"..although I rarely travel to countries that are not predominately English speaking, I have yet to meet the American who seriously believes that other cultures should speak English in order to make it convenient for the American tourist..."
I guess that's probably why then. If you don't often go to countries where they don't speak English, then I'd wager you won't see much evidence. Kind of like looking for evidence of spousal abuse in a convent. As a veteran of some sixty nine overseas trips (sixty eight of them to countries which are not English speaking), of durations of up to seven months, I can assure you these people do exist in minions. Most of them (penni's travel agent excepted) will not openly pontificate about the lack of English; rather, it will typically come out in various other and equally obnoxious ways. I've seen a table full of Americans in Shanghai make fun of a Chinese waiter because of his poor English pronunciation (I couldn't help but wonder how good their Mandarin was). I've seen an American at the ticket window in a small German train station endlessly repeat, ever more slowly, loudly, and irately, the words "round trip ticket to Munich, please!" as if that would somehow help the poor idiot to understand better. I've watched a couple in Paris argue apoplectically with a parking lot attendant because their parking ticket did not have the words "Absolutely no in and out privileges" in English as well as French.
Only a fool will ask for directions in Portuguese or Russian if he doesn't speak them fluently. The resulting torrent of babble will be worse than useless. This is not what people in other countries expect from foreigners. Generally, whether in Austria, Thailand, or Egypt, they are looking for a few small tokens of cultural respect. Even in Paris, walking up to someone, smiling self-consciously and asking, in their language, "Pardon me, but do you speak English?" will usually work wonders. Many Americans I have seen don't even try to attempt this most basic of gestures. They walk up to someone and, in English, ask, "do you speak English?" I live in San Francisco, which probably has more international tourists per square mile than another city in the country, and I've never had an Italian tourist come up to me and ask me in perfect Italian if I spoke Italian. Why? Because first of all, they probably speak enough English to get by on an American vacation. And second, because they assume that I'm an American, and probably don't speak Italian. Or French. Or Spanish. Or German. Or what have you.
I must also admit to being just a bit bemused. You accuse penni of having the unmitigated temerity to be making "blanket statements" about Americans. You run into some admittedly boorish Frenchmen in a bar in Ireland, and they become "Frogs" and "Euro-trash." I'm really not one to rush to conclusions, but this strikes me as just a tad "blanket." Do you keep a ready stock of racial and national pejoratives, suitable for all occasions, maybe each one good for a beer or two on the house? |
