Cultural Sensitivity

[Broomjockey]

#2 because of the unique features of the US.

We are a big country. We are bordered on east/west by 2 very large oceans. Bordered on the north by a culture very similar to ours which speaks the same language, and the south by a country which is divided into two types of places---the touristy places where everyone speaks English and they cater to Americans (like Cancun), and the third world places, where Americans don't often go.

Not to get nitpicky, but then how do you explain Canada? We've got 3 oceans, and are bordered by a country on the south with a culture similar to ours. The only thing I can think of is there's just so FEW of us compared to you guys.

[iradney]

Oh hey, I'm not sayin that Americans are bad tourists! Honest, I'm not. I've met some very nice people from the US, and they didn't do the whole "this ain't how it's done in MY country" schtick. There're always gonna be cultural differences, even if you don't travel. In my country, some cultures don't understand why people drink socially. They abstain during the week, and over the weekends they drink till they fall down.
Just an example.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Broomjockey, I would hazard a guess it's because

#1, Canada actually has two cultures---there's that whole French-Canadian thing you guys got going on. Americans, sadly, would never put up with that. Most Americans would just tell them to shut up and start speaking English or go live in France. You guys are used to dealing with this, I would think, and so you're more likely to do well when surrounded by other cultures.

#2, I believe you guys still have very close ties with England---something to do with the Queen? I'm not sure. Is it easier for you to go visit Britain? I mean do you need a visa to do so, or do you have to have one but the process is streamlined? I don't know. Maybe you could enlighten me. Are you guys like Europe, in that you need to have a passport? Cause here, many people don't have passports, just a state ID. They don't need a passport---they're never going to leave the coutnry anyway.

#3, Canada is also much more laid back than the US. You guys don't seem to be influenced by business culture as much as we are. I mean, it really permeates many aspects of our society.

[Sofar]

Many Americans never leave the country in their entire lives---many that do only do so once or twice in their lives.

"Never left the counrty" seems pretty shocking until you realize it's a really big country. I'm three thousand miles from where I lived ten years ago, and my parents dragged me and all our stuff a cumulative twelve thousand miles from place to place in that time, and I still haven't left the country since I moved here thirteen years ago.

[GayleShy]

Honestly, I think the guy in the OP just went to prove that you can't change an SC just by changing his surroundings. he's probably the same guy who goes into a store he'd never shopped in before, with an item that the store never sold and demand a refund when he's at home.

[blas]

Slightly OT but.....

I went to Canada once, Victoria, BC to be precise

And I loved it!

[RentalRacer]

Oh trust me, I have dealt with tourists for over 25 years and I could piss off anyone in any country with my impression of their tourists here in the states.
It's not just an American trait.

I have only worked directly with tourist for 5 years, and I agree 100%. You get the bad along with the good from everywhere.

[RentalRacer]

Broomjockey, I would hazard a guess it's because

#1, Canada actually has two cultures---there's that whole French-Canadian thing you guys got going on. Americans, sadly, would never put up with that. Most Americans would just tell them to shut up and start speaking English or go live in France. You guys are used to dealing with this, I would think, and so you're more likely to do well when surrounded by other cultures.

Not true in my state. Besides the area this link talks about, there are also areas in the southern part of the state 5-6 hours away from the border that have a french-speaking population.

http://acim.umfk.maine.edu/language.html

[JustADude]

"Never left the counrty" seems pretty shocking until you realize it's a really big country.

Not to brag (okay, so I am bragging, sue me ) but the United States has square mileage pretty much equal to most of the European Continent, and that's not even counting Alaska.

Here's some info gathered from Google: (Source Link)

*The state of Texas by itself is bigger than the whole of FRANCE
*Great Britain is only 2x the size of New York State
*The whole of Monaco would fit in NYC's Central Park
*Rhode Island (the smallest state) is bigger than Luxembourg
*Italy is just barely slightly larger than Arizona
*Germany is the size of Montana

[Emmeileia]

Honestly, the perception of the rude American is why I make sure I have Canadian flags on everything when I travel.
That being said, after having spent much time on vacation in the US, it seemed to be pretty much the same as Canada, in terms of sucky people.
There was a waitress who chased my friends and I out of a restaurant demading to be given her tip (um, the service was shite, and you yelled at us for asking for milk instead of non dairy creamer...that is why there was none) but there were also the lovely hotel owners who would chat with us, and the nice lady from the new age store who gave me free inscense.

[BookstoreEscapee]

*The state of Texas by itself is bigger than the whole of FRANCE
*Great Britain is only 2x the size of New York State
*The whole of Monaco would fit in NYC's Central Park
*Rhode Island (the smallest state) is bigger than Luxembourg
*Italy is just barely slightly larger than Arizona
*Germany is the size of Montana

It's weird when you think of it in those terms...

I've been to Canada once (Toronto); it was fun but it was a school trip and I wasn't really with friends or anything so it wasn't as fun as it could have been...

[cinema guy]

I have to say that when I went to East germany it wasn't tourists that were unfriendly, it was the border guards - you'd have though they didn't want you to leave.

[Boozy]

I hate to burst that guy's bubble, but according to my freshman geography book from a few years back, we're actually THIRD in average GDP behind second place Japan (go figure) and do you know who has/had the highest average annual GDP? Tiny little Luxenbourg of all places! I think it's cuz they have all those big banks if I'm not mistaken. Geez, if you're going to be a bigot, at least get your damn facts right.

He said that "the US economy is the biggest in the world", and he is right. Your figures are based on GDP per capita.

The US GDP is over twice the size of the world's next largest economy, which is China's. (However, the European Union taken as a whole has a greater GDP than the United States.)

(And the guy was still an asshat. )

[Spiffy McMoron]

#2, I believe you guys still have very close ties with England---something to do with the Queen? I'm not sure. Is it easier for you to go visit Britain? I mean do you need a visa to do so, or do you have to have one but the process is streamlined? I don't know. Maybe you could enlighten me. Are you guys like Europe, in that you need to have a passport? Cause here, many people don't have passports, just a state ID. They don't need a passport---they're never going to leave the coutnry anyway.

While it is true that the Queen is still the official head of state in Canada, that really doesn't mean anything to most Canadians. To travel to Asia, Africa, Europe, and Britian (and now, the US) all Canadians need a passport. The only country that a Canadian doesn't need a passport to travel to is Mexico (Thanks to NAFTA. We also didn't need a passport to enter the US, but recent legislation has changed that.)

#3, Canada is also much more laid back than the US. You guys don't seem to be influenced by business culture as much as we are. I mean, it really permeates many aspects of our society.

Also, Canadian beer is stronger, and studies have show that Canadians have sex more often than Americans. Might have something to do with our attitudes as well.

Unfortunately, this debate be be perpetual. Acedemics from both sides of the border (but mostly from our side--that from that whatever you see fit) have tried to study what makes us "Canadian" or "American". Comedians have weighed in as well. (My personal favorite comes from a Kids in the Hall sketch:

Guy 1-"Ah, you American?
Guy 2-"No, Canadian. We're pretty much the same, but we have fewer guns.")

[Rolling Star]

OY! As a Japanophile (One who loves Japan) I would LOVE to kick that racist bastard's big fat behind. How dare he barge into someone else's country and say BS like that? Anyway, a bit of cultural info: the Japanese think it's very rude to brag...: