What is it with angry rude tourists, and why is it when we’re travelling we seem to notice them even more? You know whom I’m talking about, the loud obnoxious people, sitting at the table next to you, who can’t seem to find anything to be happy about. Not to mention the fact that they’re dining steps away from the Eiffel Tower and eating a world-class meal, none of which seems to matter. They’re miserable and acting entitled and unfortunately, have no problem letting everyone else know how they feel.
Rude American psycho tourists seem to stand out the most for me, especially when I’m travelling outside the country. I’m sure that’s partly because I can completely understand what they’re saying, and also because they generally tend to be more vocal than everyone else in the general vicinity. It’s probably not really they’re fault. The waiter is rude and doesn’t speak English, the food isn’t what they thought they had ordered, and they can’t seem to find a cold beverage anywhere. This is probably their first trip to a non-English speaking country, and they’re simply overwhelmed. Maybe their wallet was stolen on the metro, their English speaking tour wasn’t in English, and their soda is warm. All they probably want is to find something comforting that reminds them of home. So they’ve had a rough day, and everyone else has to hear about it.
Of course, the point for people traveling to foreign countries is to experience something new. Whether it’s the art, the culture, the history, the people, the language, whatever it is, it’s usually very exciting, but can also be overwhelming. It’s easy for people to shut down when things tend to go badly, and something as small as a cultural misunderstanding can ruin someone’s day or entire trip.
I used to hide from the rude American’s. I truly detested their behavior and was terrified that they would figure out that I was also an American and start talking to me. God forbid that happened. What would the locals think! Well over the years, I’ve evolved a bit and my tactic has changed and now I rather welcome the opportunity to talk to them. I’m curious to find out what they’re doing in the country and maybe just speaking to another fellow American in English will calm their nerves or maybe not! Either way, I try to have more empathy for the Rude tourist, American or otherwise, but sometimes it is what it is and they are what they are…rude people.
The next time I go on a trip, I think I’ll wear my American Psycho tank top. That way there will be no questions on what type of Psycho I am. I’ll stand tall and proud, embracing my heritage and psychosis. Care to join me?
