Most Obnoxious Tourists? The French - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Gurkha · #1 07-08-2008, 03:48 AM

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1820358,00.html

Remember the tightwad tourist whose baggy shorts, frequent complaining and shouted questions about why none of the locals spoke any English made the ugly American the world's Visitor from Hell? Well, it's time for Archie Bunker to move over and make way for Petulant Pierre. According to a recent international survey, the French are now considered the most obnoxious tourists from European nations, behind only Indians and the last-place Chinese as the worst among countries worldwide. And it's not just the rest of the world that has a gripe with the Gallic attitude: the French also finished second to last among nations ranking the popularity of their own tourists who vacation at home.

Not surprised about Indians and Chinese, after all they are neighbors, gotta share something. I am surprised Indians didn't come the worst.

tompaah7503 · #2 07-08-2008, 05:00 AM

Around here the French and American tourists split the prize.
Americans are extremely demanding, every order is made special order and nothing is ever to their satisfaction. A very complaining bunch. The French are just plain rude and have a snooty attitude.
Those are the extremes though, most tourists behave very well. I especially like younger backpackers who tend to have humble attitudes and open minds. Not judging everything by the way it is 'back home'.

t walgamuth · #3 07-08-2008, 07:27 AM

I remember back in '73 when I was a youngster one step above backpacking in Europe. I was in Rome standing in a long line waiting to place a long distance call to the US. Nearby was a middle aged man from Texas who was talking very very loudly to a very polite Italian man from the phone company about how things were done back home....."Why if I wanted to call Italy at my home I would just pick up my phone and call"...

I turned to my wife after listening to him for a while and said ...."That guy is talking to an Italian who probably is fluent in about six languages".

I vowed to never be like him when I traveled.

Whenever I hear someone talking about how its done back home my knee jerk reaction is to hear whomever he's talking to to say ...."well you probably need to go back home".

Having rude American tourists in Europe is undoubtably much less a problem now with the flat economy and dismal Dollar value!

Tom W

Trakehner · #4 07-08-2008, 08:01 AM

OF the tourists we get here in Chicago, I find the Germans the rudest. The Germans say things and have the idea that no one understands them, they go around shirtless like they do in Rome and can be quite loud.

Then we get a lot of Australians who try to put it on and sound English, but you can always tell they're Australian, plus their clothes give them away. The Russians throw too much money around. Many people from the Near East seem to have a constant frown on their faces.

jlomon · #5 07-08-2008, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trakehner

OF the tourists we get here in Chicago, I find the Germans the rudest.

I've found the same thing myself whenever I go to Europe. It always seems to be the German tourists who are pushy and rude. I remember one time in London when my wife and I were on a guided tour of Westminster Abbey. The nun leading the tour repeatedly told a group of German tourists to stop going behind cordoned-off areas but they wouldn't listen to her. With typical British wit she modified her tour to begin showcasing all of the elements of the Abbey that had been repaired "after the Germans bombed it back in the war". They got the message and fell into line for the rest of the tour.

aklim · #6 07-08-2008, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I remember back in '73 when I was a youngster one step above backpacking in Europe. I was in Rome standing in a long line waiting to place a long distance call to the US. Nearby was a middle aged man from Texas who was talking very very loudly to a very polite Italian man from the phone company about how things were done back home....."Why if I wanted to call Italy at my home I would just pick up my phone and call"...

I turned to my wife after listening to him for a while and said ...."That guy is talking to an Italian who probably is fluent in about six languages".

So what if he is fluent in 100 languages? What does that change? Don't like what you are hearing from a guest? Give him directions to the airport. If I came to your house and started telling you how your wife needs a boob job, how you should control those brats you call kids, how I think your color choice stinks, I full expect you to show me to the door. If you cannot and/or will not, sit down and take it.

t walgamuth · #7 07-08-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

So what if he is fluent in 100 languages? What does that change? Don't like what you are hearing from a guest? Give him directions to the airport. If I came to your house and started telling you how your wife needs a boob job, how you should control those brats you call kids, how I think your color choice stinks, I full expect you to show me to the door. If you cannot and/or will not, sit down and take it.

Thanks, Aklim, we can always count on you for thoughtful, insightful responses.

Tom W

aklim · #8 07-08-2008, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Thanks, Aklim, we can always count on you for thoughtful, insightful responses.

Tom W

And we seem to get a lot of statements from you that are highly expressive but lacking in content. What part of that do you disagree with? As I have said before, I don't care if you are a Texan in the middle of BFE. You are NOT in Texas and that makes you a guest. If you can't behave as a guest should, you can head towards the door. If I don't need your presence that badly, I can tell you to take your act elsewhere. If I do, I have to take it. I have had customers that do things I don't like and I just tell them plain out "I don't need your kind of business and I don't want it. Please leave.". If I am not in the position to do that, what choice do I have but to take it? If you are a $50 customer and misbehaving, I will tell you to take a hike. If you are a 10 million dollar customer and I need your business that badly, I have to swallow my pride and put up with your crap. What part of that escapes you?

How is that different from what I told Gurkha? If India is so desperate for Israeli money, STFU and swallow your pride. If you are not in that dire need, show them the door. In the case you mentioned, the Texan was allegedly being obnoxious. If the Italian was so superior, tell him to take his act somewhere else. If the Italian was in such desperate need of the Texan's money, sucks to be him. Swallow your Italian pride with a side of choice words in the 6 languages you speak and STFU.

So what has the 6 languages got to do with the Texan being rude allegedly? If that made him so superior, tell the Texan where to door is. I would.

Gurkha · #9 07-08-2008, 08:10 AM

The worst tourists in India are from Israel, young kids freshly out of IDF and high on drugs and they always get into fights with locals.

Trakehner · #10 07-08-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurkha

The worst tourists in India are from Israel, young kids freshly out of IDF and high on drugs and they always get into fights with locals.

I heard about the drugged Israeli tourists in India, also heard the Scandinavians created problems along the coast(former Hippie places).

I met a manager for a hotel in Turkey and he told me the Israeli tourists quite often asked for the minibar to be removed from their rooms because they didn't want to be accidentally charged for anything.

aklim · #11 07-08-2008, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trakehner

I met a manager for a hotel in Turkey and he told me the Israeli tourists quite often asked for the minibar to be removed from their rooms because they didn't want to be accidentally charged for anything.

That I can see. I have been charged for a minibar quite a few times although I KNOW that I didn't have anything.

aklim · #12 07-08-2008, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurkha

The worst tourists in India are from Israel, young kids freshly out of IDF and high on drugs and they always get into fights with locals.

The equation is very simple. You add up what they are worth and the price of the aggravation. That should tell you which way to go. You have an immigration department, right? The IDF are not sneaking across the border, right? If your country needs them there, STFU. If not, kick them out and/or deny their visa. What so difficult? Either you need their money and or what they bring badly or you don't. Beggars cannot be choosers. If you are not a beggar and can choose, choose to eject them. What part of the equation escapes your countrymen?

KarTek · #13 07-08-2008, 08:44 AM

It's just a personal theory but I think some of the rudeness amoung tourists is due to the fact that they're insecure about not being on their "home turf". Language barriers are especially stressfull because it's so critical to accurate communication and subtle nuances, unique to each culture can be misrepresented and misunderstood by everyone involved.

aklim · #14 07-08-2008, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarTek

It's just a personal theory but I think some of the rudeness amoung tourists is due to the fact that they're insecure about not being on their "home turf". Language barriers are especially stressfull because it's so critical to accurate communication and subtle nuances, unique to each culture can be misrepresented and misunderstood by everyone involved.

You wanna be comfortable and on your home turf? Stay there. If you wanna travel out of your home turf, expect to have those uncomfortable feelings. You can't have it both ways.

Kuan · #15 07-08-2008, 08:46 AM

We don't get tourists here.