American tourists sometimes shock locals with their strange questions and behavior. One such case occurred when an American traveling in Tajikistan asked an obscene question about contraceptives to the wife of a Tajik tour guide. As it turned out, such awkward situations are not uncommon. Here are 21 stories to learn about the wildest and most ignorant actions of Americans abroad.
Stories about the behavior of Americans abroad were made public by Yahoo, based on the BuzzFeed community and the Reddit forum.
A profile photo? Yes, why not a skull!
“In the catacombs of Paris, someone picked up a human skull to take a picture with it. It’s still someone’s family member; show some respect.” An anonymous contributor.
Weapons on the floor of the bar
“A woman from a yacht moored in Chester (Nova Scotia) threw her purse off a table in a bar, and a gun fell out of it on the floor. She stated that Canadian gun control laws do not apply to her because she is American and protected by the Second Amendment.” Anonymous, 70 years old, Canada.
Spanish fireworks competition and home hygiene lessons
“That’s what I did, and it’s one of those things that haunts me to this day. I was in Spain for an international fireworks competition and the streets were packed with people. I wanted to pee, so I went into a room that looked like a restaurant, the doors of which were wide open. I walked past the people at the table and went down to the bathroom. When I returned, the man started yelling at me in Spanish, so I didn’t understand, but the people sitting next to me were very angry. It turns out that in Spain it is not customary to have a kitchen in your home, but families and friends rent a common room to cook and share food together. Basically, I went into someone’s house while they were having dinner and used their bathroom. I still cringe thinking about it.” Abby, 36 years old.
The American currency and the shock in South Korea
I used to live in South Korea and train new teachers from all over the world. Americans have always been upset and almost shocked that in South Korea they do not accept US dollars in stores. The world does not revolve around your country and your currency.” Candy, 49 years old.
Adventures on the Train: Beer Boot, Vomit and the World Cup of Drunkenness
“A man, probably in his 20s, was on a train with a group of his friends, and they were all drunk. He had a huge glass in the shape of a shoe, which I assume was full of beer, which he drank. After about 10 minutes on the train, when he was laughing with his friends (very American; trains are usually quiet), he vomited into this glass boot. His friends laughed and said, “I can’t believe we’re experiencing this for free!” Then he lifted his shoe in the air as if he had just won the World Cup, and all his friends were still laughing and cheering him on.” An anonymous user.
American passport and Dutch municipality
“In Amsterdam, I was waiting in the municipal building for my license to be renewed when a young guy came in, completely stoned. He started shouting, “I want to stay here, so just give me a Dutch passport! I am an American!” An anonymous user.
A gun, a “do not touch” sign, and a stubborn American mom
“I’m an American, but I’ve been to England and looked at the Tower of London. There was a cannon behind the rope with the inscription “Do not touch and do not get in.” This American woman lifted the rope and said to her child (maybe seven years old) sit on the cannon so she can take a picture. The child protested and told her what was written on the sign. The woman replied that she didn’t care and ordered her child to do it, otherwise she would leave him.” An anonymous user.
Tajik tea and awkward questions about contraception
“I was in a tour group in Tajikistan, and we were at a local resident’s house. He invited us to tea and talked about his family, how many children they had, etc. The only American in the group started up and asked: “What contraceptives does your wife use? Does she use herbs or something like that? Everyone was just stunned. He politely avoided the question, and then there was a long, awkward silence. And so he asked AGAIN! At this point, another tour member intervened and said, “Okay, I think it’s time for us to leave; thank you for inviting us.” A user under the nickname frankiestree.
American veteran’s certificate in Paris
“When I was younger, I worked at a Canadian-themed restaurant in Paris. The restaurant was popular with tourists, so we had a lot of American customers. At that time, I was hired because English is my native language, and besides, I am Canadian. One of the funniest things I remember is when an American asked if we would give him a discount for veterans. In a Canadian bar. In Paris.” An anonymous user.
Father knows better
“I was at the airport, returning to Australia (where I’m from) in the middle of summer, and I saw a dad and his two children, all three were wearing winter coats. The father told the two of them: “Try to keep warm, it’s going to be cold outside.” A user under the nickname ImDaBest_69.
Skiing in July
“We came to Mont Tremblant in Quebec (Canada) to ski. In July. They were from Michigan.” Mark, Canada.
Oktoberfest, beer and ambulance calls – how not to go negative
“I lived right next to the Oktoberfest area in Munich. On the way to the supermarket, I saw a man lying unconscious in the bushes, bleeding profusely from a deep wound on his head. We tried to wake him up with the help of two neighbors and called an ambulance. When he came to, he was clearly drunk and disoriented. He tried to leave, unable to even stand properly, and started cursing and threatening us when he realized that we had called an ambulance.
He was even cruel to us. Yes, I understand; this is a frightening thing in the US because it means a huge amount of debt, but this is not the case here. In addition, it may be a criminal offense to simply abandon a person who clearly needs medical attention. We had no way of knowing if he would drop dead from alcohol poisoning or concussion.
So, please: if you came to Munich just to get drunk, make sure you handle your beer and return safely to the hotel. For many locals, Oktoberfest is the most terrible time of the year, thanks to many similar events.” Rosa, 34 years old, Germany.
Flip-flops and heels
“I live in Norway, and there is a mountain called Pulpit Rock 30 minutes from my house. It is the biggest tourist attraction nearby. It’s not the most difficult track, but it’s still pretty steep, and every year I’ve seen American women have a hard time because they were wearing flip-flops or high heels.” An anonymous user.
French serving and American “disorder” at the table
“When my American friends were invited to join my family for dinner, my mother, who is a very decent person and appreciates table manners, was always upset by my friends’ inability to use various cutlery for the right dishes. She was puzzled by how my friends attacked the food, holding forks in the wrong hand. One day, one of my friends wandered into the kitchen and took a drink out of the refrigerator: a serious mistake. He was never invited back.” Werner, 57, France.
Koala on a tree
“In Australia, they shook a koala off a tree in a wildlife park.” An anonymous user.
A Scottish bar and an American bill
“I worked in a bar in Scotland. One night, a woman was there with her daughter, and she refused to pay with anything other than American cash. It was an extremely uncomfortable situation. I tried to explain how stupid it all was while her daughter (who, I think, lived in Scotland) tried to calm her down and pay, but her mother kept pulling her hand away from the card machine, saying, “You people love our money; our money is more important than yours.” She kicked for 5-10 minutes, and eventually her daughter paid and left. Then she lashed out at me for embarrassing her daughter, and even left a Tripadvisor review explaining the situation. It is inconceivable to the mind how delusional she behaved.” A user under the nickname jaxxie04.
Fuji Climbing and selfie stick
“When I descended from the top of Fuji after an eight-hour ascent and a four-hour descent in three layers of clothing to protect myself from the weather, an American with a selfie stick in a T-shirt and shorts asked me where Mount Fuji was. I told him that we were on Mount Fuji; it’s a big mountain/volcano. “But where is the peak?” he asked, and I pointed to the peak and told him that it was about eight hours away. This guy thought he could just come with his selfie stick, take some quick selfies at the top and go back to Tokyo.” An anonymous user.
Sweden or Switzerland? It’s easy to get confused
“It’s not completely disrespectful or inappropriate, but it’s certainly weird. I met an American tourist who seemed very confused, so I went up to her and asked if I could help. She said yes and asked me how to get to the famous Alps and the cuckoo clock workshops. I had to explain to her that she was in Sweden, not Switzerland.” An anonymous user.
French lavender and an American expert
“A few years ago I was at a lavender farm in the south of France. Two buses with American tourists arrived, and they all went on a standard tour like “you won’t have enough time to really see this place.” One lady proudly declared that she was an expert on lavender and that the place was “cute, but it’s all fake; lavender is the wrong color.” There were bees and other insects everywhere, the whole farm smelled amazing, and the harvest was underway! It was very real.” An anonymous user.
Ireland is not the same anymore
“They argued that Ireland is ‘not really’ Irish and that the only way to experience ‘real’ and ‘traditional’ Irish culture is to visit Boston.” A user under the nickname MellotronSymphony.
Japanese Winnie the Pooh and American drama
“I was at Disneyland in Japan and an American tourist was standing behind us during the fireworks and castle show. He lit a cigarette in the middle of the crowd, where there were children, and then loudly complained that because Winnie the Pooh sang in Japanese, it was F*ck and “ruined Pooh forever.” I also saw him hit the kid’s balloon because it was in his way.” An anonymous user.
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