Just One Little Comment About Americans

With tourist season coming up (especially in Greece) I thought I'd share a little story about American tourists and why we have such a bad image.

Last week I visited Versailles. (The chateau) We walked through the main building and then decided to take this little train to some of the outer gardens and buildings. We got off at the first stop and realized we wouldn't be able to spend too much time there because the last train back was at 6:30. So we wandered around a bit, drank some Versailles orange juice and caught one of the last (crowded) trains back. On our way back we stopped at the next two stops where the driver of the train got off and explained that there was no more room on this train BUT that there would be another train coming along momentarily.

At the front of the line was an American family. I could tell because I'm getting very good at spotting Americans, but also because they LOOKED that kind of trashy-American that doesn't belong in France, except maybe at Euro-Disneyland. ANYWAY, the (overweight, cartoon-character-t-shirt-wearing) mother says "WHY CAN'T WE GO ON THE TRAIN???" The train driver explains to her (in very good English) that there isn't any room (and let me tell you, from the perspective of someone already smushed on the train: there was no room) but another train will be coming by soon. "There IS room!" she said, pointing to a space roughly the size of her sausage-like finger. "Desole" the driver said. "At most ten more minutes." The woman scowled and crossed her arms. Her chubby husband, daughter and two young boys did the same. (How DARE they not have enough room on this train?) Everyone is staring at them, dumbstruck that they're upset about this. (What can you do? The French think. Have a glass of rose while you wait!) Finally the driver shrugs and gets back in the train. At this point we can hear the other train in the distance. As we pull away the roundest of the sons steps out of line and points at our train and hisses, "RUDE RUDE YOU'RE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDEEE." I could have ripped up my passport then and there.

And the moral of this story is, well, don't act like that. And the thing is: most Americans DON'T... but that tiny percentage that does... well, that's where our bad reputation comes from.

(When I told Alex this story he said: If they were Russians they would have just pushed their way onto the train and refused to leave. Perhaps, then, I'm just overly critical of Americans... )