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Most Obnoxious Tourists? The French

news.yahoo.com — Remember the tightwad tourist whose baggy shorts, frequent complaining and shouted questions about why none of the locals spoke any English made the ugly American the world's Visitor From Hell? Well, it's time for Archie Bunker to move over and make way for Petulant Pierre.

Bury
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  • FuryOfThor, on 07/07/2008, -12/+31Unsurprised.
    • jezsik, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Maybe, but it depends a lot on your definition of obnoxious. The groups of Australians I've encountered tend to be major party animals and some folks would find that obnoxious. As a traveler, I've found Parisians at home quite rude but perfectly friendly while abroad. I'm in total agreement with the Japanese being the most respectable. I wonder where the Irish landed on that list. They are, for my money, the most fun tourists.
      • Dagny2003, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Exactly what I thought when I read it. It seems like no matter where the Irish go, people love them. When discussing this phenomenon with my Irish father-in-law, his response was "Well, besides the British, who the hell have the Irish ever pissed off?" Hell of a good point. :)
    • xmod3, on 07/09/2008, -13/+1Bottom line....white people suck as tourists.

      Shooting white people needs to made into a legal sport.
      • layzice, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0Actually, all tourists suck. They go on vacation to somewhere they've probably never been and think it will be the same/better than home.

        Instead of white people specifically, we should just make a sport of shooting tourists.
  • Conwaysb0718, on 07/07/2008, -14/+98There's only two things I can't stand in this world. Those who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the French.
    • kimsonsolutions, on 07/08/2008, -5/+27i hope you were beeing sarcastic but you made me laugh

      i'm french but not always proud to be when you see the behaviour of some idiots

      • Conwaysb0718, on 07/08/2008, -1/+37Its a quote from Austin Powers. I just substituted French for Dutch. All in good fun.
      • elpohl, on 07/09/2008, -0/+8Because EVERYBODY loves the Dutch.
        Except the Germans...
      • CoMpUtErITGuY, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5Dutch Oven...
    • andymazzu, on 07/09/2008, -15/+2Well there are also 2 things I hate most in the world. Racists and French people.
    • WikiEasy, on 07/09/2008, -8/+1Let me guess, you're French?
    • proliance, on 07/09/2008, -1/+8Lighten up people, its a line from a movie.

      (+1 for the first person to name it)
      • mdcraig62, on 07/09/2008, -0/+13All right Goldmember. Don't play the laughing boy. There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch.
    • Enderpanda, on 07/09/2008, -2/+6Can't find my copy of it (dammit), but here's my best paraphrase:

      (Evil superdudes attacking Paris)
      "Doesn't it feel kinda weird, torching civilians?"
      "Civilians are civilized, these people are French."
      - The Authority - Under New Management

      /half-Cajun
    • ironrex, on 07/09/2008, -4/+4I was on a hike last weekend and two french people (I could tell by the speaking) passed me going the other way. What trailed behind them was the most disgusting smell I've smelled in a long time. It was body odor compiled from what must have been months of neglected hygiene. It stopped me in my tracks.
      • Coffeedemon, on 07/09/2008, -0/+8A smelly hiker? Heaven forfend. They might have been camping out for weeks.
    • monoa, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2Nigel Powers (Austin's father): "There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch."
  • widman, on 07/07/2008, -18/+6"The survey was carried out among employees in 4,000 hotels in Germany, the U.K., Italy, France, Canada and the U.S. for the French travel website Expedia.fr"

    Title is completely misleading from source figure based in a very small and specific sample (hotel employees in only a few countries.) In fact, it is interesting how a french travel site dares publish this report. The US mother-site would get attacked fiercely if they published any study showing US tourists being considered ugly.

    Lame title, lame hyperbole, bury. (No, I'm not even remotely French.)
    • HigherLogic, on 07/09/2008, -3/+12Those are some pretty heavy populated and visited countries...and who better to ask than hotel employees?
  • str3ama, on 07/08/2008, -2/+45The most annoying tourists IMO aren't those from any one country, but those that come to a country with an undeserved sense of entitlement.
    • masterm1nd, on 07/09/2008, -6/+14Like the French?
    • notoneofus, on 07/09/2008, -0/+10All nationalities I'm fine with, most of the time. But my negative impressions of any one group depend on the country we're in at the time. And often how many of them are in that group.

      The worst I've seen so far: Germans in Thailand; Americans and Chinese in Japan; French in China; and Italians in the US.
      • oxymoron69, on 07/09/2008, -15/+3I dunno, wherever americans go they bring M16s and kill everyone on site. The ones that aren't dead... they rape.
    • craighoxton, on 07/09/2008, -0/+24You should see British tourists and ex-pats trying to "integrate" in Southern Spain: "Oi Diego, egg and chips por favor"
      • serif69, on 07/09/2008, -2/+7They sound exactly like bigoted Texans...
        "Yo tengo el bathroom-o, el por favor-o"
      • vizel, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Hurray, let the ***** stereotypes fly!
      • Lunarbunny, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4¿Qué es esta mierda? Son idiotos. Mi español es mas bien que ellos.

        /Soy estadounidense
        //Inglés es mi lengua primera
    • digitalpencil, on 07/09/2008, -0/+15to sum up, pretty much everyone is an ***** outside of their own fish bowl...

      we (the English), whinge about everything being far too hot (because we've become accustomed to the fine rain constantly falling on our fair shores) and we drink like fish because the constant fine rain has worn down our very souls and to resort to casual binge-drinking seems like the only viable option.. (we're quite a morose nation)

      the Aussies, insist on wearing flip-flops wherever they go. and yet still manage to whinge about the weather and the fact that our draft is nowhere near as good as a "stubbie" (whatever he ***** that is) of VB..

      the Yanks... well, there's a reason you guys have achieved the prestigious title of 'worst tourist' but the reason might shock you.... it's because you're too nice! Europeans are all ass-holes, we're used to that! we're rude to one another, we abuse each other's culture and laugh at how ridiculous our neighbours' accents sound. It might sound bizarre to you but it's a system we've had working for centuries and everyone implicitly understands the dance.. then you great big friendly buggers come on over and throw everything out of sync! Asking complete strangers their opinion over the 'quaint little chateau', 'where's best to eat' and 'how lovely the scenery is' at an amplitude so high we think you've all had megaphones surgically implanted in your collective esophagus!
      it's not that you're obnoxious or rude by intention, but SO friendly that it disconcerts us to the extent that we search around for the broken-glass lined trap we're about to fall into... Europeans are dysfunctional, we only talk to each other in designated areas (and with sufficient supplies of booze) and to exemplify the reality of this situation; try talking to a stranger on the London Underground and gauge the surrounding passengers reaction to this gross demand for attention.. the reason they're all cowering in fear is that there's good chance you're going to end up with a butterfly knife lodged in your throat/megaphone.

      as for the French.. they're pretty much the same as most Europeans.. they're rude, but no more than anyone else. Parisians on the other hand have a well-deserved reputation for being the most obnoxious ***** on the planet.. they'd quite willfully step over your 'still-twitching' corpse to get a better seat on the TGV and wouldn't think for a moment that this behaviour was anything less than fair.
      This though, is what i've come to know as 'Capital City Syndrome' and it's exactly the same as the immortal Ghost Busters quote "Being miserable and treating other people like dirt is every New Yorker's God-given right.." Every inhabitant of a capital city (yes i'm aware that New York isn't a capital city but honestly, WTF is Washington DC?!?) is an *****, they're rude, hate people with maps and shout at complete strangers for momentarily hesitating before jumping into the swarms of pedestrian traffic weaving in and out of one another at break-neck speed. It's just how they operate, they can't fathom why anyone would choose to go on holiday to somewhere they feel is just two steps away from the fiery infernos of hell itself!

      We're all assholes in our own way, and to hold competitions to see who is the biggest ***** seems somewhat redundant as there's little chance of us agreeing with one another's conclusions in the first place.. suffice to say that i'm an *****, you're an *****, the guy sat across from you is an *****... everyone's an *****.

      /rant
      • tgunner, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Informative.... *****.
        Dugg.
      • hfactor, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Hey... I'm not dysfunctional... /still laughing

        See, abroad we Germans can actually be identified as the guys who desperately try to blend in because the other German tourists are so embarassing (think sandals and white socks). The blending-in attempts usually only add unintentional hilariousness. Everybody wins... I think
  • Shigglyboo, on 07/08/2008, -0/+29I want 37 days of vacation per year. What the hell are we thinking over here? 7 vacations per year and we only get one?
    • StarofTroy, on 07/09/2008, -0/+15I've never gotten a vacation. I usually spend it recovering at home. And with the way the dollar is I can't afford to go to other countries.
      • saigumi, on 07/09/2008, -0/+12Yeah, but you have to remember that for Europe, "Going to another country" is equivable to "Going to another state".

        Except that people speak another language and don't like you.... it is like going from anywhere else in the US to California.
    • Treoinmypocket, on 07/09/2008, -5/+2I believe we are thinking we like to make money and take pride in our accomplishments.

      http://flickr.com/photos/22994175@N03/2205172655/s ...
  • Haoie, on 07/09/2008, -3/+16Funny that, you always hear horror stories about how snooty Parisians are to tourists. Nothing about how snooty French tourists are.
    • bosssmiley, on 07/09/2008, -1/+9Bruges > Paris

      The Belgians are hospitable, have good beer, good food and look after their historic buildings. They're also self-aware enough to laugh about the two most famous Belgians in the world (Tintin & Poirot) being fictitious.

      Seriously, Bruges. It's a hidden treasure.
    • somabc, on 07/09/2008, -6/+5Shhh! Don't tell the americans about bruges for gods sake!
    • dadioflex, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5I got spat at by Arab kids in Bruges. I was walking down this street and every other shop sold either guns or big dogs. I DO NOT have fond memories of Bruges. Went there for the rock festival they had when Kravitz and Dylan were co-headlining. I'm old...

      Now in Paris I got accosted by a bunch of beggars asking me for money and the weird thing was they were all dressed better than me or any of my friends.
      • CressCrowbits, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4All cities have their bad parts - you must have been in theirs.

        Also, you get 'professional' beggars in Paris. Most of them make a sort-of living out of it. There's a long culture of it.
      • oxymoron69, on 07/09/2008, -6/+3were you wearing a big american flag on your back?
        It makes a great target! that what they taught us to spit on back in school.
        Red stripes are worth +10 points because you can more clearly see the hork and spit dripping down it :-)
    • JohnboiWaltune, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I just spent a week in Paris. I'm American, and I thought the people I met were nice enough. I had 2 years of college French and I finally got a chance to put it to use... poorly. Still, I found them to be very friendly once they start hearing their own language coming out of your mouth.

      Then when I got to the Netherlands... sheesh, talk about a bunch of stuck up assholes. They all speak English even to each other, so there's no excuse there.

      I spent a week in Italy and found Italians are some of the friendliest people I've ever met, even though I can't speak Italian at all.
  • baconz, on 07/09/2008, -30/+64That's because americans can no longer afford to fly their fat asses over here.
    • TheMightyDane, on 07/09/2008, -13/+2"lol"
    • RealmDown, on 07/09/2008, -9/+2"FOADA"
    • csw1342, on 07/09/2008, -1/+6Says one.
    • proliance, on 07/09/2008, -12/+14This American is neither poor nor fat. I don't know why people get dugg up for making untrue anti-American generalizations.
      • Kanele, on 07/09/2008, -5/+7for the same reason people digg up anti-French generalizations :)
      • cdigioia, on 07/09/2008, -7/+3Poor = No, but with exchange rates it's a lot harder for Americans to travel

        Fat = Uh...have to disagree with you, just going by publicly available health statistics...
      • akamurph, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2Because this is digg, which is full of teeny diggtards.
      • TheMightyDane, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Takes one to know one ..


        OH SNAP !

        OH NO HE DIDN'T !!
    • topace3000, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2Yeah americans have so little money, being the wealthiest country on earth and all.
  • emix, on 07/09/2008, -9/+2french
  • jockser, on 07/09/2008, -10/+5Here in Israel they are really hated, most tourist restaurants and hotels have a standard price for Israelis and tourist except the french, we have special pricing for the french - high.
    • dojonz, on 07/09/2008, -7/+10Funny, because everywhere else in the world, its the Israeli's who are generally disliked.
      • jockser, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1rephrase..
        "Funny, because everywhere else in the world, its the JEW's who are generally disliked."
        correct :)
      • dojonz, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1No, its actually the arrogant Israeli tourists who flood India, South America and Australasia. Why don't you look it up.
    • mijelh, on 07/09/2008, -3/+12yet if frech did the same to you, they would be anti-semite.
      • jockser, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1ohh you really got me there...
        And yes they would be anti-semite! like you!
    • estacado, on 07/09/2008, -2/+8What about the Germans? They killed 6 million of you guys, no special price?
      • jockser, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1They get a coupon, a nazi approval coupon. I give one to you.
  • arraz, on 07/09/2008, -4/+25I was in France and Germany all last summer. The French are nice, they just expect you to also know French the language. You say one word in French and they go off on a conversation, then they don't understand why you just stare at them. I asked a guy if he knew how the porta-potty worked, and he went on for like 10 minutes in French non-stop... then he just walked away.
    Germans are much better. They recognize the American accent and talk in a funky deutsch/british accent, but at least you can understand them.

    When it comes to driving... Europe = FAIL. (at least for people used to lanes larger then 5 feet) Then again I'm sure they would say the same thing for Americans. I just don't like feeling like I'm going to ***** my pants every few minutes from some idiot trying to pass me on the second lane ...on the shoulder.
    • goggys, on 07/09/2008, -23/+10Yeah in Europe we actually like to preserve our nature and not build roads all over it. It might make it slightly less comfortable to drive around, but hey that's just us crazy Europeans.
      • dadioflex, on 07/09/2008, -3/+11Can I vote for that building roads all over it idea of yours? Roads in the UK suck. Every major motorway in EVERY major UK city is gridlocked about 4 hours a day morning and evening during rush hour. I know this happens in the US too but as the number of cars on the roads increases its only going to get worse. Ratio of roads to nature is miniscule compared to ratio of nature to fields of wheat/rape/cows/sheep. That's where your nature went, stamped out under the iron heel of people trying to feed you.
      • TehBoofed, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3fields of rape?
    • tanuki0, on 07/09/2008, -0/+12Driving in Rome or Paris is hilarious. Especially when you're a pedestrian.
    • Gutterpunk, on 07/09/2008, -0/+10When I went to Italy, I drove from Rome to Pisa, and the highway had signs saying to be careful, because 42 people died on that road last summer.

      This was more scary to me than anything else...
      • jnuffnuffnomnom, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Yes they should have this in the UK and should be allowed to show posters of accidents.
      • Rotzooi, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7They have these signs in Holland, too. Stupidly, at the END of the dangerous stretch of road.
        So you've been gunning it for 10 miles, thinking you're a F1 driver, but found the road surprisingly tricky - at the moment you're able to breathe again, that's when they tell you 12 people died on that stretch last year. Heh.
    • monoa, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Yup, that's my experience. I'm sure there are many nice French people, but they've been a rare commodity when I've gone to France. If you don't speak near-fluent French then the person you're attempting to communicate with will redefine 'dismissive' for you.

      Driving in Europe = WIN... provided you quickly learn to join everyone else on the road and believe you're starring in a movie which is some combination of Death Race 2000 / Gumball Rally / Mad Max / Bullit / Spy Who Loved Me / Spartacus.
  • nomadbea, on 07/09/2008, -1/+27In my opinion, the worst tourists are the ones who do go to other places, and instead keep themselves close-minded to the new culture.
    • MOJIRA, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2You mean _don't_ go to other places? That would make them... _not_ tourists in the first place. Though I agree that host countries often forget that if someone is visiting your country it's probably because they like your culture and they're open minded enough to travel there, so you should be nice to them.
  • JayTee44, on 07/09/2008, -4/+12A no brainer.
    Add the french canadians as well. Ever go skiing in northern Vermont ? French Canadians ignore the concept of a waiting line, and all the people standing in it.
    • craighoxton, on 07/09/2008, -1/+6Next time you meet a French Canadian, be sure to tell them :

      "Calisse, ostie, tabarnac, ciboire, viarge, bapteme!"
      • blackjack75, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2The most hilarious thing about this is that those are all religious words (especially when they're written correctly).

        When a frenchman goes to Québec, the people there are usually horrified by the vulgarity of the terms they use to cuss (hint: much less religious ones).
    • Alexcarrier, on 07/09/2008, -13/+3I saw an american the other day, he was a 400 lbs stinky piece of *****, so I concluded that absolutely all the americans are 400 lbs stinky pieces of *****. Thanks for showing me how to think logically!
      • Tenlow, on 07/09/2008, -9/+7The problem with your reasoning is that in fact all of us ARE 400lb stinky pieces of *****, so you're not actually pointing out a fallacy in his logic with that argument.
      • wolferz, on 07/09/2008, -1/+6@tenlow

        I'm only 300lbs.... and 5'4"
    • jerrycan, on 07/09/2008, -1/+19I experienced the same thing with those of the African american persuasion at Disney World. I mentioned something about line etiqette to them, but it seems they were quite perturbed about having a "cracker" get up in their "face".

      Oh well.
    • Smogtdi, on 07/09/2008, -8/+6up to earlier this week, Jay Peak in Northern Vermont was owned by Canadians. and most of the skiers/snowboarders in Northern Vermont are Canadian, so better say thank you than whining about us spending our money in your failing economy.


      by the way, I would be pissed if some people cut the waiting line; Canadian, American or whatever nationality. You got the bad apple.
    • SquidLips, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Not true. I was hiking with my friend and three of our kids in the White Mountains a couple of weekends ago on Mount Lafayette. The weather drove most of the lightweights off the mountain except us and a large contingent of French Canadians. I thought that they were very gracious and polite. Also they (Josette and Luci) were really pleased when two of the boys tried their French on them; cute amusing conversation.

  • reisrocks, on 07/09/2008, -2/+13Between the French and the Italian, I would say the Italians are worse, simply due to the fact they are very territorial and loud, especially in a group.

    Go to a restaurant, if there's a group of people making noise, they're either from any nation and drunk... or Italian.

    On the up-side, they're cool once you get to know them.
    • mijelh, on 07/09/2008, -0/+11I moved to Italy one year ago, and I can tell Italians are really really loud. My neighbor is waking up like at 5 in the morning every day and start talking to his son, who is living in a building just in front of hers. But, why use a telephone or just walk the 5 meters separating both houses? no! It's much easier to just open the window and start shouting until his son wakes up, opens his window, and join the conversation.
      But, as the previous poster noted, they are really cool when you get to know them. When I arrived, I was amazed that people I knew just for a week offered themselves to help me find an apartment, called me to go to every party, introduced me to their families.... once you know someone, you are treated almost as a life-long friend.
      • Dagny2003, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1You guys must not have any friends of Italian descent either. Even after three generations in the States my family is still RIDICULOUSLY loud! :)
      • mijelh, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1*****, so it's kind of a genetic problem, I'm leaving my italian girlfriend right now!!!
    • WikiEasy, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2... or Cantonese.
    • blackjack75, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5Interesting indeed. When I was in Stockholm it was the americans I could tell from miles because they did speak sensibly louder than most other people. This is especially apparent in public places such as a restaurant.

      But then again the comparison might be unfair since the Swedish people tend to be rather silent... when they're sober.
    • monoa, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1...I went on a cycling holiday in Italy a couple years ago - the Italians were great. Very friendly. And, of course, they know how to produce superb food. Italy FTW.
  • raarky, on 07/09/2008, -2/+9the same applies when you are a tourist in their country.

    it certainly felt like we werent welcome there.
    • radio4fan, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2Strange. I moved to France last December and speak only a little bit of really bad French and everyone here is very welcoming and friendly.

      I've not had a single incident where I felt unwelcome in the 8 months I've been here.
  • bratterscain, on 07/09/2008, -0/+16ITT: Generalizations
  • Totz83, on 07/09/2008, -7/+3Terrorists are worse, maybe not
    • TexanPsycho, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Terrorists aren't usually tourists but rather travellers.
  • sedatedson, on 07/09/2008, -10/+7I genuinely can't believe a place like this is perpetuating such garbage. There are both annoying and tolerable tourists from every country. All else is nonsense. Do you people realize how Bill O'Reilly-esque you sound right now?
    • reisrocks, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3well digg has its fair share of generalising, badly travelled, ignorant hill-billies ;)
      • CoMpUtErITGuY, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1...and that's just the democrats!
    • pseudononymist, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4so... you're responding by generalizing that every country produces more or less the same ratio of tolerable to annoying tourists?
  • kosmoss, on 07/09/2008, -3/+18They are just frustrated that the world speaks english not french.
    • Kanele, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2actually i'd be pissed if french was more spreaded than english, i wouldn't be able to insult people without hurting their feelings.
      Hell yeah, we're #1 !!! Digg on down!
    • softrain, on 07/10/2008, -1/+0Are you sure the world speak English? have you ever been anywhere else than USA or the commonwealth???
  • fireinbergen, on 07/09/2008, -1/+19According to the article it says the Chinese are the worst tourists overall. The French are just the worst tourists from Europe.
    • wyrdness, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7I find it really hard to believe that the French are worse tourists than the British. Unfortunately, us Brits have a really bad reputation abroad.
    • araza13, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5The chinese just haggle over everything in stores and take pictures of everything, i like to jump in front of their cameras as they take said pictures. I must be in hundreds of photo albums all across asia. :)
      • aenegeling, on 07/09/2008, -2/+7Unfortunately it's true, they spit, swear, urinate in the streets, scream at each other, barge their way through cues, the women belch with no regard to the social environment etc.. This doesn't suprise me at all. Look at their government though. An absolute nightmare of a government that purposely obliterated traditional Chinese culture, a culture which emphasised respect for others, acting in a benevolent and respectable manner.

        Not to single the Chinese people out though, it's the Chinese Governments destruction of Chinese culture that has lead the Chinese to act like this and believe it to be normal. I have a lot of Chinese friends living outside of China that still find it hard to break away from the bad habits they formed while living in China.
      • edebolt, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4I agree when you visit China it can be gross and unfriendly in some places but a lot of the Chinese who have money to travel tend to be more refined and respectful. I live in Thailand and the visiting Chinese seem to be cheap but also much better manners.
      • Wrangler76, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Wow. This is only true IN China. Outside of China, the tourists talk loudly and are VERY cheap, but they don't urinate in the streets or barge their way through queues. I saw a lot of spitting in China, but that's because the air in China really clogs up your throat. Hurray for stupid generalizations.
      • poopmasta, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2I totally agree about the chinese government destroying the culture. Thank god there's still pockets of it in Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, and the US.
    • imsoclever, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Indians at # 2. I think we should aim for #1 baby!!
    • livingdots, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Yeah, pretty inaccurate headline... The submitter probably likes to hate on the French/works on Fox News.
  • ThisCommentSux, on 07/09/2008, -1/+12Why is this on the front page again, barely more than a day later?
    http://digg.com/search?s=Most+Obnoxious+Tourists
    The article was awful the first time round on time.com, and it isn't any better this time round on yahoo.com.

    This is retarded.

    • Maximilian000, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4I agree,
      looks as though someone really wants to stick it up the French,
      but two days in a row for the same crap is a bit much.
    • neoknight, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3yeah we already this discussion on reddit like 4 days ago.
  • araza13, on 07/09/2008, -9/+5Well, living in a tourist hotspot, and having lived in two others (In Australia)
    I'd have to disagree, it a close tie between Americans and Poms (sorry English)
    The Poms get way to drunk and sunburnt and complain about how everything is better back in England (well ***** go back there then)
    The Americans are just plain loud and obnoxious and complain about everything in general. (you can always spot the american tourists in a bar, they are the ones talking over everyone else and drinking fosters )
    Of course i am making gross generalisations here, i have met very very nice people from both countries.
    Haven't come across a really bad French person of yet (perhaps a little arrogance in some).
    • Brodels, on 07/09/2008, -0/+9Not that I disagree, but living in SW London an area which is covered with Australians and hearing them constantly complaining is kind of ironic too. If it's so bad, why is almost every third house in my street full of them.
    • bratterscain, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I'm pretty quiet and not very outgoing. I think it's just the most outgoing people tend to visit abroad and travelers, in general, are probably louder and more boastful than regular folk.
  • daneyh, on 07/09/2008, -18/+14oh wow, an american website with an article about how bad the french and how good the americans are.
  • 3leggedHorse, on 07/09/2008, -10/+3The other thing you need if you are friends with the French is a Kevlar vest on your back. Same goes for the English and Americans come to think about it.
  • dadioflex, on 07/09/2008, -0/+10I went inter-railing across Europe in the 80s and by far the best people to know were US americans. I think because it was a big hop for them they were generally far better prepared than we (from the UK) were. I had maps given to me, advice given on the best place to crash and the best bars to go to and any number of other tips. The worst people to run across were Aussies - I don't know what it was but back then they seemed to view Europe in much the same way the Mongols viewed the rest of the world several centuries earlier.
  • chikuten, on 07/09/2008, -5/+12as an american myself, i can proudly say that the award for the biggest ass holes and dumb asses is still reserved for america.
    • oxymoron69, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6USA #1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      Gooooooooo Yanks!
    • diggopolous, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2No it is reserved for you personally
    • digitalpencil, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2only when you're in foreign countries though.. when we come over to you, you're super-friendly but that is kind of disconcerting in itself.. i always feel like i'm being setup for a trap, perhaps i'm just too distrusting..
      • layzice, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0No, it's a trap.

        The macro would go here, but I don't have it and am to lazy to go and get it.

  • redcodenl, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Nah, I still think Russians tourists are the most obnoxious, especially in countries like Italy, Egypt, Turkey and Greece nowadays.
  • reisrocks, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3In pretty much every country in the world, if you want to be respected and well treated, you have to be nice, polite, tip etc.

    With the French you have to be tough.. supercilious and slightly insulting. This grabs their attention and instantly ups the respect.

    Once you get to know them, they've very nice people though.
    • wtrwlkr, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Actually, here in Japan, it's considered rude to tip. The Japanese consider a tip a "bribe" to provide better service when they are already providing good service, if that makes any sense. But the rest is spot on. As an American living in Tokyo for almost 3 years now, I can't stand the way some of the tourists act, especially on the trains. Chances are a white loud obnoxious person on a train = American. That and the africans in Roppongi (not trying to be racist) who do everything short of physically grabbing you to try and get you into their club really piss me off.
      • Gutterpunk, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Been there. Seen exactly that.

        If you see anyone jaywalking in Japan, you can bet your last yen that it is an American.
    • radio4fan, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2"With the French you have to be tough.. supercilious and slightly insulting."

      Really? I get on fine in France just being polite and friendly.
  • tanuki0, on 07/09/2008, -1/+6I'm a great tourist, honestly. And I love foreign tourists in my city, it's very amusing to see them marvel at stuff I see everyday. But yeah, I suppose we can be seen as rude sometime although we don't do it on purpose, it's just how we are, it doesn't bother other french but it seems weird to others. I know I'm suprised when I go to a foreign country and everyone is super nice.
    But really, you shouldn't go only to Paris. They are so arrogant and awfully rude even to other French people. It's like they own the place - of course, not all of them. Generalisation sucks.
    • creppie, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Nice post. Spent 6 months in Marseille last year. The french without a doubt have their rude habits but that's just how they (let's generalize for simplicity) are. For example, they don't think not holding the door for the person coming in behind you is rude. They also have points where their politesse exceeds that of our own. In any case, I was surprised to see the results of this article because I live in a hotbed for European tourists in NYC and it seems to me that it's the French that are very cautious and as socially isolationist as they are at home when it comes to intruding or interacting with everybody else.
    • blackjack75, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5The people from Paris act like they own the place? Well, I believe they actually do.
      • tanuki0, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1No, they act like Paris is France and the rest of the country is nothing. Lots of parisians would automatically look down on you if you're not parisian, they don't care about the rest of France, it's all about them.
    • Coffeedemon, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3"you shouldn't go only to Paris. They are so arrogant and awfully rude even to other French people"

      Sounds like downtown Toronto. You'll get judged on every street corner based on what (or who) you're wearing and the pace of the city has somewhat compromised the good Canadian nature. Now on the other hand come to Newfoundland and you'll be lucky there aren't people waiting at the airport for strangers who have no place to sleep or eat (I've actually witnessed this as people from my home town have routinely visited the boats at the container storage area and brought home sailors from other countries who had nowhere to go on Christmas Day)
    • digitalpencil, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Agreed, the French are like any other people, Parisians on the other hand, are a different matter but I imagine it's very much the same way in which New Yorkers are different (more obnoxious) to the average American.
      I've got to say though, traveling through the states was pretty disconcerting just because everyone is SO friendly, it comes off kind of creepy when complete strangers treat you like a long-lost friend..
  • Treoinmypocket, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4I don't speak other languages but always put time in before travelling abroad to learn some of the basics. One of the most useful phrases to learn is "How do you say?". That one phrase will get you quite far because you can then point to the thing in question or gesture your way thru until the person you are attempting to communicate with realizes what you intend.

    I have found that it also leads to some very funny misunderstandings that tend to break the ice. Knowing how to say "thank you" is quite useful.

  • pauliusuza, on 07/09/2008, -3/+4The worst thing that I've seen French tourists do is mixing in French words into their English sentences to spice things up. Like "Could I have a glass of wine - you fatty (in french) - and some cheese?".

    Yuck :(
    • softrain, on 07/10/2008, -0/+0Sorry about that, but I'm not sure actually that french use so much the english language (why would they do?)
      Obviously, every native english speakers talk in spanish or mandarin (the first most spoken language in the world) without using any english world into it.
  • Flushnasty, on 07/09/2008, -2/+13What an ignorant generalization. I work as a food server in a fine dining restaurant, Over the past three years I have had several french customers, as well as numerous other tourist. NEVER have I felt disrespect from a french tourist. I cant say the same for some of my fellow Americans however. I've noticed the french have high standards for customer service an can appear standoffish but that's just their culture. Obnoxious is having your kids run around every while people are trying to eat a nice dinner, or talking loud on your phone inside.
    • diggopolous, on 07/09/2008, -2/+4Oh yeah? "French.....can appear standoffish but that's just their culture."
      Don't be such a wimpy apologist.
  • Smogtdi, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6I live in the province of Quebec where most people speak french anyway... and still the concept of "Français Chiant" is embeded in our culture. They are seen as thinking they own the world.
    • blackjack75, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I perfectly understand that, seen from the other side of the Atlantic, since in France (and the french speaking neighbours) we always find hard to get angry with canadians who are so often smiley and friendly.

      I remember I tried to be angry on the phone with people from Montréal, boy it's hard.

      It's a matter of culture. Over here the angriest guy gets served first.
  • mrloci, on 07/09/2008, -8/+4if a frencie gives you problems...simply shout "lookout, there's a war behind you".
    then watch them run
    • radio4fan, on 07/09/2008, -5/+3French dead WW1: 1,697,800
      US dead WW1: 117,465

      French dead WW2: 567,600
      US dead WW2: 418,500

      Doesn't seem like they can run very fast then.
  • flawedprefect, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Honey! I was RIGHT!
  • araza13, on 07/09/2008, -3/+8To be honest these articles just perpetuate even more xenophobia, which the world needs less of especially right now.
  • RaDeus, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1the turists i love to hate is: the fat german that pick the buffé table clean and wear speedos on the beach...
  • JellyFish62, on 07/09/2008, -2/+4The French have a lot of trouble with their own language, you can't blame them for not being able to speak another one in a foreign country.
  • Kanele, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2w00t we're #1 high5 fellow frenchies! keep up the good work, we shall be hated all around the world!
    *sips some red wine*
  • MrRoboto, on 07/09/2008, -5/+4Are you kidding me? Most obmoxious tourists = Americans...by far.
  • omg404, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1"Remember the tightwad tourist whose baggy shorts, frequent complaining and shouted questions about why none of the locals spoke any English"

    They did understand English!!!
    The locals all hated me. Funny times.
  • OverthrowTheNWO, on 07/09/2008, -2/+5Tourist or migrant, if you go to a foreign country you should respect the local customs and try YOUR BEST to speak the language, or even better LEARN IT before you go to the country.
    Sorry but It pisses me off that my help desk colleague who is from India has been in Australia for over 8 years and can barely speak English as he speaks almost 0% English outside of work. Its just the majority of the calls get bounced to me because he too god damn lazy to try to learn English!!! ARGHHHHH!!! So am i being unreasonable?
    • ddawggin, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1Yes, if I'm visiting a country for a week I don't feel like investing years in mastering the language. Expect me to show up knowing:
      "How do you say..."
      "Hello" & "Goodbye"
      "Thank you"
      "Where is..."
      and if you're lucky I'll learn "Do you speak English?"
  • mjl5629, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3yahoo flame bait, buried
  • o6uoq, on 07/09/2008, -1/+7wow. An article by an American journalist for an American news source says that the French are obnoxious travellers. I'm calling BS on this one.

    I've done a fair bit of travel for my age and the biggest annoyances are Americans. They are the only ones you will hear in a restaurant. Only ones who expect every other country to speak English. I'm basing it on stereotypes here - but unfortunately majority rules and majority wins in this case.
    • topace3000, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Eh, Indians are generally a lot worse than both.
  • oxymoron69, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4You know who the most obnoxious digger is?
    Msaleem!
    here's to promoting hatred and racism you magnificent ***** bastard!
    Thanks for being right there with the rest of the white power crew!

    I'm also going to make a big guess that msaleem is also an american...
    Now he thinks that everyone is more annoying than himself.
    Please sir, never come to Canada.
  • blackjack75, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6You forgot about Switzerland (again!). We have parts that speak french, german, italian (and rumantsch).

    As such we can be arrogant like the french, wear speedos at the beach like the german, be very loud like the italians and – the worst part – we're organized like the swiss.

    Who could beat that?
  • str0bot, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I don't know....the Italian teenagers (and their teacher) on my night train from Rome were incredibly inconsiderate and annoying. But then again, so are most teenagers.
  • lgfaphile, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Duh.
  • starkistuna, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Well i Went to spain for 30 days and started my trip on the pyrennes, and some people were very rude, refused to speak to you, help or give directions, and extremely epensive and unpolite. which was a shocker because here in puerto rico the tourist were nice and respectful. and the town wasnt touristy at all.
    so france is out of my future travels for now... plus it was 4$ for a coffee then (2001) cant imagine now with the dollar in the gutter...
  • asnider, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Wasn't this on the front page about 2 pages ago? I know I already read this, and I get most of my useless world news from Digg.
    • asnider, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Of course, by "2 pages ago" I meant "2 days ago."
  • nugx, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I went to the Grand Canyon with my family during the summer one year back when I was a kid. On the first day there we walked all around in the blazing Arizona heat checking out the enormous glory of one of the world's most amazing natural wonders. Everyone got tired and thirsty eventually and we went to go find a water fountain. There was a big ***** line - at least 15-20 people waiting, sweating. We looked all the way to the front of it and there were these two French ***** washing their FEET in the ***** DRINKING fountain. So, I can confirm the claims of this article, first hand.
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