Perhaps some kind american reader can tell me why it is that in their own country Americans are generally quite nice, friendly, and polite (so I have beeen told) but when they visit other countries they have to shout their accent everywhere they go as if trying to let anyone know within earshot (in this case several streets) that they are american?
I often work in Hastings st in Noosa (the best beach and national park in the world for those that don't know it) and you can hear americans from many miles away.
Basically, it's because we're stupid. I know people who have gone to other countries and have been extremely disrespectful, expecting that the people behind the desk or on the street know English right off the bat when really they should have at least learned the ever important: Do you speak English? before going. Other than that, if visiting other English-speaking countries: we're just excited to be there, or anxious. Or perhaps we're just trying to whore pity. I'm American. You're American, I'm so sorry. But we do tend to be nice people in our own country– strictly because we are genuinely nice people or because we lose you as a customer if we aren't.
The only American rudeness I've seen here in Aus is to service staff. I suppose that's because in America things are a little different, service staff wages are a lot lower and they have to work harder and be nicer to get tips. Here service staff are paid better. The tip culture has come in from the US but they don't need it, staff aren't a class bellow while they're working, if you know what I mean…?
Personally I like it that way, I'd rather a disinterested off-hand waiter than some smiley-faced, willing to do anything to please, puppy-dog kind of thing… You're a human, I'm a human, I'm the customer and you're just doing your job, you don't need to act like a prostitute. lol!
But if I was used to the other way I suppose I'd prefer that too, it's just that with the way it is here I can fit that into an egalitarian ideology. :P
Basically, it's because we're stupid. I know people who have gone to other countries and have been extremely disrespectful, expecting that the people behind the desk or on the street know English right off the bat when really they should have at least learned the ever important: Do you speak English? before going.
British people do that too. It's incredibly embarrassing for those of us who do try to make an effort to see Brits swanning off to Spain and France, and just shouting louder at the French and Spanish people when they don't understand english right away. The worst bit is, most europeans can speak at least two languages, usually with fluent english as their second - but almost no Brits speak anything more than english and they won't when they go abroad, either. I'm just embarrassed for my entire country. :(
I'm not bilingual, but I speak enough spanish to get by, and no french at all. That doesn't mean I won't at least attempt to speak a bit of french next time I'm in France, in order to be polite. And okay, I'll sound like a tit - but I'm fairly sure the french will appreciate the effort. :P
Bloody Brits have even made the Costa del Sol into some kind of british resort. They sell bloody fish and chips there! How spanish is that?!? GAH. Spain =/= Britain but with more sun, you bunch of ill-educated lardy wankers.
The only American rudeness I've seen here in Aus is to service staff.
This reminds me of a story… XD
Okay, so I was in a little pub, with my american other half, in the UK. A pub we're both very fond of for various historical reasons. It's called the Six Bells, and it happens to be fairly near to Gatwick airport. So we're sat there, and I'm drinking the american (almost twice my size) under the table because he's used to piss-weak US beer (haha!)… and we order food and stuff.
And we notice a lady sitting on her own nearby. And she sits… and sits… and sits…
After a while, maybe half an hour, an hour or so, our food is brought to us. As the waiter passes on the way back, the lady stops him and asks in an american accent if she might order, please? (Bless her cotton socks, I wanted to hug her, I felt so sorry for her!). It turned out she didn't realise that in UK pubs, you order everything at the bar - drinks, food, everything. No table service! The poor dear had been sat there for almost an hour on her own, wondering why the waiters were ignoring her! XD
Awwwww…. Bless. She wasn't rude about it at all, just a bit embarrassed. I wish I'd known sooner, so I could have told her and saved her all the waiting about!
Hell if I know. I'm American but the main reason, I think, is because they are so insecure about themselves that they have to have something to make them feel supereour. That's just what I think.
The only American rudeness I've seen here in Aus is to service staff. I suppose that's because in America things are a little different, service staff wages are a lot lower and they have to work harder and be nicer to get tips. Here service staff are paid better. The tip culture has come in from the US but they don't need it, staff aren't a class bellow while they're working, if you know what I mean…?
ozoneocean, it's not just the difference in wage scales between U.S. and Australian wait-staff. My first legal job [meaning I paid in social security and income tax for it] was in retail sales. I was a stock clerk and a floor clerk, and so I spent a great deal of time waiting on customers.
Now, the pay wasn't anything to write home about but the cost of living was way lower in those days and, frankly, hardly anyone was earning big bucks in anything outside the big name professions anyway, and so a goodly number of people were in the same boat as wage earners.
Everyone from the lowest of the low [me] to the manager and even the owner of the company acted like polite subservients to even the scruffiest looking customer because we were representing the company and were expected to be respectful, courteous, and eager to please because that was the image that the owner wanted to present of his company, from top to bottom. This was far from an unusual perspective across the nation in those days.
Well, in the early 1980s wage disparity took off like a rocket and Ronald Reagan worshiping yuppies began to put on the big-head where job classification differences were concerned. This 'I'm better than the rest of you' attitude somehow worked its way down into the retail level in many areas of the country at that time and for a while things got rather grim for the customer. You actually got treated with rudeness and deliberate spite by people who were supposed to be representing their company to the purchasing public.
Then during the 1990s and into the 2000s wages REALLY separated the economic classes. Now it IS pretty much the way you described things above and now you have a great deal of unctuous service from people simply terrified of losing their low paying job because their crush of bills could eat them alive before they could land another low paying job.
So, yeah, NOW it is pretty much the way you described it, but it wasn't always that way and the older people do recall when retail level workers were polite and helpful simply because that was the very nature of the job itself.
The roots of the servile and 'smile like a prostitute' retail presentation come from actual tradition but has since degenerated on the whole to stark terror of the financial gun-at-one's-head kind. It's damn sad and revolting.
Being polite and courteous and helpful because this is an intelligent business custom is one thing; being the same because you are terrified of the consequences of losing, even for a brief time, your only source of income, is very, very bad.
Americans are generally quite nice, friendly, and polite
On the roads, expect ALOT of rudeness. People cutting you off and honking unnecessarily (for going at the speed limit or for stopping at stop signs when there's someone trying to cross, or during a left turn when turning woulda killed me.) and not letting you lane change.
They make me wish I was driving a tank. seriously. >:
Americans are generally quite nice, friendly, and polite
On the roads, expect ALOT of rudeness. People cutting you off and honking unnecessarily (for going at the speed limit or for stopping at stop signs when there's someone trying to cross, or during a left turn when turning woulda killed me.) and not letting you lane change.
They make me wish I was driving a tank. seriously. >:
One reason why we need more public transportation.
Okay well some of us americans are just rude and others of us are just uh well nice in some sence of the word, but really if you think about it's a possibility that they think if they shout loud enough that you can understand what their saying…I dunno.
- has sexist laws (that favour the female gender) far worse than Canada but slightly better than the UK. - has legions of homeless/jobless/or just dirt poor people in the streets - has a high crime rate. As a result of the skyrocketing poverty of course. :( - has a high wage gap where the fat cats make $400 for every $1 their rank and file workers make. - has a high rate of government and business corruption. - at least 100 people in the USA die or get injured by guns everyday. - is a police state that can kill 3000 of its own citizens to justify their enslavement. - has hundreds of secret prisons being constructed - is the most dog-eat-dog society on earth - has hundreds of thousands of people on prozac or having mental disorders - is a very lucrative market for drugs.
and last but not the least:
- has sold the whole planet earth to the Greys and Reptilians. lol!
If all the above are true, then I think that explains American 'rudeness'. I think I'll morph into my most assholeic state under those conditions. lol!
- has hundreds of secret prisons being constructed
Damnit, STOP SPYING ON MY TAKE OVER OF THE WORLD. GGGEEESSS!!! Back in the old days, you could build secerty buildings and such, but now adays its all, 'What are you doing?' 'Why do you have a farm of Godzillas in the backyard?' 'Why is the portal of Hell opening up in your bathroom?'.
Americans are generally quite nice, friendly, and polite (so I have beeen told)
Haha, no.
Americans love to flaunt the fact that they live in "the greatest country in the world"… and they love to do it in the country itself too. It's kinda annoying. That's why they yell… to flaunt this fact.
Now you children know why I'm a American born terrorist.
I wasn't aware Americans had accents…Well, I guess their are two kinds: American, which is like a dumbed down british accent, without the goofy teeth and insane amounts of spitting (unless booze or drugs are involved), and Southern Accent. There really isn't much of a difference, except most southern accents are just American Accents, dumbed down further than Paris Hiltons IQ.
what about wisconsin dialect? or the bronx accent? there's plenty of differentiations in us citizens' speech. i heard somewhere that if you travel fifty miles in any direction in the united states, there is a notable change in accent. not only that, but also speech patterns, and vocabulary. and in some cases, general intelligence.
what about wisconsin dialect? or the bronx accent? there's plenty of differentiations in us citizens' speech. i heard somewhere that if you travel fifty miles in any direction in the united states, there is a notable change in accent. not only that, but also speech patterns, and vocabulary. and in some cases, general intelligence.
Isn't it in the Southern states they talk slower than Northen states? I think on of my teachers tolled me that was true, but I'm not so sure about it. I would check, but I'm to lazy to go all the way down south just to see if its true or not.
But the whole accent and dialect thing has to be true. With immgrants coming in from other countries all the time, accents and dialect has to mix in. Kinda like Bugs Bunny New York/Bostonish accent. *Greatest. Accent. EVER.*
yes, they do talk slower in the south. i live in north carolina, which is considered part of the south. some people talk painfully slow here compared to the new york jibber jabber i'm used to.
I wasn't aware Americans had accents…Well, I guess their are two kinds: American, which is like a dumbed down british accent, without the goofy teeth and insane amounts of spitting (unless booze or drugs are involved), and Southern Accent. There really isn't much of a difference, except most southern accents are just American Accents, dumbed down further than Paris Hiltons IQ.
I wish you were the mot ignorant person I've ever had the displeasure of being in communication with.
How can someone be from the US and not know anything about different US accents? Fair enough it's natural not to think you have one yourself (everyone all over the world is like that), but you should at least be aware of the regional differences. …The Southern ones are obvious, but there are different versions of those depending on the states, different Mid Western ones, New Englander types accent, the "bronX" one previously mentioned, the Boston type accent, Chicago… whatever. Then there's the ethic variations, oh dear lol!
Perhaps the fault is here in this thread for making "Americans" sound like some homogeneous whole. I'm pretty sure they're not.
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