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From: jrc@ritcv.UUCP (James R. Carbin)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: Americans in Paris
Message-ID: <40@ritcv.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Apr-85 22:05:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: ritcv.40
Posted: Tue Apr 30 22:05:11 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 2-May-85 06:37:55 EDT
References: <1871@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Lines: 40

> 
> I can say nothing good about the Americans I met in Europe.
> I would tell you where my favorite spots in France were, but I
> do not want to see any Americans there when I return. There is a lot
> of truth in the stereotype of the 'Ugly American'.
> 
> Janice Hayden

Amen!  I don't know if I would condemn all American tourists in Europe,
but I have certainly witnessed my share of "Ugly Americans."
In a few cases, I felt like taking them over my knee and giving them a
good spanking!

A suggestion that I might make.  Rather than stay in the luxury hotels
which I couldn't really afford anyway, stay in what I call European
Hotels where amenities such as in-room bathroom facilities are usually
absent.  (Don't worry - they're down the hall.)  This is where most
of the European businessmen and middleclass European tourists stay.
They are a step above the hostels, but still usually reasonable in price.
You'll rarely run into other Americans and if you do, they're of
similar mentality.  For example, the night that Nixon resigned, I
found myself in a 125-room hotel in Copenhagen and we were the only
Americans!  We found it real interesting talking to some of the other
guests in the next few days about his resignation and how they perceived
it, but now I'm getting into net.poitics.

So many Europeans in the larger cities have been so turned off by
the "Ugly American" syndrome that I think that in many cases you will
have to "prove yourself" first!   I think that the nicest compliment 
ever given to me was when a Doctor in Stockholm said as we were leaving,
"I really enjoyed meeting you... you're not at all like most Americans
that I meet."   Interestingly, this fellow had spent two years in the
U.S. as an exchange student.

It is so unfortunate that what is really the minority has become
perceived as the majority; namely, "The Ugly American."

as ever,

j.r.         {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!jrc