How To Identify An American Tourist

[tinytherese]

I was told that wearing white tennis shoes is a give away.

 

Sadly, many Europeans have negative stereotypes of American tourists being loud and obnoxiously commenting that any other way than the American way of doing things is weird.

[Kia ora]

Speaking English in an American accent?

[Nihil Obstat]

I was told that wearing white tennis shoes is give away.

Sadly, many Europeans have negative stereotypes of American tourists being loud and obnoxiously commenting that any other way than the American way of doing things is weird.

As far as stereotypes go, that one is fairly well-deserved.

[MIKolbe]

Pipe down, frenchy

[alleros]

I trade at a street market in a small town in Ireland where the tour buses arrive in droves in season and carry all the nations of the world. LOUD I will agree with as I hear one American shout the name of another the length of the street 

 

Dress can be revealing in more ways than one.. shorts and Crocs and yes big cameras, BUT we sell hand made rosaries to raise food money for the very needy and by far the best customers for these are Americans of all ages

[HisChildForever]

The easiest, surest way to spot a tourist in NYC is to walk through Times Square. The amount of people who stopped short in front of me yesterday to take pictures...fanny bags, visors, "I love New York" clothes, cameras/video cameras around the neck, clustering around a map RIGHT where people are walking, and generally looking clueless.

[CatholicsAreKewl]

So I work with two lovely ladies who happen to have grown up and lived a large chunk of their life in the Netherlands as well as France. We were discussing at lunch today what they felt were the main indicators in identifying an American based primarily by what they wear (but not all are clothing). 

 

1) Baseball caps
2) Jeans
3) Sneakers
4) College/school logo shirts
5) Hoodies
6) Gum chewing
7) Loud!

 

So if youre ever traveling outside of the US, consider wearing/not wearing these items depending on how easily you want to be spotted. :)

Any other non US residents have some other identifying characteristics that arent on this list?

 

1) How is this #1? I'd rather shoot myself with a bbgun until i crock over and die than watch 10 minutes of baseball.

2. ...Maybe? Some jeans are stylish. It depends on brand too, no?

3. This makes more sense.

4. Yes.

5. Yes.

6. ...What? Any gum? You mean to tell me they don't like gum in other countries?

7. I'm really annoyed by the whole loud American stereotype because even Australians think this is true... and they're even louder.

 

To be honest, you'll be targeted by scammers and pickpocketers if you look like a clueless traveler. Don't wear backpacks/fanny packs and be skeptical of people who approach you out of the blue. Make friends with a local before going to any shops or restaurants so you won't get overcharged. The worst thing about being identified as American is that you'll be targeted. Fear of being recognized beyond that is dum.
 

Oh BTW, I love how we're fine with people stereotyping Americans but we'd get so much flack for doing the same.

 

How do you identify a Korean person?

1. Camera on them at all times.

2. Plastic Surgery

3. Quiet.

 

How do you identify an Arab?

1. Ninja clothing

2. Beard

3. Loud

4. Wears only white or black

 

How do you identify a French person?

1. Nose high up in the air.

2. Dresses provocatively.

3. Smells horrible.

4. Hates America.

 

How do you identify a Norwegian?

1. Sings everything he/she says.

2. Socialist.

3. Comes up with stupid lists generalizing American people.

Edited August 25, 2013 by CatholicsAreKewl

[Anselm]

Methinks the lady doth protest too much...

[Socrates]

So I work with two lovely ladies who happen to have grown up and lived a large chunk of their life in the Netherlands as well as France. We were discussing at lunch today what they felt were the main indicators in identifying an American based primarily by what they wear (but not all are clothing). 

 

1) Baseball caps
2) Jeans
3) Sneakers

. . .

 

From what I've heard the whole casual t-shirts/jeans/baseball caps/tennies combo has become pretty much universal in much of the world in the past several decades, at least with the younger people.

 

 

 

Talking loudly in English about "MURIKAN!" things: i.e. large guns, hotdogs, talking about paying for things in dollars, etc. 

 

Yeah, difficult as it is for yanks, you have to learn to avoid the usual 'Murican talk about big guns, religion and hotdogs ("So I was at the baseball game prayin' to Jesus for my team to win, when some raghead commie sumbich tried to steal my hotdog I just paid 30 dollars for, so I had to whip out my HUGE AR-15 and blow him away!"), unless you want to make yourself an obvious and easy target.

 

You need to replace it with sophisticated conversation about existentialist philosophy, the finer points of fine wines and cheeses, the benefits of socialist government, and euro-disco.

Do this, and you'll blend in perfectly with the locals and not be noticed.  

They won't even notice the fact that you're speaking in English with a Yank accent.  Trust me.

 

Yeah, and also be sure to wear lederhosen everywhere.

 

Edited August 26, 2013 by Socrates

[Norseman82]

Well, if you're north of the "Molsen curtain", you can pronounce the "ou" dipthong correctly to get you recognized as an American.

 

 

You need to replace it with sophisticated conversation about existentialist philosophy, the finer points of fine wines and cheeses, the benefits of socialist government, and euro-disco.

Do this, and you'll blend in perfectly with the locals and not be noticed.  

They won't even notice the fact that you're speaking in English with a Yank accent.  Trust me.

 

Yeah, and also be sure to wear lederhosen everywhere.

 

Or, you can take your fashion tips from Dieter: 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHZR9SA5pOg

[Nihil Obstat]

Well, if you're north of the "Molsen curtain", you can pronounce the "ou" dipthong correctly to get you recognized as an American.

 

 

 

Or, you can take your fashion tips from Dieter: 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHZR9SA5pOg

If we are talking about regional varieties of English, there is no such thing as correct.

[CrossCuT]

1) How is this #1? I'd rather shoot myself with a bbgun until i crock over and die than watch 10 minutes of baseball.

2. ...Maybe? Some jeans are stylish. It depends on brand too, no?

3. This makes more sense.

4. Yes.

5. Yes.

6. ...What? Any gum? You mean to tell me they don't like gum in other countries?

7. I'm really annoyed by the whole loud American stereotype because even Australians think this is true... and they're even louder.

 

To be honest, you'll be targeted by scammers and pickpocketers if you look like a clueless traveler. Don't wear backpacks/fanny packs and be skeptical of people who approach you out of the blue. Make friends with a local before going to any shops or restaurants so you won't get overcharged. The worst thing about being identified as American is that you'll be targeted. Fear of being recognized beyond that is dum.
 

Oh BTW, I love how we're fine with people stereotyping Americans but we'd get so much flack for doing the same.

1) I dont think all "baseball caps" are worn for the purpose of advertising your favorite baseball team

2) jeans, from what i was told by them, are much more expensive to purchase over there than they are in the US so you  dont see them as often as you would here.

6) I dont know if they do or dont like gum, they simply said its something they notice the american tourists chewing more often

 

From what I've heard the whole casual t-shirts/jeans/baseball caps/tennies combo has become pretty much universal in much of the world in the past several decades, at least with the younger people.

I have only been to Europe once and it was a long time ago so I dont have any personal experience in what they wear over there, I was just told these identifiers by two women who have lived the majority of their lives not in the US.

[CrossCuT]

1) How is this #1? I'd rather shoot myself with a bbgun until i crock over and die than watch 10 minutes of baseball.

2. ...Maybe? Some jeans are stylish. It depends on brand too, no?

3. This makes more sense.

4. Yes.

5. Yes.

6. ...What? Any gum? You mean to tell me they don't like gum in other countries?

7. I'm really annoyed by the whole loud American stereotype because even Australians think this is true... and they're even louder.

 

To be honest, you'll be targeted by scammers and pickpocketers if you look like a clueless traveler. Don't wear backpacks/fanny packs and be skeptical of people who approach you out of the blue. Make friends with a local before going to any shops or restaurants so you won't get overcharged. The worst thing about being identified as American is that you'll be targeted. Fear of being recognized beyond that is dum.
 

Oh BTW, I love how we're fine with people stereotyping Americans but we'd get so much flack for doing the same.

1) I dont think all "baseball caps" are worn for the purpose of advertising your favorite baseball team

2) jeans, from what i was told by them, are much more expensive to purchase over there than they are in the US so you  dont see them as often as you would here.

6) I dont know if they do or dont like gum, they simply said its something they notice the american tourists chewing more often

 

From what I've heard the whole casual t-shirts/jeans/baseball caps/tennies combo has become pretty much universal in much of the world in the past several decades, at least with the younger people.

I have only been to Europe once and it was a long time ago so I dont have any personal experience in what they wear over there, I was just told these identifiers by two women who have lived the majority of their lives not in the US.

[CatholicsAreKewl]

1) I dont think all "baseball caps" are worn for the purpose of advertising your favorite baseball team

2) jeans, from what i was told by them, are much more expensive to purchase over there than they are in the US so you  dont see them as often as you would here.

6) I dont know if they do or dont like gum, they simply said its something they notice the american tourists chewing more often

 

I have only been to Europe once and it was a long time ago so I dont have any personal experience in what they wear over there, I was just told these identifiers by two women who have lived the majority of their lives not in the US.

 

Good points. I've never seen an American abroad wearing a baseball cap but I guess it'd be a giveaway. I have heard many talk down on Americans for wearing jeans in a "Americans have no fashion sense" tone. But you are right. Jeans are more expensive in other countries due to high tarrifs. I apologize if my response came off as overly defensive. Both of my parents are Fobs. Since foreigners see me as an outsider, some have talked trash about Americans to me/in front of me thinking I shared the same views.

Edited August 26, 2013 by CatholicsAreKewl

[CrossCuT]

Yeah, I have experienced that as well when I was in Germany. The trash talking that is