to put your lazy third world hand out to hold the door for them rather than open the door a whole 7 inches to let your third world immaciated skeleton through while making the follower play catch with the door.

Common fucking courtesy people, most are too lazy to provide it, sad thing is most people were too unfucking lucky to have any concept of what courtesy is. You can thank their parents.

If you don't like our Maple Leafs than stop saying you thought Canada was the 51st state.
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Postby RYP » Tue Aug 17, 2004 3:15 am

Ahh the French. When I was in Luxor I wanted to see some tomb and the only let in so many people at a time. Well there were about 30 Frogs out in the baking sun. (yes the BO was acrid) Some poor tour guide kept yelling we have room for one more and the French insisted that they were a tour and should be let in. When I wanted to move past the gaggle of frogs they stuck their elbows out and tried to form a human barrier to prevent me from getting to the front of the line. A few bruised kidneys and crushed toes later I gave them the usual Fou Toi and un Bess to let them know that they lost on the Plains of Abraham...
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Re: Ahem!

Postby Renard » Tue Aug 17, 2004 4:02 am

Ciarrai wrote:First of all wearing the Maple Leaf on our bags is because we are tired of assholes thinking we Canadians are Americans. We are not insulted by the grand comparison just tired of explaining that "Yes, really Canada is a completely different country then the U.S. Funny that we have to explain that because most people in Europe say "I'don't think your American but your accent is beautiful (maybe Australian).

If you don't like our Maple Leafs than stop saying you thought Canada was the 51st state.


Speak for yourself, eh, there, buddy?
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Postby mooky » Wed Aug 18, 2004 1:03 pm

shivers wrote:This poll is not the least bit enlightening. Bad behaviour knows no nationality.


I agree, it's tough to generalize about nationalities... but wouldn't it be more difficult, or impossible to take a poll of THE MOST PLEASANT PEOPLE you meet in foreign countries?

I personally cast my vote for the Israelis. I have met them in groups and individually and have tried very hard to find them agreeable. I will admit some, when in smaller numbers, or rarely, alone are O.K.; but eventually they are convinced that they need to complain about something, or put their own stamp of "This or that is shit!" on something, in order to validate their experience. Some have also chosen to practice their country's politics abroad also. They love to stick together so I was once asked to leave my hotel by some Israelis because they had some friends who wanted to stay there, and since I was alone and was taking up a double room, well, that was just a waste of space for them, and wouldn't it be easier for them and me if I just left? According to other people I have met, this is typical Israeli behavior, along with trying to get you to pay more if the bill is going to be shared, complaining about the speed of the internet and refusing to pay full price, complaining about the food and trying to get money back, complaining about anything to get money back., etc.. I can't think of another nationality EASIER to generalize about... especially the demographic of Israelis just of the military.
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Postby RYP » Wed Aug 18, 2004 2:38 pm

I have always reccomended that there be an international asshole law. If someone was found to be an asshole more than once. You would be allowed to tatoo the word "asshole" in three different languages on their forehead.

That way you could charge them extra, avoid them and set them up on dates with other bona fide assholes.

If there were enough of them you could have special seating areas in restaurants, designated freeway lanes and even entire lines at events.

Key indicators of assholeness would be"

Talking louder on a cel phone than in normal conversation
Asking strangers to do things that should get them punched out
Pointing out that everyone else except them is an asshole
Doing things inside a car that would get them shot on the street
Having political views similar to Rush Limbaugh or Genean Garafolo

There are more but the above is enough..




[/quote]
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