I’ve seen videos from a European’s PoV regarding the presence of either American expats or tourists speaking loud at venues (like indoor restaurants or hotels) where one is expected to use their inside voice rather than yelling from the top of their lungs.
Is it a cultural difference they are unaware of before they even stepped foot into a European country? To clarify: you’re just sitting on the table minding your own business but you can hear them talk across the venue using their outside voice whilst indoors.
Even though you may remain indifferent: rather it’s inconsiderate when it comes to common courtesy in public spaces. It’s the same in reverse like while a European speaks normally is responded by being yelled at from an American despite being next to each other.
Can you please stop with these generic questions?
This is not a “ask europe” community, nor a community to test your LLM bot.
Oh boy, my time has come!
Yes, there’s a community specifically for this
I know it isn’t very active atm but we can change this.
Disclaimer: I’m the creator/admin of that community
When I toured in Europe, I made it a point to just stfu unless I was spoken to. I wanted to blend in and not be the stereotypical American tourist.
Having said that, I ran into a couple of Americans while in Norway. Jesus Christ, they were obnoxious (and from Florida).
Yes.
But there’s also differences between European countries. I’m a Finn and I shared a 30 minute bus commute with a group of Spanish exchange students for about half a year. Or I would have, about 2 weeks in, I decided to use the bicycle instead because they were being so loud. Not like yelling and whooping, but just talking with a bit more passion than I’m used to.
When it comes to Americans specifically, in my limited experience they do talk loudly, laugh loudly and include strangers in their conversations. For example, I was waiting for a bus and group of American tourists walked up and just started talking to me, as if they’ve known me for years. What a bunch of weirdos.
As a Swede, I share your suffering.
Nordic silence, unite! <3
But quietly, in our own homes.
I never met an american tourist, but I don’t think this question makes a lot of sense because both Europe and the EU have a lot of countries with different cultures. For example, here in Portugal we have the preconception that people in the north (germany, sweden, denmark, etc) are very quiet and mind their own business. So an american tourist would be loud compared to whose standards? Ours? The Germans? Etc
Now, what I heard a lot from many different people, both in real life and on the internet, is that american tourists tend to have a “self importance” air about them. A friend told me a story that an american tried to tip her dollars several times, even though they were told that she could only accept Euros.
both Europe and the EU have a lot of countries with different cultures
Though to be fair, forgetting that is very much in character for our American friends.
Americans are loud even by southern European standards. And it’s not just about volume, but their ability to encroach on all spaces around them.
It’s not as bad if they come from a city like New York, where people are socialized to respect personal boundaries to a point, but even then it’s noticeable.
Yes, and not just in the EU. I did a small survey when I studied in Cairo, and discovered that while students there were fine with being friends with Americans, or even their sibling marrying an American, they would not want to have one as their neighbor :D
I was on a cultral exchange programme in 2010. There were students from all over europe. And 1 american girl. She was nice, but so loud and obnoxious. Sometimes that’s a good energy to have around, but she was always like that. I didn’t have any class with her. Maybe if I got to know her, it’d be better. But I didn’t feel compelled to get to know her outside organized gatherings.
Yes but eventually no. I’m in a kind of unique position on this since I immigrated from the States to Europe decades ago and live/lived in popular tourist destinations for Americans.
So, yeah, groups of Americans especially, and some individuals, speak way above the local normative level, football games excluded.
However, over the last four or five years many N American families have moved here, five now in my neighborhood alone. And I see these families all around my city and other places. By and large, they have (perhaps unconsciously?) adopted normative levels of speaking. It’s especially notable in the younger kids.
So, I think people when they visit some place retain their own ways of doing things, because why not they will only be in the country they are visiting a short while. On the other hand, folks who move to another country seem to naturally start to fit in after a while.
@CmdrGraves Extremely so, yes.
Yes, Americans are assholes.
nah
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