two of my favourite American Tourist Urban Myth stories have actually come true! once in Cambridge, someone asked me where the University was and i had to Explain.
Please explain, where is the University?
― how's life, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 12:04 (nine years ago) link
The university is made up of a number of separate colleges all over the city.
― Wristy Hurlington (ShariVari), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 12:07 (nine years ago) link
gotcha.
― how's life, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 12:10 (nine years ago) link
Oxford is the same way too. urban myths must be thin on the ground in Cambridge
― rob, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 12:10 (nine years ago) link
I used to get tourists asking how to get to Annapolis all the time, and I'd always answer "you're here" until they said, or at least attempted to say, the words "Naval Academy". 'cause screw you militarists, it's a beautiful town with a hell of a lot more going on than that place.
― Three Word Username, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:00 (nine years ago) link
Nice.
― how's life, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:08 (nine years ago) link
It would be hard to resist the temptation to redirect them up West Street and make them drive around the mall or something.
― how's life, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:09 (nine years ago) link
Send 'em up Clay Street.
― Three Word Username, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:31 (nine years ago) link
-because of our largely suburban, car-centric population, when we go to compact cities we're always IN THE FUCKING WAY of foot traffic, on escalators, etc.
― Rihannamator (get bent), Tuesday, August 26, 2014 3:50 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
This is certainly true of non-city dwelling American tourists visiting American cities.
― carl agatha, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:32 (nine years ago) link
american tourists don't believe in queues is my personal experience
― nakh is the wintour of our diss content (darraghmac), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:34 (nine years ago) link
I got out of a BART in San Francisco and there was this neat, orderly line of people going up the escalator.
And my first thought was WHAT IS THIS SHIT?
― pplains, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:41 (nine years ago) link
also - use of the word 'sneakers'
― Scary Darey (dog latin), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:43 (nine years ago) link
What if we're wearing these.
http://vagrantsneaker.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/hal-reebok-pair-1.jpg
― pplains, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:44 (nine years ago) link
This thread is relevant to my interests since we're going to Australia in December.
Last time I was there, I was such a poor Amerikan tourist, one of the waitresses thought I was Canadian.
― pplains, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:47 (nine years ago) link
^^^same thing happened to my family in australia, ppl seemed disappointed we were not canadian when they found out
― dan m, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 13:58 (nine years ago) link
While in Mexico, I was frequently mistaken for being Canadian, which never failed to make me irrationally offended.
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 14:07 (nine years ago) link
Oh hell, they thought I was a Texan when I went to Mexico, which offended me greatly.
― pplains, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 15:46 (nine years ago) link
i know, i even felt self-conscious about typing that, but "trainers" would make me feel weirder yet.
― Rihannamator (get bent), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 21:21 (nine years ago) link
theres no way the average australian could tell americans from (anglo) canadians, that is either a knowing reference to the 'conscientous/guilty americans abroad pretend to be canadian' demograpic or learning from experience that americans mistaken for canadians are less likely to be upset than canadians mistaken for americans
― Nothing less than the Spirit of the Age (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 21:29 (nine years ago) link
Tons of Deutsche tourists in NYC
― calstars, Tuesday, 26 August 2014 21:48 (nine years ago) link
― dan m, Tuesday, August 26, 2014 1:58 PM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Tbf they might as well BE Canadian.
― Orson Wellies (in orbit), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 23:52 (nine years ago) link
many xposts: weird that american tourists don't form queues when travelling because they sure as hell like lining up for no reason when they're at home
― SEEMS TO ME (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 26 August 2014 23:55 (nine years ago) link
pleasant plains, you should visit the darling downs when you're in australia.
― estela, Wednesday, 27 August 2014 00:01 (nine years ago) link
learning from experience that americans mistaken for canadians are less likely to be upset than canadians mistaken for americans
Maybe. I would've figured she guessed American since the odds would have been in her favor, but good point.
It looks like a nice verdant area with plenty of - wait, this is about my username, isn't it?
― pplains, Wednesday, 27 August 2014 00:34 (nine years ago) link
loool estela
― SEEMS TO ME (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 27 August 2014 00:59 (nine years ago) link
there are surely worse places to go than this
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/BunyaMtns-SW.jpg
otherwise, wikipedia suggests the darling downs are a place where 'blokes' might live, and where more 'traditional' australian values might predominate
― Nothing less than the Spirit of the Age (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 27 August 2014 01:01 (nine years ago) link
Sounds a lot like Pleasant Plains then.
― pplains, Wednesday, 27 August 2014 01:16 (nine years ago) link