oh, for heavens' sake

[winterbadger]

as seen on brits_americans

As a US citizen living in London, Christian Cox says she is shocked at the amount of abuse she receives because of her nationality.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4881474.stm

Comments

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

You get good and bad everywhere, both natives and visitors. If you are from the south or north in England you have to expect a certain amount of 'ribbing' about your accent when you visit the other camp. It's just the way we are! A loud northerner in London would get just as much notice as a loud American, in a lot of places just fitting in to the background is a prized skill.
My friend lives in London, and says it is difficult to not resent the huge numbers of tourist decending on the city when you are trying to do your everyday business. Living down here on the coast we are also inundated with tourist, but I can't say I find it as difficult.
I wonder how much of it is what we would consider to be just teasing

[winterbadger]

in a lot of places just fitting in to the background is a prized skill.

Fitting in is an important skill and one that Americnas seem to fight against acquiring. "Go along to get along" is a lost concept in the US, I think. I know radicals tend to rail about how there's too much conformity, but I think that, though Americnas may buy into the trends that advertising sells us, we make a lot of noise trying to be different in small, meaningless ways that just end up making life more difficult.

My friend lives in London, and says it is difficult to not resent the huge numbers of tourist decending on the city when you are trying to do your everyday business.

People in Washington feel much the same way. Even in a small town like WIlliamsburg in Virginia, where tourist account for most of the economy (the college does a little), people resent them just the same.

When I was touristing at Stirling Castle several years ago and looking at the wonderful displays they have in the castle kitchens, a busload of German tourists arrived and deluged the area where I was standing: talking, laughing, stepping into the exhibits and posing in silly ways with them, generally being loud and obnoxious. I found myslef thinking "Bloody Germans!" and wishing for Basil Fawlty...