American reacts to How Stupid are Americans? [part 1]

[@Tabelsp00n123]

The stupidity is one thing, the arrogance is another...

[@Xiroi87]

Nah, they often go together. In fact there's a saying in Spanish just about the arrogance of the ignorant.

[@squarecircle1473]

@@Xiroi87 I'd say it doesnt always come together. Ignorance is simply absence of knowledge in a given area. For example, if you go to university, or are otherwise willing to learn, it is only because you are ignorant and aware of your ignorance. Arrogance only then appears when the ignorant are unaware of their ignorance. Then they think they know it all. In short, being aware of ones ignorance breeds humility, while being unaware of ones ignorance breeds arrogance. So arrogance is more the result of the extent to which a person is aware of their own ignorance, not ignorance itself. We are all ignorant at times, but its how we relate to it that matters. I still like the saying, though - it often applies.

[@AngelsandDragonfliesAIVideos]

When you have both it's a double negative whammy.

[@andyb1653]

This, this, this! I'm totally OK with someone simply not knowing something, or not putting "two and two" together right away. I find my own damn self in that position quite frequently. It's when that same person rejects the proven truth and actively chooses to be incorrect/ignorant, well that's something else entirely.

[@kraken_4247]

@@Xiroi87 La ignorancia es muy atrevida.

[@adrianboardman162]

I've come across 2 types of Americans generally. Those that are interested in WORLD history, and those that think AMERICA is the only history.

[@elennapointer701]

Social media is rife with that attitude. I don't know if you heard about it, but recently in Tiblisi, capital of the country of Georgia, there were riots and protests against its government's pro-Russia stance, and the protesters were dispersed with water cannons. There were so many Americans in the thread celebrating, saying "take that, Biden supporters!" and variations on that theme. A lot of them were very surprised to learn that the country of Georgia and the state of Georgia are two entirely different places.

[@awalk5177]

I always laugh when Americans talk about "the world series" in sport, where only American teams (and Canada) compete. The World Series is the annual final championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. In England the sport, which is probably where it originated, is called "Rounders" and is usually only played by girls and they dont wear crash helmets or have leather gloves.

[@bananenmusli2769]

We all know that history started in 1776 and George Washington was the first ever human.

[@kio6697]

@@bananenmusli2769 vero.... poco prima c'è stato il big-bang....... che popolo triste.....

[@Lupinemancer87]

Sadly, there are way more of the second category then people might realize.

[@dlittlester]

I've travelled as a Canadian in the States lots, and met a lot of really nice people. Just thought I'd get that out. In a Tesco Express in North Yorkshire back ten years ago, I was ready to pay for my food. There was one manned til, which was busy, and another self serve one, that at the time I didn't know how to use. A young man came up to me and asked if he could help, which he did. Afterwords, he said "You're not American." I said "No. I'm Canadian. How did you know?" He said "Because you said please and thank you."

[@StarBrotherhood]

Thats nice, but since America is a continent, and Canada is on it, yes, you are american. Its not our fault they think their country is the only one in our continent.

[@Kylanoran]

@@StarBrotherhood When talking about American people, it's an abbreviation of 'United States of', not 'North'. Context matters.

[@melukaussie7128]

so true

[@vozenoffpodcast]

​@@Kylanoran Let's say yes, even though, if someone ask me if I'm American I will say yes, because I got born in this continent. So, even of is an abbreviation it's just wrong and misleading.

[@Reingoat]

That canadian is as american as the brazillians.​@@StarBrotherhood

[@vegaspatt9322]

It's not the stupidity that is so bad it's the arrogance of the stupidity that is overwhelming.

[@sarahsnowe]

Dunning-Kruger Effect.

[@stpfs9281]

@@sarahsnowe Was "he" American? :)

[@usernamesreprise4068]

@@stpfs9281 PMSL

[@briananderson6643]

Like when we say we don’t know anything about other countries because they don’t matter?

[@matteonemeth1040]

Italian here, some years ago an American colleague asked me help, he was staying in Milan and he really couldn't find an Italian restaurant in all the city (9000 restaurant in Milan). Then I understood he was searching for a restaurant that had "ITALIAN" in the sign. In Italy.

[@smarmyknack]

To be fair in America we do have many restaurants that have more typical American styled food from either the local area or even just the local state where the restaurant has “American” in the name. So I guess I could see how they got confused. For example the restaurants would be named something like Italian cuisine Mexican tacos and burritos American grill and diner Though Italian restaurants here also sometimes are just Italian named so he probably should have realized waaaayy sooner then when he did

[@theresagrano9711]

🤣🤣🤣

[@kio6697]

....cristo....

[@starseed8087]

Ok that's indeed funny 😂

[@Xiroi87]

@smarmyknack, right, because that's how it is in the US, it's perfectly reasonable to expect its everywhere in other countries. Of course. Smh...

[@Erulin68]

While standing in line to buy a waffle here in Bruges, Belgium, this American in front of me straight up asked the guy behind the counter for a "Belgian Waffle" to which the guy replied : "Sir, you are in Belgium so every waffle you see here is by definition a Belgian Waffle so you'll have specify which one." I couldn't stop myself from bursting out laughing. He said it in such a way that it was clear this couldn't have been the first time.

[@ourfarmhouseinspain]

Do you know Ryan, this a bigger problem than you realise. As a regular visitor to the USA from England over many years, we were often asked how long it took us to drive there from England. We were once complimented on our standard of spoken English, and asked where we learned it, and what language did we speak at home. Very disturbingly, these last questions were asked by a pair of geography teachers ...... Consider the implications for the US educational system. Regards, and good luck

[@markbernier8434]

I am convinced a good part of this is US school maps that show the lower 48 with Alaska and Hawaii off the California coast and the rest of the map is blank. Like on a clear day in San Bernadino you can see Nome.

[@gabecollins5585]

They must’ve thought you had a submarine car 😂 Ngl though that’s kind of embarrassing if they thought you could actually drive there. I hope they meant how long it took to fly.

[@ourfarmhouseinspain]

@@gabecollins5585 Sadly, those asking how long it took to drive to the USA from Britain were invariably quite serious, and we got used to it. We came to understand that most Americans have no clue about the world around them, or sometimes even which ocean they were looking at, and that this was the fault of the priorities in their education, or rather lack of. When you're asked by geography teachers what language is spoken in Britain, you know there's a problem, don't you, and these experiences of American attitudes or behaviours in these types of videos just point to an issue with education and the belief that nowhere else is of any importance. Regards

[@gabecollins5585]

@@ourfarmhouseinspain As an American. Most Americans aren’t this dumb. It’s frightening that two geography teachers can be that stupid. You don’t even have to be smart to know this type of stuff. Those people should definitely not be teachers if they are serious about that. I’m not going to lie I’m in special education and when a special education student is somehow smarter than a teacher then there’s some bad implications there. I wouldn’t trust a teacher that is this clueless. It’s quite embarrassing the view that the world has on us Americans. Poverty is quite a big factor for bad education since it is quite common in many states they do not get proper funding. Lack of education isn’t the only problem with many people. It’s themselves and the lack of even wanting to educate themselves or take an initiative to advance through their education like getting different classes and learning different things or going to a trade school or college and not doing research and learning. Not everybody needs to do a trade school or college since there are many great jobs that don’t require it but these things probably aren’t even a consideration for them. They just want to put minimal effort and get through school and complain when they can’t make enough money because they couldn’t get a good job.

[@markford4127]

Sadly I think you will find these dumb mules everywhere in both the US and the UK. The world is screwed and I can only imagine what it will be like in another 50 years. I'm 62 and believe I was fortunate to live through the greatest Era than before 1960 and after 2000.

[@barryevans791]

They used to say that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Then we invented America.

[@olavlaupsa490]

It's not the questions that are stupid, just the persons asking them

[@barryevans791]

@@olavlaupsa490 That makes no sense unless you didn't watch the video.

[@olavlaupsa490]

@@barryevans791 It make all the sense in the world when you realise a question is a dead thing and in itself is neither smart or stupid. People on the other hand, can be and is of both kinds. Also, we didn "invent" America, neither nort or south. What the people in the USA seem to overlook, is that brazilians and mexicans are just as much americans as are the ones in the USA. And yes, I watched the whole video. In my opinion it show more ignorance than stupidity. The good thing is that ignorance is way easier to fix 👨‍🎓👩‍🎓👩‍🏫👨‍🏫

[@Deano-Dron81]

⁠@@olavlaupsa490Ok but also chill out.

[@ivanahabek3329]

@@olavlaupsa490 no, definitely not. Brazilians and mexicans are definitely not as much as americans as the ones in USA. They are called brazilians and mexicans for a reason, and also have their own culture, language and everything else for a reason as well.

[@gordonrhamilton]

When I lived in Florida and pointed out I was Scottish I almost always got asked “oh, which part of England is Scotland in…..” no worries, I just responded “don’t worry, it’s a mistake all you Mexicans make”, sat back and watch the confusion. when I got the inevitable response “but I’m not Mexican” I then had to explain sarcasm and irony. If I was feeling really offended I would explain sarcasm ironically, and irony in a sarcastic manner

[@Tjalve70]

I hope you explained that irony is like goldy, or silvery. Only made of iron.

[@dfuher968]

Oh wow, u really set urself a challenge.

[@kimbirch1202]

When I told an American that I was English, he asked in all sincerity if I knew the Queen. I told him " of course, she drinks in the same pub as me " which left him satisfied.

[@philiprice7875]

from Liverpool so it was the beatles i got angry and said FFS they split up 2 years before i was born

[@Flirkann]

It wasn't for all the pomp and ceremony, and security checks of the position, she probably would have when she was younger

[@LeSarthois]

@@Flirkann There is this story about Elizabeth II walking around Windsor Castle and bumping into two American tourists who didn't recognized her and she never told who she was... If it's true then it was probably still possible to at least meet her often enough?

[@triarb5790]

​@@LeSarthois it is not unusual to see the royals on the Scottish Estate as it has a thoroughfare right through it and they attend the local church. People just leave them alone.

[@gk5891]

Well next time you see her ask if she knows the President...

[@kevken3293]

When I lived in Chicago (I'm a brit) I was coming home for a vacation, an American lady I worked with asked if I was driving home. I asked her 'How on earth could I drive from the US to the UK' she got huffy and replied 'via Australia of course' Thank God there are intelligent Americans too.

[@willswomble7274]

But what evidence do you have?

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

short cut via Australia.

[@CMOT101]

There are? Are they with the unicorns, dragons and other mythical creatures?

[@distortedsoul27]

Jokes on her: Australia doesn't exist. 😜

[@Justforvisit]

@@distortedsoul27 No, but Bielefeld doesn't exist

[@Loki1815]

I was on a business trip, in Perugia, Italy, along with three other Brits, a Canadian and a Murican. Some of us were staying in a hotel on the top of a Hillside with fantastic views over the valley, the Murican said, out loud, on purpose, " why didn't they put in an elevator?", it was a Castle built in the 13th century!!!! Our fantasic chaperone for the night was the business owners Son and informed us that he was taking us to the best and most authentic Pizzeria in Perugia and the Murican said, again, out loud and on purpose, "you needn't go to all that trouble for me, we could just go to a normal restaurant!" Inferring that our chaperone had gone out of his wau to find Murican cuisine! The three Brits just laughed, the canuck look at me and shook his head, the Italian said "No problem only the best for you!" The sarcasm was as thick as the Yank!

[@karenalves8100]

Are you trying to say MOROCCAN? I'm confused by the word you typed! No shade. Just truly curious about the kind of food you were referring to.

[@stpfs9281]

"Winsor Castle is spoilt by overhead jets. Why did the Queen build her castle so close to the airport?"

[@dfuher968]

@@karenalves8100 Murican. Slang for "American" or rather "dumb American". Just like "Murica" is slang for "America" and not in a complimentary way.

[@riukrobu]

By "on purpose" you mean that the American was playing along the stereotype of Americans being ignorant? He was just being funny? (I'm Italian, my English is not that perfect).

[@rifqiahera3724]

​@@karenalves8100 Murican as an american, i think that's kinda slang . You may look it up on google.

[@cadifan]

"hire car" = rental car Glaswegian is someone from Glasgow, Scotland.

[@brigidsingleton1596]

I know that. You know that. But Ryan needs you to spell it out to him using phonetics as he so nearly got the pronunciation right at first try but then 'foxed it up' by employing a hard 'g' - as in 'golf' and then 'ian' at the end?! So will it be "Glaz_wee_jan" ? 🤔🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤️🙂🖖

[@Dadadin]

i never heard the word glaswegian, so thank you. i thought it must be a mix of glasgow and norway lol

[@BrianMac2601]

I pronounce it like glaz wee jin...

[@RockinDave1]

@@Dadadin Weegie for short

[@PeterRodaughan]

Hey, that's supposed to be an Aussi thing, shortening words! I see that is not correct, we learnt it from others [maybe]@@RockinDave1

[@peterfromgw4615]

I’m an Aussie and was told by an American in south west Michigan that my English was very good. I asked why she thought so and she said that Australians spoke German (confusing Australia for Austria I bet). I told her that was not the case but she wouldn’t believe me. Given I can speak German anyway, I spoke to her in German and she went away with her dignity intact. Grüße aus Australien. Tschüss.

[@kerstineisenhut8151]

Even Austrian citizens say that they speak Austrian language and not German. 😂

[@peterfromgw4615]

@@kerstineisenhut8151 Not sure what you are driving at here. Please explain. Grüße aus Australien.

[@LorraineStanton]

I have a friend from Austria and he gets asked whether he sees a lot of kangaroos by Americans (once again confusing Austria and Australia). Sigh.

[@peterfromgw4615]

@@LorraineStanton Lorraine, you have made my morning. This is the other side of the story where some Americans confuse Australia with Austria. I am told one can purchase teeshirts in Austria with the No kangaroos, no koalas” sign printed on the front. Thanks for your wonderful story. Grüße aus Australian. Tschüss.

[@kerstineisenhut8151]

@@LorraineStanton Austria and Australia don't even sound familiar!

[@Songfugel]

George Carlin nailed this one in the 90s already, the reason American's are gradually getting less and less well educated, especially in critical thinking, is because it serves corporate interests, or the true owners of US as he calls them. It isn't a new thing at all, it has been a slow gradual process with malicious self-interest of the ultra-rich orchestrating it. And truly, the biggest problem in the US is that absolutely massive cap between the real dum-dums and the super smart (usually imported) talent

[@SamiJuntunen1]

That will get bad eventually. No one will invent anything as critical thinking is important! Other countries will get ahead by inventing. Allthough us corp own most big firms they will pay a lot for the inventions eventually imo.

[@Songfugel]

@@SamiJuntunen1 Yes, it is very damaging to a country in the long term

[@MaxwellMoore-d1u]

@Songfugel That is absolutely Correct.

[@tricky1581]

Well that, and the fact that they spend most of their school time on practicing active shooter drills rather than receiving any actual education.

[@colinp2238]

I was working on immigration at Heathrow Airport an American asked me where the line was for the Americans, I told him the rest of the world was that line (except the Europeans). He said that I didn't understand he meant the line for the Americans like in America. After a discussion I reminded him that hundreds of years ago they had fought a war to be independent of us Brits.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Sadly, there's now plenty of British people getting salty over the same thing when they go to Spain. What comes around goes around.

[@RuiLeTubo]

My interaction with Americans (from Maine) in Portugal was connected to work. It was nice and we all used to have a laugh because they would giggle a lot when we used the portuguese word for knife😂

[@Spiklething]

@@RuiLeTubo see now you have made me have to go and look up the Portuguese word for knife. Ok I am back, that's a great word!

[@RuiLeTubo]

@@Spiklething 😂😂😂

[@Ivory81]

Yeah I’ve been asked this a few times in various EU airports (I don’t work there, I just travel a lot) and I have to explain that non-eu countries all go into the same queue

[@JacobC365]

Worked at a hotel in Denmark. I was asked by an elderly American lady: “why is there a sound that goes beep-beep-beep at the crosswalks in Copenhagen.” My reply:”So blind people can hear when it is safe to cross.” She thinking a bit: “That”s interesting. In the US blind people are not allowed to drive.”

[@ethatsit8212]

She's elderly

[@jimmem5235]

😄

[@willcarey]

That's an old joke, gullible folks on this thread lol

[@Sd12sx23]

Weird, because the us has beeping crosswalks, at least in some places.

[@renyauger4560]

I’m Canadian and live in Vancouver. We generally don’t have as many problems as the West Coast seems to band together and we all cross the Washington/BC border a lot. A friend from Seattle visited and brought her “genius” child who was supposed to be completing her university applications (I was afraid to ask about SAT scores, we don’t have those but I know what they are). Mom is also in law, very intelligent and father is a professor at Uni in Seattle. Trying to make conversation and be a good hostess I asked the daughter what program she was applying too. She said that her parents needed to chill, she wasn’t sure if she would be a lawyer or a “really rich banker or stock person”. Okay. Then she said she needed to have some real world experience first and was going to take a year off to tour Europe. I was pleasantly surprised that that actually sounded like a well thought out plan, should have left it there. I said I always wished I’d done that and was she getting a Eurorail Pass. She looked at me like I had sprung a second head so I explained that Eurorail is an excellent network of high quality trains all over Europe and that a pass gives you unlimited travel for a specific amount of time. Apparently that is gross and only losers take public transit (it wasn’t worth trying to explain the difference), she wasn’t poor or tacky and real Americans drive. Completely avoiding the fact her whole ideology is part of the problem I asked if she was aware of the cost of rental vehicles and gas in Europe. Got another “are you stupid” look and was informed she was planning on driving the new beemer daddy got her for graduation. I may have looked stupid while attempting to process this. Finally I asked if she was aware that Europe was across an ocean. I got the “you are too stupid to live” look and a duh. So I asked how she planned to get the car there. I had to go outside a walk around laughing after she advised me “over the bridge of course”. Do they have a distance scale on US maps? You would like an expensive and prestigious private school might have mentioned oceans are big and not every body of water has a bridge.

[@celticlass8573]

The idea of driving across a bridge that long is nightmare fuel. They'd have to build huge islands at least every 500 kms for people to stop, rest, pee, get gas... Not to mention it would take a looooooooooooooooooong time. And cars would break down. And what if a huge storm or rogue wave swept through? No thanks. Nope nope nope!

[@JennyShull]

Which US bridge to Europe were they going to take? The East Coast or West Coast bridge?

[@karjalankarhukoira1]

Did she ask you how it felt to be living in an American State? I live in Surrey, and boy, do I hear *THAT* a lot.

[@susansmiles2242]

I would have loved to see her face when she got to an east coast port trying to find this “bridge”

[@a.h.nieuwenhuis1359]

That is so funny about the bridge. Maybe they have one across the Pacific to Asia as well. 😂

[@winterschmied4583]

In 1991 we, a group of Germans visited the Niagara Falls. Because it was way before 911 we crossed the bridge to get our US-stamp in our Passports. On the US side we went to a restaurant for some lunch. There a waitress (College Student she said) overheard us speaking German and asked where we came from. When she heard that we came from Germany she wouldn't believe us, because "there is a wall all around and no one can get out." After showing her our Passports she went away and later came back saying: "I got you all an extra big Doggy-bag, because you have to drive so long to get home"... We didn't even try to correct her.

[@thebamplayer]

Ah ja, danke Amerikaner. Wegen euch klebt ein fetter Aufkleber auf meiner Mikrowelle, dass ich meine Katze nicht darinnen trocknen darf.

[@reinhard8053]

@@thebamplayer Show that ! Must be an urban myth. I looked at several US manuals for microwaves on US websites and nothing in that regards was mentioned in the tons of safety advice.

[@daveg2104]

@@reinhard8053 I Googled it and did find a picture of warnings that included "Never attempt to dry a pet in the oven". Not sure what type of oven. There have been people sent to prison and seriously fined for doing this sort of thing. Although I think they are more animal cruelty related than straight out stupidity.

[@samanthakennedy4023]

Free stuff for someone else’s stupidity is the best!

[@siililiik]

She wasn't wrong, that is indeed a pretty long drive.

[@sharonmartin4036]

I was talking to an American tourist in a bar in South Africa, and we were served some peanuts by the barman. The American said, "These are so tiny. In Texas our peanuts would be like your melons, cause everything is bigger in Texas". To which I responded, "Yes, including the a*seh*les!"

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

I got taught manners by a Texas lady in Hawaii. I was bragging about how 2.5 Texases would fit in Manitoba. I was rude AF. She said something humble and I realized I had outdone the obnoxious Texan trope. Last time I did that! 🤭🇨🇦

[@peackpr9]

Possible answer about the pizza sign. If it was an American reading it, chances are the restaurant was in tourist area where only tourists really go. So they were pointing out to tourists that it was genuine Italian pizza and NOT what the tourists are used to in their home countries?

[@darthmarvin247]

Yup, this was my thought as well. To be honest though, if I see that sign myself in Italy I will just assume it is a tourist trap.

[@bobbell4461]

The lions are on a vegan diet. They eat three of them a day

[@nswinoz3302]

Classic!😂

[@tomnicholson2115]

Lol, there you go, lions eating herbivores who would have guessed 😂😂😂

[@maihindess1]

Good one...😂

[@84com83]

They eat tree (wood?) each day?? I don´t understand "bobbell`s expression?

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

@@tomnicholson2115 You're what you eat.

[@conallmclaughlin4545]

Americans asked me for directions in London. I explained that I was a tourist as well and from Ireland.. That I was as lost as they were. They went into a rant about how rude us English are and that they were bringing money into our economy I should be helping them. I walked away 😂😂

[@anon19086posts]

Gosh some American tourists are so insufferable. They think they’re doing every other country a favour by travelling as tourists

[@CzechMirco]

This is quite a useful information for us Czechs: since Ireland has been independent for 100+ years now and Americans still haven't caught up, I guess we will have to wait till 2093 for them to realize that Czechoslovakia split up.

[@LupusRegina22]

Oh shit, than we ( im german) too have to wait 100+ years for them to realize that there is no wall anymore in germany😂😱

[@FranckOA42]

@@LupusRegina22 Be carefull if you say that to them, they could ask how your roof doesn't fall on your head if you have no wall... 🤣

[@brianstratton4189]

Back in the mid 80s as a Canadian soldier I was stationed in Germany. I was at the train station one day and a young American lady came up and asked if I spoke American. I told her no, but I could get my point across in English if that would help. She turned red and walked away. I guess English wasn't what she was looking for.

[@SiAnon]

And people like you are the reason why i only go to Canada and never the US. You get sarcasm out there lol (Well most do).

[@vikingraider1961]

I once met a lovely Chinese American lady in London - she'd been touring all over the place for some weeks. She said that she was so thankful that she looked like she did because, so long as she kept quiet, no one would realise that she was from the US - because she'd seen her own countrymen in a whole new light. She also realised why Canadians had maple leaves printed/stitched all over their stuff - so that they wouldn't get mistaken for Yanks! (she also said that she was considering getting some for herself, even though she actually lived in Arizona...)

[@stevieinselby]

One of my friends is Chinese, although she has lived here in the UK for over 20 years ... but she will still pretend to be a dumb tourist who doesn't speak English when it is to her advantage 😂

[@Shan_Dalamani]

Not cool to pretend like that. Some Canadian would probably try to engage her in conversation and she could be tripped up over a really simple thing.

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

I've heard of the flag ruse. It only works if they don't speak. It's hard to fake Canadian to someone who works with tourists. It's a completely different mindset.

[@vikingraider1961]

@@Shan_Dalamani - And if she had been found out by a local or a Canadian she'd likely had said (very quietly) "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm not actually Canadian - I'm just embarrassed to be identified as a Yank.." at which the Canuck would have, most likely, roared with laughter!

[@ostrich67]

Actual mainland Chinese tourists have an even worse reputation.

[@johnwilletts3984]

I’m a Volunteer Tour Guide in York, so come into contact with many Americans, who are by far my favourite visitors. Some of the questions I get asked:- Why did we chose an American name for our City? What came first Medieval or Roman? Where in England is Scotland? Whilst the vast majority are friendly and polite, the type wearing a cowboy hat manages to proudly combine ignorance with arrogance. To deal with this type I ask stupid questions back:- In what part of Mexico is Texas? Is not the US just part of Canada? It must be tough for you coming from such a small country to visit the centre of the world’s biggest empire.

[@geoffreynolds8835]

I would have bloody knees, when a Yank asked so much stupid questions, I drop to my knees laughing 😅😂😅

[@micade2518]

@@geoffreynolds8835 ... or crying!

[@olwens1368]

Love the 'stupid questions back'. Will remember those.

[@JohnDoe-xz1mw]

as a mexican i would like to awnser the first question with, "in the north"

[@breezy3392]

I'm very curious, how do they respond when you reflect stupid back at them?

[@ninjabunny2719]

While being in the USA in 1989, I was asked,if I was impressed on a cute little town being over 200 years old. I said, it was nice, but wasn't impressed by the 200 years, as a lot of German cities are much older, my hometown Augsburg just celebrated its 2.000 anniversary 4 years ago. " That's not possible, as we got the year 1989 right now". I explained the terms B.C. and A.D. to them....

[@Sayitlikitiz101]

While traveling from Paris to Southern France with my French grandma, I had to put up with a loud American family that mostly complained about how the bullet train, we were on, was going to fast for them to enjoy the views and take pictures!?!. They were wearing Michigan State shirt and were constantly mimicking and making fun of the way French people speak. They exited the train by mistake 120km from their destination but I didn't say a thing.😁 Yes, I'm from 𝓞𝓱𝓲𝓸!😈

[@beccabbea2511]

Karma comes in many forms. 😂

[@libbypeace68]

lol - beautiful, hahaha

[@Sofasurfa]

Genius😊

[@boogermaiden]

😂😂😂

[@dfuher968]

Jokes on them. Not just exiting at the wrong station. They couldve just taken the regular, slower train!

[@Dr_KAP]

As an Australian I also got the “your English is quite good” when I was in the U.S. The only difference is they added on “for a European” 🤣 🤦‍♀️

[@nilianstroy]

Well Australia is in the Eurovision song contest lol

[@ErVoTe]

​@@nilianstroy is it possible you mixed up australia and austria?

[@nilianstroy]

@@ErVoTe you could have googled it, trying to make me look ignorant, by looking yourself ignorant is hilarious...

[@nilianstroy]

@@ErVoTe "Why is Israel competing in Eurovision? Non-European countries are still allowed to take part in Eurovision if they become a member of the EBU, the organiser behind the event. This means that countries such as Israel, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Australia are allowed to compete.11 May 2024"

[@Leaish_Pawz]

@@nilianstroy As a Eurovision fan I can confirm

[@mpanzi01]

In the 90s I have been to Los Angeles as an exchange student. Once I have been at a birthday party of one of the american students. Her parents have been there also. Obviously they were not stupid - nice house, some cars - wealthy. I talked a lot with them, they were interested. They knew about castles, oktoberfest and things like that. But then they asked me, if we would have cars, electricity and refrigerators in Germany. That was odd. I told them, that their Mercedes in the driveway is a german car. As well, als BMW and Volkswagen (I think, I didn’t mention others). They didn’t know that. And they never heard about “the autobahn” (something I thought every American knows). The part with electricity and refrigerators belong together. They saw pictures of german villages - and what do you hardly ever see - powerlines. Unlike in US, were there were powerlines everywhere from house to house, across the streets - you see, that there is electricity. And since there are no powerlines - there is no electricity - and no electricity means: no refrigerators.

[@dfuher968]

@bradleybrown8428 Yeah, the US electrical grid is at best at 1960s standard. And every company has their own lines, so down 1 street there could be 5-6-7 different powerlines. My family and I were truly shocked, when we experienced this. I was born in 1973, I vaguely remenber a couple of times from my childhood, where in a very remote place, there would still be a row of poles with a powerline down from the road to a single remote house or something like that. After seeing that in the US I asked my mum, if she remembered us having powerlines like that. She said no, we used to have a single powerline, every1 used the same line, but while they were more common, when she was a kid, they were already going into the ground by then as a continuing project. Theres a reason, why a generator is a standard household item in the US for any1, who can afford it. Coz as soon as they get some high winds, there goes the power for millions of Americans. But sure, best country in the world....

[@ChokyoDK]

Bro I've heard some American tourists say some wild shit on public transport in Denmark because they thought no one could understand them😂

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

I've overheard some doozies on public transport at night on the weekend. And these folks were locals! Even during the day. One woman said she had to beat her uncle up because the d she gave him to sell he used.

[@SavageIntent]

Yeah I went to school in South Africa. we got a letter from a school in North America, asking us what it was like to live in Africa, and wondering if we had electricity. We sent a letter back saying we had not heard of this 'electricity' and that we all lived in mud huts, and had to avoid lions on our journey to school.

[@TitanSummers]

That sounds like something an Australian would do. I LOVE it.

[@DenUitvreter]

Ironically many South Africans now wonder whether they will have elektricity the whole day.

[@danieljung5862]

AMAZING! ;D

[@awalk5177]

I worked in America for a few years and another English colleague also working there, convinced some of the US guys in the office that the word "Gullible" was not in the English Dictionary.

[@robertofraser101]

😅😅😅😅

[@jackiebaldwin6283]

I live in Melbourne (say as Mel-bin), Australia. We knew an American family who came over to live for 2 years (work related) - they bought over a 2 yr supply of toilet paper, 'cos they didn't think we had toilet paper in Oz. Yep, we've just stopped using gum leaves.

[@Tjalve70]

I suppose the only Australian toilet paper brand he had heard of, was Sandy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3bYZKOrjLuIqas I think I would have brought over my own as well.

[@pleegjepleegje]

I'm Dutch, and recently, I was asked for how long I had been paying tax money to King Charles and how much. This person also told me I had no freedom and no freedom of speech and also that my King Charles could have me executed 😂😂😂 So I explained to him that my people had freedom of expression when King Philip II of Spain (with his stupid inquisition) declared himself King of the Lowlands. So they revolted against him and declared themselves independent with the Act of Abjuration in 1581, and they fought an 80 years long war to get rid of the Spanish. Later, in the year 1776, America copied the Act of Abjuration and renamed it the Declaration of Independence to start the revolution against England. So, in fact, his American freedom was invented in the Netherlands. I am free, I have freedom of speech, and although I never pay a penny to him, King Charles has never been able to execute me 😅 This ended the conversation 🤷‍♀️

[@fatherson5907]

If you have freedom of speech, why do you still have lese majeste laws in place? That isn’t freedom of speech, you know. You’re uneducated. Allowing a monarchy in 2024 is laughably pathetic. Pay your defense bills. Rooting for Vlad.

[@marianne6876]

Brilliant.

[@Jan_Koopman]

Same with their "The Declaration Daddies invented the Republic" shit. Bro, the Dutch and French did it first!

[@Stargaze314]

Boom 💥

[@mosmarb]

@@Jan_Koopman the ancient Greeks and Romans might disagree...

[@elainecampbell8227]

I was asked by an American - a PhD student - to translate (read for him) a Voltaire manuscript which was on display at the Voltaire Museum in Geneva. I was happy to oblige and translated the French into English for him. After I had done so, he complimented me on my English, and said it was `very good'. He then asked where I had learned English - `in England', I replied. `Oh, how long were you there?' he enquired. When I said 34 years, he looked so puzzled. He was very confused and couldn't compute that anybody who is actually English (or even English-speaking), could speak, read or write any other language! Still, he was rather good-looking, so there's that.

[@crivsmum]

🤣

[@onlyonewhyphy]

Uh huh..

[@balecalduin1993]

That's not on him, statistically he was right to be puzzled. By and far native-English (not just Americans) speakers are the worst when it comes to foreign languages. You're the outlier. Congrats

[@der_cringe_physiker]

To be fair, he possibly expected you to be Swiss or French and not English, since the story happened in Geneva? Additionally, no offense, but there are a certain number of native French speakers who have really terrible accents when they try to speak English.

[@fuglbird]

Most Englishmen don't speak other languages. I think he was not to blame there. I'm glad if you are changing the mold.

[@kellymccormick5796]

I being Canadian and traveled extensively so when I gave my son the way to pick out where anyone is from in a random hotel restaurant who has people from all over the world in it, how to decide where they are from my son can pick the Americans out so easy, they are always the loudest and think the restaurant revolves around them

[@jackflash147]

Fun fact, there is a special section in main airport in Austria, which deals with US citizens, that wanted to fly to Australia... 💁🗺

[@sunisbest1234]

Can u keep them? Please !!

[@bookllama8158]

How do people even make this mistake? Surely you would notice when your ticket says Vienna instead of Melbourne or Sydney? Surely they had to look at a map at some point when they were planning their what to do on their trip, how to get from the airport to their hotel, etc. It's baffling.

[@LMGLUDA]

@@bookllama8158 well they would have to know where Vienna, Melbourne or Sidney are... it's obvious they don't know if they can't figure out Europe and Oceania.

[@gertfink6939]

@@sunisbest1234 Nope , all yours, Australia got way more space to keep them somewhere , greetings from Graz , Austria 😘

[@wessexdruid7598]

@@sunisbest1234 Why would ANYONE want them?

[@anikbrault4447]

Canadian here. My black friend and her white husband went to a resort in Barbados. A Texan couple "befriended" them. The woman kept asking my friend: "But you work here, no?". She just couldn’t understand that a black woman could be on vacation on a resort and not be an employee.

[@bookllama8158]

That's so racist and ignorant, it's hard to believe it wasn't intentional.

[@Lee-kf9tq]

​@@bookllama8158 ignorant yes. Racist...no. get a grip. People have different experiences, you're quite ignorant yourself.

[@faithpearlgenied-a5517]

Jesus christ 😂😢

[@TrumpAndMinionsLie2U]

@@bookllama8158 According to my friend, she was just dumb, not mean. I think being dumb is not a good excuse.

[@sutulj]

I'm israeli and the American woman I was Skyping with thought we all live in tents... 🤦🏻 I've told her I sleep in a hammock that is tied to two camel humps😂

[@andrewgoodbody2121]

You're not Israeli, it doesn't exist 😂

[@federundeselsohr]

We had an American exchange student at the university and in a literature course she was totally frustrated because the professor demanded that she actually read the books. She replied totally indignantly: "But I'm American!" and the professor replied dryly: "So I assume that you can read in English, or am I wrong?" She seriously thought he would make an exception for her because she is American and shortly afterwards she went on a rant about German universities and how it's no fun to study here because there are no parties and far too much to read.

[@breezy3392]

Does she not know what school is?

[@PhotonBeast]

@@breezy3392 Sadly, not all American universities have that kind of focus. A non-trivial amount focus on campus life rather than academic progress.

[@breezy3392]

@@PhotonBeast I suddenly feel very thankful for my own education

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

It sounds to me like she is husband shopping while at university. Some women use university as a place to capture a high earning husband. One of my friends did just that. She got higher marks to han me. But her goal was to get married and have lots of babies. Not joking. She got married. I expect she succeeded in the latter too.

[@ChrisM541]

@@redelfshotthefood8213 Her poor husband.

[@alanclay5798]

American tourist in Liverpool (England) asked why the obsession with the Beatles. He insisted that they were an American group.

[@kio6697]

si certo..... come i Rolling Stones.... Led Zeppelin.....Pink Floyd..... Queen.... ecc ecc..... poverini.... a volte sono patetici....

[@Cookieboymonster1962]

Wow! Reminds me of Homer Simpson when he was having an argument with an Englishman. Homer yelled at him, "Our Beatles are way better than your Rolling Stones."

[@tomricketts7821]

As a NewZealander I can understand that the Australians do the same thing with New Zealand groups that become popular there

[@fatherson5907]

@@alanclay5798 never happened. You make up fictional stories to tell strangers online. Re-evaluate your life. You’re a joke.

[@dfuher968]

@@Cookieboymonster1962 The Simpsons also did an episode, where they visited the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, and Bart kept insisting, that she was invented by Disney. As a Dane, I wish, I could say, that the show exaggerated, but no. Its a very common issue with Americans.

[@ralphphillips3983]

An American was getting deported for overstaying in the UK, he was so surprised why he was being detained with all the other immigrants , he kept trying to tell the officers he was American and kept telling they know . 😂

[@fipsvonfipsenstein6704]

I think it was Feli from Germany who was once berated on the subject of the time difference as to why we didn't warn America about 9/11 because we in Germany are so many hours ahead.

[@serinadelmar6012]

😂❤

[@blackletter2591]

Yeah, we all saw it on the TV before the US got it, but we didn't tell them, because that would create a hole in time.

[@zenguidancetarot]

This one made my head hurt 😂

[@mrt-ji9qg]

OMG 🤣

[@DonKarlioni]

Did you say because 9/11 is the 9th of November, so it hadn't happened yet in Germany lol

[@HaakonHaug]

I was asked while living in the US if we had toilets in Norway, i told her that, no, unfortunately not, but the UN has promised to do something about it next year. That was 24 years ago.

[@JennyShull]

I would have said that is what the ocean is for or yes it is a hole in the ground.

[@monicajeanettealvoen6279]

But we in Norway are so fancy that we dont need toilets. ;P

[@michaelboyce7079]

Have you got them yet? ( Not an American - just an Australian taking the piss! ) 🤣

[@HaakonHaug]

@@michaelboyce7079 Delayed by 2008 financial crisis, then covid, now the war in Ukraine. I think Biden forgot.

[@annadelcol2428]

Good lord!

[@mariondiemert430]

Ryan, I am sitting here with my sister, visiting from Germany, and we are blatantly blown away by your post. I have a few for you. Worked in Germany as a flight attendant for LH and had these encounters; On a late flight to Stuttgart, the travel agent flying with a group of elderly American ladies asked me, 'Will the Black Forest still be open when we arrive? Or an American woman telling me of her visit to Heidelberg Castle on the return flight to NY. 'It was beautiful, just a shame they built it so close to the Autobahn". It would be funny, if it isn't so sad. Thank you for your posts, I always enjoy them.

[@fatherson5907]

You are responsible for the worst genocide in human history and you directly caused the war in Ukraine.

[@rossellarosin]

As for the Black Forest, I've recently read in a facebook post an american lady being surprised because she noticed people at 2 am in an icelandic park during the summer on a webcam, and asked if it was legal. She was responded that believe it or not in most coutries being outside is not illegal. Apparently, American Parks and Reserves have opening and closing times.... which is surprising to us Europeans.

[@fatherson5907]

@@rossellarosin you believe silly nonsense you hear on social media because you’re uneducated

[@nordwestbeiwest1899]

Our Michael Mittermeier from Bavaria/Germany was asked in a pub in New York by a 21 year old American woman why we speak so many languages ​​in Europe. Micheal's head didn't understand how one could ask such a question, he replied: "Because we Germans lost the war ." She then replied: "Oh, I'm sorry you lost it."

[@echeric76]

Great answer 😂😂😂

[@andreasarnoalthofsobottka2928]

Tiffany

[@FPVisnotacrime]

Mittermeier is a genius, I looove his humor.

[@stevenvanhulle7242]

After which he lost it. Obviously.

[@frankdoyle9066]

It's frightening in the 21st century just how insular America still is. God help us all.

[@fatherson5907]

It’s frightening that you’re so uneducated that you think a nation who takes in half of the world’s immigrants is insular. Enjoy your failing economy. We are laughing at you.

[@JennyShull]

Which America? North America or South America?

[@southaussie5108]

Calling themselves The Greatest Country is a total misconception on their behalf. USA could be great but its citizens fail their own country.

[@janhansen554]

In geopolitical terms, USA have become a big joke. Thats a huge problem

[@adriannet8028]

I currently live in the Colombian Caribbean in the first city founded in the Americas after the “discovery”. My American friend got really mad at me when I mentioned the fact and, called me a liar, because “America” was created in 1620 when the pilgrims arrived in the Mayflower. I lost that friend that day.

[@dfuher968]

Not much of a friend tbh. Ur better off!

[@Ba_Yegu]

Mexico City is founded 1324. A good 167 years before Columbus.

[@dulcedeleche22]

@@Ba_YeguYou missed when he clearly wrote “after the discovery”, reading comprehension isn’t so common nowadays💀

[@helenwood8482]

They need signs in Italy saying "Genuine Italian pizza" because American versions are now sold there.

[@deter1k]

True. We were on holiday in Malta some time ago and there was a chap running a restaurant who had worked in New York for some years and had returned home to serve American pizza. He was very proud of them and they were very good. Much cuisine is international these days.

[@sandralachance1424]

Yeah, that! It's for tourists. Some want a genui e experience, some are less... let's say, less open to new experience, to stay polite.

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

And, because Italy is actually Europe, not Italy so it should be selling Europe Pizza.

[@nedrasellayah9314]

Oh no!

[@micade2518]

@@deter1k That's what I'd call the "decadence of our civilization"! And that's what I fear most when I hear that more and more Americans come to retire in Europe!

[@keithparker5125]

A few years ago, whilst on a Rhein (Rhine in English - why do we have to re-name everything) cruise, I heard a young girl in an American school party ask her teacher where the 'peasants' lived!!!! To my horror, the teacher pointed to the small Kappelle dotted around the vineyards on the bank and declare that they were the homes of the 'peasants'. I took great joy in intervening by pointing out that the town of Boppard that could be seen just a mile away was where the 'peasants' lived and that the nice shiny new Mercedes Benz saloons dotted about the vineyards was what said 'peasants' owned. The teachers face was a picture when I added that she might do her pupils a greater service if she gave up teaching and went back to school.

[@Salix631]

I was asked the same question by a group of Chinese in England for a sporting event.

[@GuntherVonSprout]

That tells you a lot about where they live and come from

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

Be glad we are getting educated. That's the point of travel. To expand your horizons and understanding that we are all one race: human. In the 1800s in USA, Italian and Irish immigrants weren't considered white. In BC, we imported labourers from Phillipines, China and Hawaii to build the recreation of England in the Victoria harbour. And sent them back when they were done. The area feels like London. Because it's a copy.

[@Bethi4WFH]

Keith Parker......I can understand you having a private laugh about this, but there was no need to be so rude to her. I sincerely hope her pupils were not within earshot!

[@markbernier8434]

@@Bethi4WFH Oh absolutely in public and very loudly so she could understand the accent.

[@rhondathieson1156]

Canadian here, a number of years ago we went to Mexico on vacation. While there we met a nice young couple, she was a University student ( her dad was a Dr.) and her boyfriend was a home builder. They were from California. We of course talked to them about Canada as they didn’t seem to know much about us. The University student proceeded to ask if Canada was under the United States politically or were we an independent country………gulp!

[@AnnMcKinlay-zp2ef]

An American Lady, walking up the path back to the car park at Vindalanda Roman Fort, near Hadrian’s Wall, asked “Wasn’t very much to see but why did they build it so far from the main road”!

[@elainecampbell8227]

Love it, Ann - I live about half a mile from HW, I can imagine!

[@awalk5177]

USA is a very young country that hasnt reached adulthood yet. They have no concept of History, no respect for it. Some of the most ancient libraries in the world were destroyed in Baghdad by American forces in the Iraq war.

[@robertheinrich2994]

90ties, windsor castle: "oh, it's such a beautiful castle, but why did they build it so close to the airport". ;-) (it's in the landing path of heathrow airport)

[@boelwerkr]

I was once asked where Hitler was living. I told her that he's dead. She asked where his grave was. I said that there is no grave. She smug: "So if there's no grave, he's not dead, So where's he living?" She was horrified to learn after his suicide his body had been burned. The remains where packed in a box and send to Russia. She really was looking forward seeing Hitler.

[@QuentinPlant]

"He was born in 1889 - he's where all of the other people born that year are."

[@Scarlett.Granger]

What the frick. Is wrong with some people. Literally 0% deserving of a grave. Thank god there isn't one.

[@moritzlinden7169]

Hitler's skull actually resurfaced in some russian government storage. There was some doubt if it is really his, but after several tests it appears to be the real deal. I don't know where it is now, I would guess that the russian government still has it.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

That's very sinister.

[@Niggleblade1986]

He went argentina tho

[@sophiamicelli9804]

In 1990, my friend and I were in London meeting the, mostly American, members of our tour group on the first night of the tour. Upon learning that we were from Canada, a lovely girl from LA asked us excitedly, "How do you guys live?" We looked at each other in confusion, so I asked her what she meant. She replied that she knew that Indians live in teepees and Eskimos live in igloos, but we didn't look like either, we looked pretty normal. We stared at her for a couple of beats, waiting for her to say that she was kidding, but no, she was earnestly awaiting our answer. I told her that Toronto is a city, that filmmakers come from Hollywood and pretend it's New York or Chicago. "Oh, so you, like, live in houses and apartments like us!" was her excited reply. She was dead serious.

[@LadyHeathersLair]

Geezus….

[@Juha_Virtanen]

Aside from the subject, by a tour, do you mean touring that bands and artists do when promoting their new album? 🎶

[@m0t0b33]

to the one who asked why aren't the lions on a vegan diet yet, I'd just answer "we tried to feed them some, but even the lions don't like vegans" 🤣🤣

[@rivenoak]

oh, they do..somehow: lions like to devour the stomach's content, not just the flesh from ribs etc.

[@pfffetc6149]

[@patrickporter6536]

​@@rivenoak also intestines. They suck them in like spaghetti, through clamped lips to squeeze the contents out

[@m0t0b33]

@@rivenoak swept right by the joke, huh?

[@M0UAW_IO83]

Because lions won't eat tofu either?

[@evelynwilson1566]

I used to use a forum to talk about a tv programme I was a fan of. This programme was mainly broadcast in UK but a few people in US watched it - I can't remember how they got it. One American was lovely, very respectful, intelligent and had a sense of humour. The other was arrogant and people started being rude back to him. I felt sorry for him so I defended him and tried to calm the situation and keep things friendly. He was making comments like Anti- American and telling us that he had once met a Canadaian who knew an horrible British person so we must all he awful. He then turned on me because I hadn't intervened early enough. Then he messaged me saying I was disrespectful and I was not to reply to his posts. I meet many Americans in my line of work and they're usually great, but this guy was clearly unaware that he was communicating with people of a different culture.if you didn't agree with him, you were Anti American. It was an eye opener.

[@martinburke362]

Don't ever change Americans you've been entertaining us Brits for over 200 years 😂😂😂🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@fatherson5907]

Keep worshipping Prince Andrew and all of the other royals who marry their cousins. Don’t forget to give them money as you can’t afford to hear your homes 🤣🤣

[@susansmiles2242]

@@fatherson5907 when did you last escape from your basement and don’t you know what google is?

[@Liaros_]

@@fatherson5907 Ignorant USAH troll.

[@martinburke362]

@@fatherson5907 are you sure your son has a father? and if he has are you sure it's you? i would have a word with his mother if i was you😂😂😂

[@tessalyyvuo1667]

This is the part where I would mention how I've been laughing at the British since Brexit... But then Finns elected a conservative government that includes a populist party that wants to leave the EU. Finns can't even learn from other people's mistakes. :(

[@xlerb_again_to_music7908]

In 1926, John Logie Baird successfully transmitted the first live moving image over c. 30 feet from a camera system in one room to a television receiver in another room in his laboratory in London. He was Scottish.

[@Joanne-t6j]

Australia has annual TV awards called the Logies.

[@101steel4]

The fact he didn't know either, says it all.

[@philipmarsden7104]

@@101steel4 Do you mean the video presenter? I'm sure a lot of Scots wouldn't know it either, so I think it's possible a lot of Americans could be forgiven for not knowing that particular fact.

[@tamis15d]

⁠

[@sandihill669]

@@philipmarsden7104??? Pretty much every Scot knows especially those in Helensburgh. We even used to have a pub called the Logie Baird here!!

[@alessandramuccinelli3708]

I'm from Italy and several years ago I went to visit an American friend in NYC; I met her dad, a very nice gentleman, who then pointed at the TV, told me: "Look!" and then proceeded to go through a few channels with the remote. For the life of me I couldn't understand why, until finally turns out he wanted to show me how remotes work, because he thought we do not have those in Italy. I told him we have them, and he insisted: "but: cordless?" and then later he showed me how he could open and close his garage door with this marvelous, tiny, tiny, remote! Sigh.

[@adriandorman7511]

I was once on a train travelling south to London. I got speaking to two American tourists. This particular train slowed down as we passed through a town called Berkhamstead ..."Oh look" said one, "isn't it great that they built the castle next to the railway station." The castle is in ruins and probably dates back to Norman times (1066 and all that). I gently explained the castle was possibly a 1000 years old, where as the railway line was 100 years old at most.

[@richardhockey8442]

traffic lights in the UK don't allow turning at red lights because funnily enough pedestrians have some rights in the UK, one of which is not being run over by clowns who turn at traffic lights without looking

[@Steve_Coates]

The US doesn't have many pedestrians probably because they've all been run over.

[@NimbleDick]

​@@Steve_Coates Nah, they're just too fat and don't know what those things hanging below their hips are for. 😅

[@kenbrown2808]

and yet, it's only been a year or two since the UK passed a law that motorists have to give way to pedestrians at crossings, and some motorists are still UK moaning about it.

[@pintokitkat]

More importantly, because we drive on the left, turning right against a red light means crossing the flow of oncoming cars. In the US, and other backward countries that drive on the wrong side of the road, turning right on a red means just slipping around the corner when nothing else is coming , much less dangerous.

[@philiprice7875]

remember that film jeff bridges as an alien red light stop green light yellow light go very quick but the number of you tube where red lights are blown you need to think red light= stop* (optional)

[@timc7037]

I worked with a Scottish student at a ski resort, Lady complimented on his accent. She said his English was very good. His response, "Thank you, I have been speaking it for 19 years now" priceless

[@timc7037]

and the video caught up to my comment with the folks from down under

[@diyzenbr]

Hey, UNITED STATES, America is a CONTINENT! 🤣

[@annaesposito541]

We in Europe,differently from americans,know that whole they dont know Europe Is a coninent!

[@gernotliftenegger4927]

Had a girl from Seattle, which asked me what the numbers "1082" on the House would be. When i told her, the house in Salzburg, Austria is that old, she called me a liar. Nothing could be before 1492....

[@marcromain64]

I had a similar experience when I mentioned to American exchange students that I grew up in a house that predated European settlement in North America by 120 years. But to be fair, it was more of a knee-jerk "You're kidding!" and they were quickly convinced that I wasn't. Mainly because the university we were all studying at at the time was also founded a few decades before 1492...

[@lethfuil]

I've lived in a house build 1401 (wasn't even the oldest house around) and my second favourite brewery brews beer since 1050. The second part is something I love to tell Americans, whenever they think they're wonder what. Yeah, my beer comes from a place a couple of times as old as your whole country.

[@kencraig8715]

Scottish born and bred, but have been living in America now for 30+ years. When I first arrived in Pennsylvania, I was asked by one work colleague if there was a bus I could take home to Scotland FROM Pennsylvania. I was dumbfounded. A few years later I was chatting with some people at a party who were planning a trip through Europe. They had bought a European printed map, but were so confused because they could not find any of the cities they planned to visit on the map, only cities with names like Munchen and Milano etc. I think one of your commentators has it absolutely correct. Two types of Americans - those who are interested in the World at large and other cultures - and those who believe the World IS AMERICA (or it should be.) The SECOND category should really stay home - they will be much happier - as will everyone else in the World.

[@vilefly]

"Ah, ignorance and stupidity, all in the same package. How efficient of you."--- Londo Molari, Babylon 5

[@pezavenk696]

When you're told that you're the best, no one is better and America is great, why would you consider anything outside of your narcissism?

[@JennyShull]

I prefer to be called U.S. person so that people know which America I live in.

[@tunencio7288]

reading a book? they have public libreries in the USA? honest question

[@Alacritous]

One good thing about this channel, you'll never run out of material.

[@myrarowlands9216]

😂😂😂

[@BewareofBordome]

The one where the American insisted the correct term is African American reminded me of an incident that happened to my sister. My sister, who is black, grew up in Austria but went to University in the States. She once told me about an exchange she had with a guy that started with him calling her African-American. My Sister: I'm not African-American. The Guy: Right, you're Austrian-American. My Sister: I am not American at all!

[@fb4533]

Unfortunately, some americans (not all, obviously) think that the world is a kind of DisneyLand where they, as americans, are the main characters and more precisely the "customers" of the whole arena (and "the customer is always right" if you know what I mean...), so they act accordingly ("I pay, I do want I want"). As I read in the comments, ignorance is one thing, but combining that with arrogance leads to the situations described in the video.

[@DarkParagon]

The phrase 'the customer is always right' has been used, incorrectly, to demand an unresonable level of customer-centric shenaniganery, but the quote itself was from an American, Harry Selfridge, who founded the London-based Selfridges. The full quote is: 'the customer is always right in matters of taste', meaning don't question the customers choice in taste. They want to buy the ugliest sweater you've ever seen? Don't question it, just sell it to them.

[@helenwood8482]

That's a real thing. I've worked in retail a long time and Americans often try to push to the front of the queue or demand a discount for being American.

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

Don't tell them they get extra spittle in their food, they will start to demand it.

[@bubsy3861]

I don't think that being American can be equated for disability... But apparently they think so.

[@wessexdruid7598]

Refuse them service.

[@HasekuraIsuna]

Working retail in Japan, I more equate that behaviour either the Chinese rather than the Americans.

[@foxracerdrew]

@@HasekuraIsuna Ugh, don't remind me, sick of listening to Chinese folks trying to haggle/barter the price of items in a retail store. That said, I think the Americans do it because they don't realise they don't have to pay extra tax at the cashier.

[@nevillemason6791]

The breath-taking arrogance at 12:34 of an American asking if there's knifes and forks in England to eat our food. The US is a country where using a knife and fork is a rarity. Americans seem to exist on fast food consumed using only their hands. I gave up eating that way when aged about 4.

[@T0MT0Mmmmy]

Same thing with US Americans complaining about the less use of credit cards in Germany while still getting payed and paying with cheques in the USA, Europeans stopped using decades ago.

[@joanmarinos4828]

Working at a small hotel right beside the beach, an American guest complained to me and the management because there was nude people on the beach. I tried to explain that topless is legal in Spain if you are at the beach, and also that beaches are public so there was literally nothing the hotel could do about it. The reply to us was “you should advertise this as a brothel”, and proceeded to pack his stuff. So basically a man complained because he was able to see t1ts from his balcony. American or not, that’s a whole new level…

[@Scarlett.Granger]

The way how America is simultaneously so incredibly ridiculously frigid and prude but also has all the media that is so insanely oversexed where everything is made sexual (besides what must be one of the biggest porn industries) is really crazy.

[@stephenbanks5952]

Americans are very prudey about nudity.

[@willswomble7274]

Good job that he didn't spot what was dangling on other beaches...

[@michaelhutchins1844]

My wife worked as a tour guide in St Andrews many years ago. Once American refused to believe we had our own currency and another asked, in all seriousness, if we bury our dead....while standing in a graveyard.

[@bjs3380]

I had started my first job, gas jockey, think i was 16, middle of a heat wave in Nova Scotia, about 33C in July. Car pulls up with american plates and skis on the roof, family of four. We do some small talk then he asks me where the snow line is ? I said about 3,000 miles north give or take. He proceeds to get angry at me for "screwing around". So i told him oh sorry just go down the road about 10 miles and turn left, can't miss it. Never saw him again, makes me wonder.

[@richardbierman9856]

Nobody ever lost a fortune overestimating the intelligence of the American people!

[@erosgritti5171]

This is nonsense. There are stupid people in every country. If you only make videos about what dumb people say, you'll only see videos about dumb people.

[@CM-ey7nq]

Well, that African American part sounds legit. I've met a few Americans here in Norway who were surprised to see so many African Americans here: My response: Yeah, they might me African Americans. A perhaps Africans. Or most likely, you know, Norwegians.

[@Onnarashi]

More like Africans in Norway.

[@Lee-kf9tq]

Africans. Youve been brainwashed to be racist. Norwegians exist. Accept it and move on.

[@oldfrittenfett1276]

Americans usually don't grasp the concept of just getting citicenship and then, after one generation, just refferring to yourself as such. You see it with Biden still being irish. They still have "race" as a category in their passports too.

[@babstra55]

I'm finnish and half of my family is black (I'm white), and there's no end to people asking my family "where are you from?", in english of course. "uh, finland?" "no, I mean where are you originally from?" "still finland." "yeah I know, but where were you born?" "..." "okay. where's your mom from?" "sigh. finland." "... ...why aren't you telling me where you're from?"

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

​​@@babstra55I'm 🇨🇦Ian, but my university graduate brain turns to goo under the effects of jet lag. I've learned to do very little the first day of a trip. The "where are you from": I like to know the original country of a person to place them in a culture... Which can be seen as offensive by some immigrants in Canada. I need to know what I can joke about successfully. To be understood, I want them to feel included. Not excluded. A black person in France from Ivory Coast isn't the same as a black person from South Africa... The person could be stuck on their idea because their under jet lag. And their brain isn't working well.

[@corynablasko1038]

The 'hire' car is not a typo, it is a common British term for a 'rental' car. Also a Glaswegian is a person from Glasgow, Scotland. I am Canadian and speak the king's English. Also lived in Scotland for a couple of years.

[@corynablasko1038]

Désolé, mais je parle français métropolitain. Tous mes professeurs venaient de Paris. Je ne comprends pas très bien le français québécois !

[@tragicvalentine]

I had an American ask me if in Australia we call winter in June/July/August winter just because its cold, because its of course it's actually summer.. I asked if they had heard of the southern hemisphere, no, no they hadn't.

[@joey4691]

boreal summer and austral summer are real terms

[@karenneill9109]

How do you get to adulthood without knowing how seasons and hemispheres work? 🤦‍♀️

[@tragicvalentine]

@@karenneill9109I honestly do not know, I learnt this in primary school.

[@ThW5]

@@karenneill9109 Watch a couple of tubes by people with no-nonsense degrees about educational standards, in, say, Texas, ...

[@karenneill9109]

@@ThW5 Yeah. There are states that require teaching creationism as a ‘scientific theory’ with equal weight as evolution. I shouldn’t be surprised that their knowledge of the cosmos is still stuck behind Galileo’s time. I’m Canadian, and man, the educational standards are VERY variable in the US. (The look on my 14 YO’s face when I showed her the ‘Creation Museum’. She thought it was a joke).

[@davespratt1882]

Many years ago I was in New Orleans with a friend doing the day time tourist thing, some random guy (American) heard us talking and started going on about World War 2 for some bizarre and how the Americans won WWII, we politely told him otherwise, he didn't like it when we mentioned Vietnam, which was fair, but it tipped him over the edge and he came out with yeah but yeah but we really kicked your ass in the civil war, we didn't have the heart to tell him he meant the War of Independence.

[@kerrybutler5908]

We live on Salt Spring Island off the west coast of B.C. We went to the interior to visit my wifes brother. It was about a mile to the border crossing from their place. When we got there the customs agent asked why we were using that crossing instead of the one at the coast. I explained about visiting my brother in law and this was the nearest crossing. The one at the border was a two hour drive away and this one was only 5 minutes away. He would not accept that and kept repeating his question. I finally clued in, he was young. I told him I had googled the route and google said this was the best way. He ok and sent us on our way. Logic need not apply, all you need is google.

[@3po_Orisen_Sithappen]

Who was John Logie Baird? Born in Helensburgh in Scotland, inventor and engineer John Logie Baird (1888-1946) achieved many 'firsts' in television technology. He started experimenting with television in 1922 and took out his first television patent in 1923. He demonstrated the first prototype television in 1925. YUP they did invent TV

[@dlittlester]

The Scots invented a lot of things.

[@suebursztynski2530]

Our television awards here in Australia are called the Logies, our version of the Emmys.

[@redknight4805]

There is a reason why South Park is the most hilarious documentary I ever saw. 😅

[@AlexanderAmann]

An American once asked me how we could live in Germany without fridges. He didn't believe me, because of course we know, own and use fridges. Yes, of course you can't extrapolate from some to all, but it's very noticeable ... ;-) Great channel by the way! I've been watching you for a while now and I'm having a great time! Keep up the good work! Greetings from Munich.

[@jackwaycombe]

I worked in Scottish tourism years ago. I was more than once congratulated on my command of the 'American language' (apparently too many Europeans "can't be bothered.") Couple of times asked for a list of hotels with electricity and running water. Often asked what part of England Scotland is in - I tended to direct them to the pub across the street. And, over the years, knew of some arrested for walking uninvited into private homes, as though they were at Disneyland. Had one couple of (very polite) American ladies asking the opening hours of a local mansion house. When told it was a private residence and not open to the public, one of them asked "Is that allowed?" But let's be fair, none of those matched the middle-aged English couple who asked for details of Lindisfarne. (A beautiful tidal island miles away across the Border in England! They'd actually driven past it.) But I happily found tide tables for them. The guy looked at the tables and said to his wife "They're (bleep) different every (bleep) day!!" To which his wife replied "Absolutely TYPICAL !" Totally off topic, here's the worst Scottish joke you'll ever hear... What's the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney? - Bing sings. Walt disnae...

[@kaydisney9872]

Which, as I am Scottish, have to hear that joke a million times a year as yup, that IS my last name 😂

[@jackwaycombe]

@@kaydisney9872 In which case, I apologise unreservedly. What were the odds? 😃 I'm English and still a 'damn incomer' to most of our small rural community. That joke was the first I ever heard when I arrived in Scotland 54 years ago. The second was too foul to laugh at, let alone relate.

[@kaydisney9872]

@@jackwaycombe lol no need to apologise! What are the odds indeed!!!! There are a few of us around, but I have to admit, I don't know any!!!!! 🤣

[@jackwaycombe]

@@kaydisney9872 If it's any comfort, I have a real surname (which I'd never use on YT) that also generates endless and pathetically unoriginal jokes.

[@stephenbanks5952]

That is why I never make jokes about someone's name because you know they will have heard it hundreds of times before.

[@peterdurnien9084]

I heard of an American Cadillac TV advert that wound up with the words, "Cadillac, the Rolls Royce of cars."

[@thomasschodt7691]

LOL

[@jdb47games]

I call BS. Rolls Royce would never allow that, not would Cadillac want to say it.

[@peterdurnien9084]

It was probably a dealer.

[@dfuher968]

The official Twitter account of the city of Chicago within the last few years sent out a tweet calling themselves "The Pizza Capital of the World".

[@rossellarosin]

A friend of mine once had to send something from Washington to her family in Belgium. The office clerk asked her in which part of France Belgium was, getting pissed off and treating her like a stupid when my friend pointed out Belgium is not in France.

[@tinagarcia3571]

My niece tried to correct me when I stayed a British boxer was black, she said so sure of herself "no Auntie he is African American" I just looked at her and said he is British, stop correcting everyone you are not the gatekeeper of the world.

[@delta006yt]

It's scary that there are Americans that thinks that every black/african person is "African American" even if they don't have any connection to America whatsoever.

[@Wall3Wapter]

i'm sorry dude. that even feels painfull for me, and i'm Dutch...

[@huggledemon32]

Maybe the sign about pizza in Italy was a subtle way of warning “don’t even THINK about asking for pineapple!?

[@speleokeir]

When inter-railing a few years back I came across two types of Americans. The first were those who had been travelling for a while. They were polite , quietly spoken (having adapted to European volume levels), intelligent and interested in the world and other cultures. Really lovely people. Then there were the ones just off the plane... These were stereo-typical American Tourists, loud, ignorant and complaining when things weren't like in America. They seemed oblivious to the fact many people speak English as a second language and making loud derogatory comments about the country they were visiting was rude and unlikely to endear them to the locals. To be fair the US doesn't have a monopoly of ignorant people or obnoxious tourists, there are plenty from other countries too. It's just that when Americans do it they go all out!😀

[@Greg-io1ip]

I live in Texas. Texas has an image of loud rude evangelicals. We do deserve the jaundiced eye, but for example: My neighborhood is about 55 homes. And it's always about 10 of those making all the noise and disruptions that gives the neighborhood a bad rap. About half of those loud obnoxious 10 house neighbors are well off financially. I could see them going to nature preserves to shoot slow old elephants and expecting a fireworks celebration for the easy shot dirty deed. Then whooping it up celebrating themselves in the villages and the plane ride back. The traveling hunters gotta be the worst, which is a tall order.

[@annabergman1166]

When I was on holiday to Crete there was a very nice and chatty guy working at the hotell that told us that he didn't like turists from Germany, Italy and Russia. I've heard about people not liking Germans and Russians before, Russians were not popular in Thailand.

[@crackpot148]

​@@annabergman1166 Yes. IN 1989 my wife and I were staying at a hotel in Rethymnon on Crete. We had met another Welsh couple who came from a village about 6 miles from our village. They and my wife were fluent Welsh speakers (I was learning Welsh at that time). While in the hotel we spent most of our time together in the hotel bar conversing in Welsh. One evening a German couple approached us and the woman said something in German. Puzzled, we all looked at each other and I said in English, "Sorry, I don't understand what you said". The woman said in English, "You understand, from our table we could hear you speaking German. I said, "No, we were speaking Welsh". She screwed up her face and yelled, "Welsh! What is Welsh? You are English but you speak our language? Why you speak our language, you do not like German people. I replied, "Well I don't now." The couple then turned around and flounced off muttering something I am sure was uncomplimentary about "Englanders". Some Welsh sounds do sound similar to certain German sounds but from where they had been stting the couple could not possibly have heard clearly enough to understand that we were not speaking German.

[@annabergman1166]

@@crackpot148 that happens to me sometimes I hear people talking while abroad and from a distance it sounds like Swedish but if I get closer it sound like gibberish. I'm pretty sure it's Dutch. I guess they have a very similar cadence to us, maybe it the same with Welsh and German

[@carriebryan1211]

As an American tourist in my youth, I found it useful to learn a little of the language of the country I would visit. Example: In Italy I needed to change some currency. I spotted a bank with the sign "Cambio", i.e. they exchange currency. I asked the policeman at the door, in my careful slow Italian, if I could change my money here. He lit up like a Christmas tree! He answered in slow Italian that yes, he will show me, making sure I understood. He then escorted me into the bank and to the correct desk. He then told the clerk, speaking slowly, that this American tourist wanted to change money. Then he wished me safe travels and to enjoy my time in his country, and he went back to his post, still delighted that I had made the effort to learn his language. Good will all aound!

[@malcolmhouston7932]

Overheard in the valley below the Bavarian Castle Neuschwanstein- Mid Teens American Girl " Oh look on the Mountain MOM, they've made a copy of Disney's Castle ". The Coach driver didn't have the heart to tell her the Castle had been standing their since 1880 and was built by Ludwig 11 - it was in fact the inspiration that Disney " borrowed". So well known even in America

[@marcgyver677]

"and was built by Ludwig 11" Ludwig who?? 😂 Ludwig II means the SECOND. It is Latin for 2

[@neddyseagoon9601]

At the highest pub in Wales, I heard, (of course I did, she was a very loud woman), an American woman say how surprised she was that Wales was so close to Britain...

[@Jan_Koopman]

"I've met stupid people: I live in America!"😂😂😂

[@micade2518]

The top of the top, here: A French friend of mine was in NYC to pursue her studies. At a party, when a guest heard that she was French, he asked her, straight-faced: "Oh, France! And do you, ... do you ... have BABIES in France?" To which she replied: "Babies? Of course! We import them from the USA."

[@brigidsingleton1596]

A Tasty reply ... 😏🤭 Here we tend to just have jelly babies... The debate starts here: Do you A) eat the feet first, or B) eat the head first or C) eat the jelly babies all in one go?!! 🤔😏🤭🙂🖖

[@m0t0b33]

Was that a pick up line or was she trying to poke fun at him? Cause it could've worked both ways LOL.

[@micade2518]

@@m0t0b33 She told me it was all like casual chatter. And she actually wanted to demonstrate to the guy how stupid his question was.

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

​@@micade2518At a party, he sounds like he's flirting, playing dumb.

[@micade2518]

@@redelfshotthefood8213 Yup, maybe, but he then blew any iota of chance of success ...

[@amystanley3434]

In 1999, an American wanted to thank me as an Australian representative, because we had got electricity and television specifically for the American Olympic team coming to Sydney in the following year. Around the same time another one told me that Sydney was the capital of Australia. Now there's no shame in thinking that. What was stupid was telling me I was wrong when I said I'm from Sydney, I've been to Parliament in Sydney and Federal Parliament, and they're not the same place. What was more stupid was when I said "it's a bit like saying NYC is the capital of the United States" - and they thought I was the dumb one.

[@lordprefab5534]

I liked the sudden realisation at the start by Ryan that he didnt know television was yet another Scottish invention either.

[@RegineDeleu]

I'm a Belgian living in New Zealand and my American neighbor told me he knows more about Belgium than me. He told so much garbage about Belgium... I just left....

[@Jan_Koopman]

Nederlander hier: Wat zei hij bijvoorbeeld over België? Je suis néerlandais et, si je peux le demander : C'était quoi qu'il a dit de la Belgique ? Niederlander hier, wass sagte er zum Beispiel über Belgien?

[@RegineDeleu]

@@Jan_Koopman onder andere: dat alle Belgen frans spreken, dat Belgie n klein, onbeduidend land is, saai en oninteresant, dat de Belgische keuken alleen maar uit wafels en frieten bestaat, dat er geen uitvindingen van Belgie komen, hij geloofde niet dat de saxofoon van Belgie komt, de manier van mappen maken (Mercator), de roller skates zijn uitgevonden in Belgie, enz dus ik had het gehad met zijn commentaren

[@RegineDeleu]

​@@Jan_Koopman onder andere dat alle belgen frans spreken, dat Belgie een klein, onbeduidend land is, dat de keuken alleen bestaat uit wafels en frieten, dat er geen uitvindingen uit Belgie komen Hij geloofde niet dat de safofoon is uitgevonden door een belg, en de methode om mappen the maken (Mercator), of dat de roller skates door een belg is uitgevonden, enz dus ik had het met hem en ben gewoon weg gegaan

[@Jan_Koopman]

@@RegineDeleu, klein, ja; onbeduidend, nee. En ik kan tot opzekere hoogte begrijpen dat hij eerst dacht dat er niets (bijzonders) is uitgevonden in België, maar dat hij je niet geloofde toen je hem inlichtte en ook de rest... smh

[@martintimmer8574]

Hey guys. Im German and luckily able to read and understand your language. Lived close to both Belgium and Netherlands for 20+ years, the so called "3 Länder Eck".Yeah, both your countries arent big, but certainly not unimportant. We as Germans make jokes about both countries, as im sure you do as well about Germany. But its all friendly banter. I visited both countries often,and always enjoyed the cities and the friendly people.I for myself like the belge and the dutch. Americans may have a large country, but also a very narrow horizon regarding other countries. As i found out myself during 3 trips to the USA. Maybe that puts in perspective , how important education actually is. Tot ziens, 😉

[@RIcklacantina]

I live in Curacao and we have a lot of US tourists here, in principle good people just not too smart. There was a young lady that was having a coffee at a table next to mine. And we started to talk. I asked her where she was from, she said America. Now Curacao is also America, so i asked her what country, and she had no idea how to answer

[@dfuher968]

Her answering with "America" is actually a step up. 99.9% of Americans answer with what US state theyre from. As if the entire world knows Ohio or Montana or whatever.

[@nerisvisentini1439]

Well, no wonder. Most US people even don't know where the 50 states are. Not to mention their capital cities

[@amstrad52]

years ago i was having a drink in a pub in Edinburgh and there was a Television in the corner and she turned round to me and said gee I didn't realise that there were Televisions in Scotland, I replied yes of course haven't you heard of Logie Baird? she replied yes we have Yogi bear back home in the states too.