Comments on: Brits are the new Americans

By: Glen or Glenda

Glen or Glenda — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:31:25 +0000

Nicely full of the appropriate phobic stereotypes of the ‘ugly american’. Funny, because I met an american like that once in Budapest. He was largely ignorant, not too interested, entirely annoying and certainly riding one hell of a ‘dubious wave’ (but doing so sans hand sanitizer, how uncivilized!!) so you must be right. It was a nice touch though dressing it up as a back handed insult towards Brits. I’ll have to borrow that formula; use cliched generalizations to insult people and finish it off with “am I or are we becoming that way?”. Maybe I’ll try it on Japanese tourists……

By: Elbert

Elbert — Sat, 01 May 2010 08:07:03 +0000

God Bless America!

By: Marek

Marek — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:11:43 +0000

Hmmm I agree upto a point.

Whereas the Americans acted as the king of tourists simply because their dollar talked the loudest, Brits act like they own the place simply because they are British.

By: scatts

scatts — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:28:22 +0000

tozznok, granted, Brits are often more adventurous abroad, although, I have seen rather a lot of English newspapers, English breakfasts, English beer and English football on the TV in foreign parts. Places that are not only visited by Brits.

Hard to explain that last para. Best I can get is that American loudness seems related to the strength of the dollar and that in turn is related to economy and generally how well their country is doing. Not many Americans around now – surprise surprise! The GBP is doing better, but still not great compared to the PLN, and I think there are other issues slowly chipping away at the soul of the UK that make any loudness a little hollow.

Like I said, hard to explain. ;)

By: Mirkurij

Mirkurij — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:16:14 +0000

I’d have to say it was Scots when I was lived in Krakow in summer of 2006. I was a little disappointed that they took the crown from us Americans. I did my fair share, but I guess I blended in as a Polish American.

By: Iza

Iza — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:02:07 +0000

When I lived in Krakow the most annoying tour group was the British stag party. Very loud and obnoxious. Especially when compared to the large groups of Norwegians who were very polite and quiet and spoke Norwegian most of the time. I didn’t see many American tourists. If they were American, chances are they were Polish-American and blended in pretty well.

By: tozznok

tozznok — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:30:58 +0000

I’m not sure if we “wear the crown” as such. I’m sure it’s not just us and the Americans who have to put up with sharing our country with people like this. I certainly never take it for granted that the things I can get at home, I will also be able to obtain abroad; that’s the whole point of leaving Britain. Any of us who do act like this, are people who I would take instant dislike to even in Britain, and are really not worth bothering about.

Could you explain what the following means, by the way? ‘People who often behaved in a ‘bigger’ way than the truth of the situation in their home country justified, people on the crest of a dubious wave.’