When the Tourist Vibes Are Strong
When Americans travel, they're usually the first to make it known that they're not a local. Whether it's their tendency to complain or tip excessively, Americans usually stick out like a sore thumb among the crowd. Guilty of doing any of these? Here are 20 things American tourists do that scream, "I'm not from here".
1. Expecting Everyone to Speak English
No matter where they travel to, Americans might know that English isn't the primary language there, but that's not going to stop them from speaking it, anyway. They automatically assume that people will know English, so they often don't even attempt to speak the local tongue.
2. Speaking Loudly
Americans are known for being loud, and that's true no matter where they are. They could be in a museum, a hotel lobby, an elevator, or on the subway, and they'll be speaking at a higher volume than everyone else. Most of the time, they don't notice they're making so much noise. To them, it's just their normal.
3. Tipping Excessively
Tipping culture is so ingrained in American culture that they'll do it everywhere—even in places where tipping isn't the norm. And it's not only the act of tipping that might strike locals as odd, it's the amount. Americans, after all, are so accustomed to tipping big that they don't stop to think how strange it may look in other countries.
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4. Expecting Free Refills Everywhere
Free refills may be commonplace in America, but everywhere else, the rules aren't always the same, and the concept of refillable drinks might be unheard of. It's always better to assume the opposite than to follow the traditions you're used to, but Americans sometimes forget to do just that.
5. Complaining About Portion Sizes
American portions may be super-sized, but elsewhere in the world, dishes could be much smaller than what they're used to. The worst part? Instead of silently accepting this, many Americans will go out of their way to complain about it. Or sometimes, they'll just order two of the same thing to compensate.
6. Expecting Cars to Always Stop for Pedestrians
Pedestrians might have the right of way, but not all places in the world respect this, especially in cities with overcrowded traffic. Americans typically don't take that into account before jumping out onto the road, thinking that other road users will immediately stop for them.
7. Comparing Everything to the US
Whenever Americans learn a new fact or word, they often like to enlighten the other person with, "In America, we call it this" or "In America, we do it like this". Unless the locals ask or are curious, it's unnecessary to bring up random comparisons. Most of the time, people outside of the US don't care.
8. Not Understanding Dress Codes
Americans might wear sweatpants to dinner and then again at a museum, or hoodie and jeans to a fancy fine dining restaurant, even when it's obvious the dress code calls for something a little more prim and elegant. While it's not wrong to do this, it'll definitely make them stick out like a sore thumb among locals.
9. Incessant Complaining
It's not just complaining about portion sizes. Americans love to complain about everything, down to the smallest detail. If something doesn't go their way or how they expect, they're the first to flag down someone to grumble about it without thinking to embrace the differences.
10. Overly Patriotic
Americans are overly patriotic about where they're from, meaning they'll often boast about their American nationality to anyone who wants to hear. While it's fine to feel prideful, their tone can sometimes come off disrespectful and arrogant, like others should be jealous of them.
11. Expecting Ice in Every Beverage
Ice in cold beverages is a given in the US, but this isn't always the norm in other places. Upon seeing little to no ice in their cups, Americans may constantly ask servers for extra, without taking into account why so few ice cubes are used, such as in places where the water isn't so clean.
12. Overpacking
Americans tend to overpack, meaning they'll stuff in seven pairs of socks and underwear even if it's a short three-day trip.
There's another downside to this than just an overly heavy suitcase, though: in places where stairs are king, lugging around a huge bag will be a major inconvenience.
13. Ignoring or Disrespecting Local Etiquette
Something Americans might fail to do before traveling to another country is to read up on local etiquette. If they skip this step, they stick out from the crowd like no other and may even inadvertently offend locals or create misunderstandings.
14. Making Insensitive Jokes
American humor might not bode well with people in other countries, so it's best to be mindful before you crack one. Avoid topics that are particularly sensitive, like culture, history, politics, local traditions, or even language.
15. Expecting Air Conditioning Everywhere
Despite the scorching heat some countries are used to, air conditioning is not a given—something that Americans might not be used to. In fact, some cultures may find air conditioning wasteful and believe it could cause adverse health effects, so asking for restaurants, hotels, and other establishments to turn it on can be seen as strange.
16. Assuming Everyone Knows Where They're From
When Americans are asked where they're from, they often say the city or state they reside in, assuming that the person they're talking to will already know where that is. Other tourists, in contrast, will typically start with the country they're from before narrowing it down to a region or city.
17. Being Friendly with Strangers
Americans are known to be friendly and may make small talk with strangers on the street, in coffee shops, or anywhere else. However, in places where these kinds of casual interactions aren't the norm, locals may find the behavior unusual, which may result in awkward moments.
18. Assuming Credit Cards Work Everywhere
Card and digital payments might be the norm in the US, but in smaller cities elsewhere, cash may still reign king at small shops and eateries. Building off that, it's always best to carry local currency than to assume everyone accepts US dollars.
19. Wearing Shoes Indoors
Americans might be used to wearing shoes indoors, but this can be seen as extremely disrespectful in some countries, such as Asia. It's a reminder not to treat unfamiliar places like home unless you're given explicit permission to do so.
20. Impatient About Everything
Americans can be fairly impatient. Pair this with their tendency to complain, and their attitude might come off rude and disrespectful to locals—which may result in unpleasant situations, interactions, and experiences.
