An Airport Encounter

[darkeyes]

I really wish America you would keep your nutters at home.. as many will know we were in France on holiday for a fortnight. On Sunday sitting in the departure lounge at Caen airport chatting to an English couple, a big beefy loudmouthed gett and his screaming witch of a wife from somewhere over your way, God knows where and I don't care.. began slagging us, our country and our justice minister off for the release of the Lockerbie bomber.. I have no intention of debating the merits of his guilt, innocence, illness or release.., but I do not take kindly to large lummoxes from wherever they come getting aggressive and overbearing and trying to ruin what had been a lovely two weeks.

People can say what they like about my country and me.. I'm not fussed about that... but I would prefer they did it coherently and not have every second word as an eff or a cee.. and I would also prefer that our children were not intimidated by stupid jerks and have to put up with that kind of "adult" behaviour..

After that outburst of irritation at stupidity, I would like to thank the funny little guy from Wisconson, his wife and son (they can come back anytime) as well as the very dapper old gent from Prague for intervening and calming what was fast becoming a nasty situation and getting out of hand from doing so.

Every country has it loudmouthed arseholes (mine own incuded having moren its fair share) and whatever politicians decide is in our best interests is not something which can be pinned on a country as a whole.. I just wish sometimes people would realise that..

[elian]

Knowing the subject matter of this site I thought you were going to tell us the story of some US politician who had a toe-tappingly good time in the restroom listening to some country music or something.

Freedom of speech is big here in the US, and when you get a whole group of everyone screaming out their own opinion what you describe is a lot less noticeable - after a while you get used to it. Mind you, the quality of the speech, whether it is factual or not doesn't matter - just that we "damned well better" have a right to say it.

In America it is more safe to say that we hate our politicians and openly criticize them because they don't give us what we want - which is usually a) more free stuff and b) no new taxes - which are mutually exclusive options but for some reason a lot of people don't get that. Once a politician is in office they are either a) in there for life or b) spending more than 50% of their time and resources trying to STAY in office. They need campaign contributions to buy the time and resources they need to stay in, which lobbyists for special interest are happy to provide. Compound all of this with the fact that in the last 15 years or so people have ONLY been looking at the short term and you have a heck of a mess.

Conservatives btw will tell you they are more interested in "freedom" rather than "more free stuff" but we are so linked globally now that I think it would be really hard to go back to being completely xenophobic.

Personally if the guy wasn't directly involved in the Lockerbie case I don't know what business he has making such a heated argument over the issue, but sometimes people talk about politics here simply as a matter of debate.

Marketers desperate to find a way to part us with our money and the majority class wishing to preserve its unearned power and privilege have been telling us we have a right to entitlement for so long now Fran that it pervades the popular culture. If you soak your brain in that stuff day in and day out then you can't help but absorb some of that junk. That's why you have people who will be in debt here all of their lives, living beyond their means on borrowed time and money.

Not everyone is like that BTW, myself if I ever go out of the country expect to try listening more than talking, only because I've heard some enlightened stories like yours and from other friends who have traveled abroad. For example two people from a group of American tourists gone to China but didn't want to eat the local food and somehow expected to be waited on hand and foot.

There ARE kind and generous people here, even if we are "boisterous". Some people are really loud on the exterior but actually pussycats underneath.

[Jackofalltrades]

Sorry you had to deal with that. As a "yank" I apologize for my countrymen. I still never understand why folks blame the people from said country, for what their government does.
Jack

[darkeyes]

Knowing the subject matter of this site I thought you were going to tell us the story of some US politician who had a toe-tappingly good time in the restroom listening to some country music or something.

Freedom of speech is big here in the US, and when you get a whole group of everyone screaming out their own opinion what you describe is a lot less noticeable - after a while you get used to it. Mind you, the quality of the speech, whether it is factual or not doesn't matter - just that we "damned well better" have a right to say it.

In America it is more safe to say that we hate our politicians and openly criticize them because they don't give us what we want - which is usually a) more free stuff and b) no new taxes - which are mutually exclusive options but for some reason a lot of people don't get that. Once a politician is in office they are either a) in there for life or b) spending more than 50% of their time and resources trying to STAY in office. They need campaign contributions to buy the time and resources they need to stay in, which lobbyists for special interest are happy to provide. Compound all of this with the fact that in the last 15 years or so people have ONLY been looking at the short term and you have a heck of a mess.

Conservatives btw will tell you they are more interested in "freedom" rather than "more free stuff" but we are so linked globally now that I think it would be really hard to go back to being completely xenophobic.

Personally if the guy wasn't directly involved in the Lockerbie case I don't know what business he has making such a heated argument over the issue, but sometimes people talk about politics here simply as a matter of debate.

Marketers desperate to find a way to part us with our money and the majority class wishing to preserve its unearned power and privilege have been telling us we have a right to entitlement for so long now Fran that it pervades the popular culture. If you soak your brain in that stuff day in and day out then you can't help but absorb some of that junk. That's why you have people who will be in debt here all of their lives, living beyond their means on borrowed time and money.

Not everyone is like that BTW, myself if I ever go out of the country expect to try listening more than talking, only because I've heard some enlightened stories like yours and from other friends who have traveled abroad. For example two people from a group of American tourists gone to China but didn't want to eat the local food and somehow expected to be waited on hand and foot.

There ARE kind and generous people here, even if we are "boisterous". Some people are really loud on the exterior but actually pussycats underneath.

I know there are kind and generous people who are American. Most people from most countries are generally kind and generous I have found. I like and have had a lot of fun in one way or other with Americans and have several US friends who are resident here. I have met some of their friends who visit and soon after Lou was born, one who I had never even heard of handed Kate two 20 pound notes to buy something for her as a welcome to thw world. Yes u do tend to be loud, but not all.. but so are many of us, especially those who come from the central belt..

I don't rate a people by one encounter Elian.. however much I am irritated by it.. once in fact I got a little over tiddly at Charles de Gaulle with a couple of Americans and we tottered on the plane to Edinburgh, tottered off at the other end and I spent a lovely night getting even more tottery with them pub crawling Rose Street ( a famous old street with many drinking establishments I know well)and ending up in my fave pub just off Princes Street.. that encounter doesnt mean all Americans are piss artists any more than every Scot is (for all the jokes and scary tales).

I am prepared to have a discussion about anything with anyone, but I don't like my conversation listened to and then interrupted by screaming arseholes who weren't in our company... freedom of speech I hold dear just like you, but ill manners and being offensive and using foul abusive language when there are children (not only ours) about I do draw the line..

Brits abroad, not simply ScotBrits can be a loud offensive lot at times, as any Spaniard, Portuguese, Greek, German or just about any other nationality can tell you. We are not all like that.. most of us enjoy a good time, a drink and lots of fun, but some really can ruin it for all and give us as a people a bad name.

..and Jack, there was no need for an apology.. you're not the one who looked a dickhead and whose wife was a hysterical banshee. If I had to apologise for every Scot I saw making a fool of him or herself abroad (more hims than hers) I would be doing it most evenings and as the evening went on almost interminably on occasion....

[Realist]

I had a similar experience:

A German girlfriend and I were in a restaurant in Innsbruck, Austria, many years ago. The food was out of this world, the waiters very attentive, soft music played....everything was perfect.

A couple was seated close to us, a man and woman. The man very loud, crude, and rude. It wasn't long before I wished we'd been seated elsewhere.

Instead of motioning for a waiter, the man would yell, "Hey, how about some service over here! The lady appeared to be a little uncomfortable, but tolerated the guy's actions. I don't remember her saying a word.

When his meal arrived, he complained about the way it was prepared, saying something like; "That's nothing like the way we prepare it in New Jersey! I thought food would be better over here"

The waiter took his plate and quickly brought back with an alternative meal. He smiled, apologized for the inconvenience, and even brought a fresh bottle of wine, on the house.

My GF and I tried to ignore the guy, but there was no way to ignore his boisterous manner: you could hear his opinions of how backward the Europeans were and how they should follow the way things are done back in New Jersey. Instead of savoring their food and enjoying the atmosphere, they woofed their food, then left.

I don't think he even left a tip!

When we were ordering dessert, I told the waiter that I hoped everyone he met from the USA wasn't like that fellow. (It was embarrassing to me to see a countryman act so arrogant away from home.)

He smiled and said politely, "Oh, I know that, sir. But people like that make us appreciate our patrons, who are a little less loud and conspicuous."

All these years later, I try to remember that beautiful place, the good food, and the happy times I was sharing with my lady friend. The incident with that loud-mouthed "foreigner", however, mars the recollections of that day.

Fran, I hope your next encounter with an American is more pleasant.

[darkeyes]

Fran, I hope your next encounter with an American is more pleasant.
Sunday at haff 2.. barbie for a m8s hubbies birfday, Realist. Will be fun.... lotsa plonk ne way.. so me expects nowt less...

.. is funny lissnin 2 2 lil 'merican boys callin ther mom an dad "Mum an dad in broad Leith... an daddy sayin " Yer erse" in a Maryland accent when dismissin summat sum 1 has said as bollox.. mind u.. wen 'e sez "bollox" thats funny an all...:tong:.

[littlerayofsunshine]

*sniffles*

I had half hoped this was going to be a fantasy about You, Me, Heathrow and tidgies.

Oh Fran how I dream of your accent, moaned into my ears as I fluff your tidgies.

[tenni]

hmm
What ever happened to the German tourist reputation?

Back in the 90's when Germany was doing rather well, I heard complaints and saw for myself how "sweet" and quiet they were capable of being. So much so that they were referred to as the "New Americans".

Do Germans still travel noticeably as much and are loud and boisterious?

[Hephaestion]

Loud USAmericans can have their advatages.

Seated in a nobby resturant near Horrids one day the minimal cuisine of the day was presented with flair. The important American amongst us told the waiter to take the plates away and put some food on them rather than sample tasters - money no object.

Needless to say the English contingent studied their nails and the ceiling while drawing blood from biting their lips and stamping on the ground for it to open.

[Axeman]

I would LOVE to hear from Northerner...

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

Aw Fran, I am so sorry you had to encounter an excretment for brains person like that, honey, and I have to say, ya'll have way more patiance and decorum than "I" do lately. People like that just dont have any class or manners, no matter what country they're from. Idjets are all over the world, Girlfriend...I'm just sorry you had to see some from Our country.
Hugs Sweetie
Cat

[darkeyes]

believe me cat.. I can think of moren a few from me own me wishes me wud nev havta put up wiv ev 'gain...:tong:

[darkeyes]

*sniffles*

I had half hoped this was going to be a fantasy about You, Me, Heathrow and tidgies.

Oh Fran how I dream of your accent, moaned into my ears as I fluff your tidgies.

Can b arranged yummie gorge tidgie fluffer... *giggles*

[rdy2go]

it could have been worse darkeyes, ya could have met an Atlantic Canadian on the sauce.... dirtiest drunks in the history of liquor!

Man I've been waiting a long time to use that line, lol, thanks for the excuse to use it. lol

[elian]

I had a similar experience:

they should follow the way things are done back in New Jersey.

All I can do is laugh at this statement. Here is an example of how things are done in New Jersey..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XCpFsrRXxg

..and I can vouch for the fact that this isn't too far from the truth..