I control your country!

[DigitalEngine]

Before I tell you this story, I would first like to say that I have no problems against Americans at general and I know that most of them are good, decent people (having lived there for a couple of years myself) but the guy in this story is a REAL asshat.

So, on to the story ..

There's a bar/lounge near the store where I worked that my co-workers and I would frequent after work. One night after work I went there with 3 of my co-workers and a mutual friend of ours. Now one of my co-workers is into Punk. Long hair, Punk get up, you know the type. He's a really nice guy, though.
Anyway when we got there, the bar/lounge was packed, as always and so we had to wait to get a table.

Now the bar/lounge had a section at one end that was packed with sofas. To huge, circular sofa things on each end and some semi-circular sofas lined up between the two ends. So anyhoos, we were finally shown to our seat, one of the semi-circular sofas right next to one of the big, circular sofas.
As I was walking to our sofa, I noticed that the big, circular sofas was packed with a bunch of expatriates. Later on I would know that they were Americans. How do I know?
a. Their accents.
b. The aforementioned asshat kept announcing it loud enough for the whole sofa-section to hear.

Anyhoos, I was the first one to reach the sofa with my friends walking behind me. And that's when I heard the asshat yell, "Cut your hair, you fucking hippy!"
I froze, and slowly turned around to look at the asshat. Sure enough, he was looking at my friend, the Punk guy, with a million dollar smirk on his face.
I slowly sat down, chosing the part of the sofa that would allow me to stare at the asshat. My friends didn't say anything, not wanting to upset me anymore than I already was, since I was the only girl in the group, but I knew they were upset.
So I sat there and I glared at him while he continued making comments about how America is the most powerful country in the world and that allows him to do all kind of shit in this country and nobody can stop him etc. etc. etc.

He finally noticed me glaring at him and went, "What the FUCK are you looking at? I CONTROL YOUR COUNTRY!"

Asshat! I would jumped over and tore him a new one if not for my friends stopping me. If he hates this country so much, what the heck is he DOING here?

[One-Fang]

Where is 'here'?

Americans are a weird lot. Every one I've met in a situation where you actually get to know the person (friend of a friend, classmate, etc) has been a great and fun person. Open, friendly, and very easy going.

On the other hand, you've got your 'typical' American tourist. Pushy, demanding, loud, obnoxious, badly dressed, and expecting everyone else to love them just because they're Americans and America is so great. These are probably a minority, but a vocal one, so they ruin it for the rest.

I don't get it. Nice people. Asshole tourists.

[JustADude]

As a resident of the United States, let me apologize for that headcase, and assure you that most of us would in no way judge others on their hair length, or rub it in that we control your country. Seriously, though, that guy was a ing idiot. Even if the US was as almighty in the real world as in his little brown-skyed fantasy, which we aren't, the government isn't going to start an international incident over one dry-pool diver getting himself beaten down for talking trash at the locals.

[Mikkel]

If it's any comfort, I guess he will get beaten up, if not that day then soon . With that behaviour it's only a matter of time.
Just out of curiosity, what country is it that USA control??
Edited to say: I see, Indonesia. I hope he come to Denmark .

[JustADude]

Just to clarify: any implication that I endorse the asshat's view of the USA controling another sovergn state was ment in a humorous/sarcastic manner, and should not be taken as actually nationalistic idiocy on my part.

[DigitalEngine]

I forgot something else the asshat said ..

Right before he said "I control your country" and I was glaring at him, the girl next to him told him -from where I was sitting, I could hear what she said- to keep his voice down because we could probably understand him.

The asshat's response? And this is precious:

"No they won't! Indonesians are too stupid!"


Stupid? At least we're civilized enough to pretend not to hear what he was saying!

BTW: My friends speak pretty good english, so they could understand what the asshat was saying. In fact, the bar/lounge is a popular hang out spot, so my guess is most people there could speak english. Shame though, none of us could do anything, because we didn't want to start an incident.

Yes, there has been an incident before involving a very irate, uncouth American mom and an Indonesian dad on the receiving end. Let me just say it did not end pretty. For the Indonesian side, that is.

[Mikkel]

Yes, there has been an incident before involving a very irate, uncouth American mom and an Indonesian dad on the receiving end. Let me just say it did not end pretty. For the Indonesian side, that is.

Link?
That's the problem with living in a civilized country, the laws won't let you reward that kind of fool .
Not that I would favor violence, just a little educational beating.

[chainedbarista]

"No they won't! Indonesians are too stupid!"

um, no, but thanks for giving them the overall impression that all americans are loud, boorish, ignorant AND stupid.

what a damned jerk; sad thing is, we get to see people like this every day in our country. argh!

[MystyGlyttyr]

My best friend is a Canadian girl who's currently teaching school in Korea. I'm an American girl who barely knows how to go about getting a passport and certainly doesn't HAVE one. And we rip on each other other's countries constantly, BUT...we're not being mean about it...we're downright ridiculous.

<silliness on>She calls me Swampy, because I live in the south and we know it's all wetlands n' gators, and I call her Ice Queen because she lives in Canada where everyone drives sleds to work and lives in igloos. <silliness off>

People just need to feel like they're better in some way, and if all you have going for you is "M'A 'MERICUN" you need to get a fracking hobby...

[protege]

I tend to joke around with my Canadian friends (you know who you are ) by saying that Canada is our 'great big parking lot to the north,' or some good-natured kidding about how local sandwich shops have more subs than their military. It's all in good fun though I've been to Canada a few times, and most of the people were pretty damn nice to this "Murican." Thanks again for the hospitality the last time I was up there...waaay back in '95 )

I don't think that all American tourists are assholes though. Tourists in general, no matter where they come from, seem to be rude, clueless idiots. They all seem to have the "entitlement" attitude, simply because they think that they're spending their "hard earned cash" they can act like that. With people like that, it's no wonder tourists are hated.

Since I don't act like that (unless provoked) when I travel, I tend to get excellent service in shops and restaurants. In fact, as I was buying some old railroad timetables while on vacation, I had an interesting conversation with the shop owner. We got to talking about the changes around Cape May...how I could remember what the area was like years ago and how it was less crowded. As we were talking...I found out that she lived near the railroad museum in Strasburg (PA)...that I've been to a few times! Talk about a small world

[ditchdj]

Yeah but the hate goes both ways. I've even heard that Americans were getting harassed in France so much that their country lost a lot of tourist bucks because a lot of Americans stopped going there. I hear there's no shortage of Americans getting swiped at by the UK and it's former colonies. I know that a lot of Americans are guilty of that kind of boorishness, but I also hear about good manners are on the rapid decline in pretty much the rest of the English-speaking countries in the world.

[Broomjockey]

Yeah but the hate goes both ways. I've even heard that Americans were getting harassed in France so much that their country lost a lot of tourist bucks because a lot of Americans stopped going there. I hear there's no shortage of Americans getting swiped at by the UK and it's former colonies. I know that a lot of Americans are guilty of that kind of boorishness, but I also hear about good manners are on the rapid decline in pretty much the rest of the English-speaking countries in the world.

The joke answer of course would be "You can see the effect America has on the world."

The real answer is entitlement runs rampant in high technology societies, as people become accustomed to tasks being accomplished more quickly, and items being more available. And most of the higher tech areas in the world speak English.

And entitlement issues are of course the reason we're all here.

[ditchdj]

Actually I like to think of the United States as the rebellious child of the British Empire that went his own way and his siblings thinking less of him for doing so. Actually I dont see any point of living under a King or Queen if they dont even have the power to rule over their own people anyway.

[Trishlovesdolphins]

perhaps we should meet him at the border and tell him we don't want him back?!

[AFpheonix]

And you know he's the moron that stands in the middle of the store yelling at whatever CSR drew the short straw to deal with him that day. Gah.