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I guess I’d say that if identifying American tourists in foreign countries is important to you, we should all be grateful that some of us continue to afford you that small pleasure. I know that when I travel I have many concerns–enjoying myself, being safe, behaving politely and respectfully to those I interact with–but one thing I am never concerned with is being mistaken for anything but an American tourist, because that’s what I am and I’m not ashamed of it.</p>
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<p>LOL. I remember writing a report on my trip to Barcelona for a travel board. I mentioned that we loved the Sangria de Cava. Someone wrote that nothing brands one as a tourist in Barcelona more than ordering Sangria. First, why would I not order something delicious just because it would brand me as a tourist? Second, I think our family of three blondes and two redheads gave us away as not coming from Barcelona even before we ordered the Sangria.</p>
<p>We were recently on an Alaskan cruise. The cruise instructions said to wear casual but nice clothing, except for the restaurant and the formal nights. One kid of around 20 was on the lounge deck daily dressed in the most appalling (and dirty) jeans and sweatshirts which looked as if he had just crawled out from under his house in them. Perhaps he was one of 07DAD’s people who lacked the means to buy decent clothing or even detergent? </p>
<p>In the ports, I’m sure the cruise ship passengers stood out as such, but the locals make their living off of fish and tourists, so suffice it to say they don’t care. Any foreigners who don’t like american tourists are welcome to speak up, so we can spend our american dollars elsewhere.</p>
<p>Anytime, anywhere, Nightchef.</p>
<p>Schmaltz, I can’t tell if you’re seriously offended or just goofing, but if the former, then all I can say is that I think you should read your quote and my response again. I was blunt, but I don’t think I was rude. If I was, I apologize, and I’ll rephrase the point more carefully: if people are going to spend their lives worrying about the fact that some other people may be repelled by their perfectly legal and respectable sartorial decisions, then they are going to miss out on opportunities to be comfortable and happy, and they will have no one but themselves to blame.</p>
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<p>Rude and uncalled for. Perhaps that passenger was there as a guest from somebody else.I get really tired of people like you assuming that people should act or dress a certain way. I’m sure their fare was the same as yours, and although you might find their attire non appropriate, they were there enjoying themselves, probably more so than you considering you were observing their clothing enough to take note of it. Sheesh</p>
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Act or dress however you like, GA. Other people are going to see it and think whatever they wish about it, whether you like it or not. And if your actions or dress are TOO inappropriate, you will be summarily escorted out. That’s how things are.</p>
<p>As long as we are still on this subject, I’ll share a story. </p>
<p>We were standing in line in an expensive store in New England. The couple in front of us was making a sizable purchase (i.e. so they weren’t poor.) They were about the worst dressed couple I’ve ever seen…we’re talking a 50 year old man in a white, too tight undershirt with the sleeves cut out, too tight knit short shorts, etc…really truly, most of us would not step out of the house to get the newspaper dressed like that. </p>
<p>Anyway, they were telling the clerk that they were so glad to be back in the US because they’d just returned from Canada where everyone was rude to them. Do you think it has anything with you being the worst dressed tourist in the history of poorly dressed tourists?</p>
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<p>That is fine if there is a stated dress code at the door,i.e. jacket and tie required. But this was a cruise with “suggested” attire. Of course people do make immediate judgements about people when they first meet them, and their clothing is a big part of that. I just get tired of people making judgements on people whom they don’t know based on appearance. Are you fat, you must be lazy. Not dressed “well” you must be poor. Thin, rich well dressed female, “must be a snob.” Everybody knows the expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” but few adhere to that in their lives.</p>
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<p>That’s actually a good argument for parents teaching their kids about appropriate attire, what to wear for a job interview, etc. You may be the best candidate, but since people DO judge the book by the cover, you also need to look like the best candidate.</p>
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When I’m in a foreign country I am a tourist (or there on business) and I don’t really care if the locals identify me as one. I can often identify tourists here as well by what they’re wearing. I’m certainly not going to be worried that I don’t dress like a French person when in France or an Italian when in Italy and hopefully they tolerate or even enjoy seeing someone not dressed exactly the same as them. It’s no more a sign of disrespect to them than it is to us if they dress in their customary clothing when here on vacation. Note that when touring cathedrals in Italy we did make sure we respected their dress rules for entering the cathedral (head covering and no shorts for females).</p>
<p>It was funny though when we were in England and were wearing shorts. We definitely got some stares from some people who obviously have never owned a pair of shorts and just aren’t that used to seeing people in shorts. I just found it amusing (and hopefully they did as well).</p>
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We were traveling in Europe during a time of “very heightened Middle East tension”. My traveling companion wore a T-Shirt with a large bulls-eye target on it and the phrase “Jewish American Tourist”. (I loved it.) It was a conversation starter wherever we went. ;)</p>
<p>^^ That must have attracted even more stares than my family wearing shorts.</p>
<p>Hello…I thought the discussion is way off the topic…:(</p>
<p>…ya think?</p>
<p>Answer to OP:</p>
<p>Clothes.</p>
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I was in a local (huge) grocery on a really hot day once and there was an obviously middle eastern man in what looked like a fairly cool white pants and tunic with two women who I surmised might be his wife and daughter. It was impossible to tell because they were wearing full, apparently heavy, black burkas with little veiled eye-slits. I did my best to glare in his direction.</p>
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I think the OP probably got most of the info he was seeking over 10 pages ago! You’re right though - I’m guilty of helping this thread head off on a tangent but it was worth it to hear about curm’s friend’s shirt.</p>
<p>I was thinking of this thread when we sat in on the Dartmouth info session and tour this week. All of the dads were appropriately dressed (polos and long shorts on almost all dads), but the mom in the halter top was another story. I know it’s warm, but it’s not the beach.</p>
<p>I’ve stayed out of the serious part of this conversation because …well, I couldn’t see why “the invisibility cloak” wasn’t the right answer for everybody. It was for me. </p>
<p>And anyway, all you parents who “think” you were dressed “appropriately”…lemmee clue you in. Your kid probably thought you were dressed like Bozo the clown. You couldn’t have been more embarrassing had you been carrying a souvenir light saber and wearing a Darth Vader mask. ;)</p>
<p>So, that being my position…I’ll go back OT to say that one of my favorite moments of my life was on Lake Tahoe with my daughter on a wave-runner. “Gone to seed” me worked up the guts to get out there in public looking my worst. And it was wonderful. </p>
<p>A fellow summer tourist was having an equally good time wave-running with his kid. While wearing a full length tunic, long pants and a turban.</p>
<p>With the right attitude you can make most anything work for you. So says your crazy uncle curmudgeon.</p>