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Originally Posted by Charlatan
I agree... there is a major stereotype in the American Tourist... usually loud, uninformed, overbearing, uniformly dressed in polo shirt and khakis..
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I'll have you know, sir, that you are making fun of my native garb. I think besides jeans, all I own are polo shirts and khakis, I wear it to work every day, I wear them out to dinner, I wear them walking the streets, and I damn well will wear them in any part of the world I please. Would you ask a Sikh to take off his turban? Would you ask a Saudi Woman to show you her ankles? Would you ask a German to not wear those funny hats and pants? I dare say no!
Now that my moral outrage is over.......
Living near Chicago there is a 'Chicago' accent, but ironically not many people in Chicago have it. I think at some point it was imposed upon the city by a movie, possibly the Blues Brothers.
Luckily my part of the country is mostly accent free. Not totally and I can do a good Chicago one when I want to (I need to say 'pulling cable' a few times to get it). Having grown up with a lot of Indian friends I do a much better Indian accent and was able to get my father to hang up on me a few times thinking he dialed a wrong number. He laughs now a lot more then he did then at it
As for American tourists being rude, I just have to say look at yourselves first. There is something about most tourists that make them seem rude, and god help you if you are in an elevator with a group of European tourists, my god people learn to use soap. Perhaps it is the sort of bravado that comes from being out of your element, perhaps its the little cultural differences on how you should walk, talk, and act. I think not bathing is pretty damn rude, but it doesn't seem to phase any Europeans. Likewise while most Americans only speak English and have VERY little contact with those who don't in the US, I'm sure we seem stupid and rude to Europeans who deal with several languages every day.