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People Reveal How You Can To Spot An American Tourist From A Mile Away

People Reveal How You Can To Spot An American Tourist From A Mile Away

People Reveal How You Can To Spot An American Tourist From A Mile Away

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If you haven't spent a lot of time living or traveling abroad, it can be easy to not realize just how different the rest of the world can be. People from California can be very different from people from Kentucky, but they will share some of the same traits as Americans and not even know it. One Reddit user asked:

How do you spot an american tourist "from a mile away"?

Yeah, pretty much every response referenced Americans as loud. In all fairness, you're not very likely to notice a quiet person anywhere, so maybe it's just that the loud Americans are the ones to make an impression? One person replied that Americans even walk louder... so maybe not. Read through and see if you fit any of these stereotypes about American tourists. Oh, and shh. Inside voices!

White Socks

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Last time I saw a question like this, someone answered "white socks" and it made me start wearing black socks for the next few years.

Over 40/Under 40

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Americans are very loud, i swear you have loudhailers hidden in your clothes somewhere.

Over 40, the tourists tend to be more on the very overweight side, but the women still wear yoga pants and the men always have a combination of button up shirts and loose fitting cargo shorts. And both men and women wear baseball caps and Oakley's or sunglasses similar to that style; with white trainers.

Under 40, you're very friendly, in a way that's both endearing and creepy. When we chat I feel like I'm being indoctrinated into a cult.

Combination

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In my experience, any combination of the following:

  • white socks
  • wearing a sun visor
  • Talking incredibly loud
  • Their phone will be on a belt loop

American teenagers are usually better at blending in however, so the trick with these guys is to wait until you're in a restaurant, at which point they'll make their presence known by complaining about the local food.

In terms of positives however, I find most American tourists are incredibly friendly and sociable, they usually have no problem talking to strangers and striking up a pleasant conversation, something we Europeans never do with each other (this is also another "tell", but it's one we should adopt).

Especially In Museums

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Generally hear them before I see them. Especially in museums where everyone is extra silent. Except for the Americans, goddammit!

Non-Metric Turn Of Phrase

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They use the term "from a mile away" and not "from a kilometre away."

Obviously

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The huge American flag they are wearing usually gives it away.

Donate Via App

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For some reason, American tourists in Norway always seem to be marveled at how technologically advanced Norway is. Read: how everywhere takes and prefers card, how charity fund raisers that go about with those money jugs also have a sign with an account number you can send money to, how there's a lot of electric cars here, etc etc etc.

Also, they always seem to automatically assume that if you aren't Norwegian, you're either a tourist, or, if you're middle eastern, a refugee. It's always a button annoying when you try to help some lost American couple find a stave church and they brush you off just because you have an Australian accent and are apparently a tourist who doesn't know the place like them even though you've lived in that area for ten years.

Where Are You Running To?

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Footwear. Americans for some reason wear sneakers / running shoes when unnecessary. In the US running shoes/tennis shoes are the default casual shoe. It's becoming less true, but is still very much a presence in our culture. I didn't even own a different style of casual shoe until I was in high school. I think it's probably a result of sending kids to school in shoes they can play in at recess or wear in phys ed that just carries over into adult life.

No One Cares

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As an American who lived in Israel for a while, I realized that Americans do the following:

  • We talk loudly,
  • Many of the things we say loudly, includes many irrelevant details. "Yes" or "no" answers are of high value in middle eastern culture; but in American culture we like to tell you all about why something is or that our daughter got married last year or our cat has diabetes.
  • We are morons about diet. Another American moved to where I lived. He preached about high protein diets, bitched about how he couldn't find fat free milk or pasteurized egg whites, in a country that specializes in high-fat cuisine.
  • Americans think the world impressed by their city. No one cares that you're from Las Vegas

Amazed By The Ancient

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  • Amazed by things which are more than 200 years old, presumably because they don't have many things that old in the USA.
  • Quite often on the heavy side weight-wise (sorry!)
  • Hand-held fans, maybe because air conditioning is very common in the USA.
  • Expecting everyone to speak English and/or not wanting to learn the local language.

Bigger And Stronger

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I remember I was a small kid in Tijuana. They were typically a lot more good looking than the local population. The girls were hot as hell. The Marines that would come around from San Diego looked like superheroes and made these other guys look... well, not that.

We'd get European tourists as well but the American ones looked bigger and kind of stronger. Especially the military guys, like something out of these Marvel comics, at least the ones in their twenties.

All buff, tall, etc.

Embarrassingly Underdressed

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I always felt embarrassingly underdressed when traveling in Europe.

On the flip side, as a native Arizonan I can always spot the European/English tourist because they will be bright red.

Traffic Circles

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In the UK, first-time American tourists look bewildered trying to navigate their rental car in busy roundabouts (traffic circles)... but from what I understand Americans can't navigate them in America, either.

Raincoats

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Recently visited a very touristy part of my country (Ireland) and my wife observed that "Americans display their wealth through their raincoats."

Americans always seem to be wearing a full designer outdoor adventure wear outfit when everyone else is wearing like...a t shirt and jeans to take a walk around a small village or something.

California Is Totally Different From Kentucky

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All the Americans I saw abroad always traveled as a family and had a MILLION bags, usually the mom would be carrying the largest/most.

Also, we are the only ones who would differentiate between different parts of the country. My European friends never understood why I always asked where in America another American was from. I guess they didn't understand that people from California can be VERY different from Kentucky or Southern people, so you gotta know in order to judge this new person based on stereotypes.

That American Swag

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I've lived in the USA for 18 years, originally from England. It's not really anything specific, and it's hard to explain but Americans have a certain attitude and way of holding themselves that's easily noticeable. They just seem more confident and at ease than other nations. You don't notice it at first, but it's easy to spot after you've lived here a while. Last time we were in England we stopped at a convenience store and two young Americans were sitting opposite, they hadn't spoken but we knew immediately.

My wife walked up:

"You here on vacation?"

"Oh.. yeah! Wow, how did you know?"

"Duh. Where are you from?"

Proudly. "We're from the USA"

"Oh, really honey? Where do you think I'm from?!"

Turns out they were from Ohio and the last thing they expected in some quiet British convenience store was to find someone from their home country.

My wife says I've never acquired it either, she can usually spot English people really quickly too.

Coffee To Go

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When I lived in Europe it dawned on me that anyone walking and drinking coffee is American. Not sure if it holds true today, but back then Europeans definitely stopped, relaxed, and sat / stood at a hightop table to enjoy their coffee. Also, anyone talking unnecessarily loudly is usually American.

Volume As Fluency

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When I was living in Petersburg, I could spot my fellow Americans by the following:

  1. clothing. American Middle Class has a distinct couture that really stood out against the Finns, Russians, and Baltic citizens.
  2. dollars. God damn it, people - hit a money exchange before you hit the market. Especially in a country where hard currency was still illegal.
  3. volume.
  4. staring confusedly at the food you just ordered. Beef Stroganoff in a fancy restaurant doesn't look like your Hamburger Helper version, and fish soup is traditionally served with the head still attached.
  5. volume-as-fluency. While I hate the stereotype of Americans saying something louder in hopes of a non-speaker suddenly understanding due to the pressure of the sound waves shoving meaning directly into their brains, I don't dismiss its truth.

It's Not That Big A Deal

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Loud, extremely loud and slow. To give some explanation to that, it's more than talking loudly. It's closing doors to hard, walking down stairs/escalators to forcefully, and so forth. They are seen as a bit brutish, I guess. My parents ran a tourist park in the bush in Australia and when the American's went hiking you could hear them from 2km away and they'd take forever on what was basically a quick walk around the hill, as well as exaggerate it as if they just went on a 3 day hike in the jungle, for what I was doing alone from the age of 5. Overweight more often than not, and often couldn't cook whatsoever.

The Classic Overshare

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I love Americans but the talking thing is so noticeable. I was in a pub(Ireland)last week and there was this American chatting at the bar. Pretty well away from me. By the time left I knew His name, his hopes and dreams for the future. And the pros and cons of golfing as a tourist. In Copenhagen and there was a group of Americans talking very loudly and facetiming their friends back home. I knew exactly what beers they were all drinking and that they are facetiming Kelly.

If any of us wanted to, we could have scammed them good using the information they freely announced to everyone in the bar.

H/T: Reddit

Men Who've Gotten A Vasectomy Share Their Experiences

Reddit user GaleNotTheWind asked: 'Men of Reddit who have gotten a vasectomy, what was your experience?'

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Markus Winkler/Unsplash

According to the Cleveland Clinic, over 50 million men have had a vasectomy.

Although avoiding sexual intercourse is the only effective way to avoid pregnancy, the male birth control procedure still has a low failure rate.

Those who are apprehensive about having a vasectomy fear the following: pain, impact on sex life, effectiveness, and side effects like cancer. (The National Cancer Institute and the American Urological Association have found that the procedure does not increase the risk of prostate cancer).

To seek some reassurance, Redditor GaleNotTheWind asked:

"Men of Reddit who have gotten a vasectomy, what was your experience?"

Guys discuss what happened after the snipping.

Making Sure

"For the love of God, do the follow-up appointment. The last thing you want is to be accidentally playing with a loaded gun."

– sleepypanda59

Wise To Wait

"The paper work I got for mine which was done less than 2 weeks ago said that you could have sex 2-3 days after but... definitely said to wait another few days."

– SisterPhister666

Follow Post-Surgical Procedures Or Else

"Had it done twice while living in Japan no less. Why twice? The first one failed."

"... apparently, so did the second (says my now 6 year old daughter)."

– shoelessmarcelshell

These men found that the procedure itself wasn't a big deal.

Assurance

"I was super anxious, but I had a great procedure. I was more freaked out about the shot of numbing agent to the balls, but it was legit nothing to worry about."

– Reddit

Normal In No Time

"Little operation, blue balls and no wanking for a week, then back to normal but without getting anyone pregnant."

– Bright_Composer_3901

"Made the mistake of having a pop after a couple of days. Jesus, the regret."

– Alante

Best Money Ever Spent

"When I woke up after the anesthesia - yes I asked to be put under, best $55 (after insurance) I ever spent - the caffeine headache I had upon waking was the most painful part. The preoperative instructions were nothing but water the evening before, no water for 4 hours before going under. The Safeway brand cola that the angel aftercare nurse brought me was pure refreshment."

– HarrumphingDuck

Cherry On Top

"Local anesthesia stings for a second or two then all you can feel is tugging after all is done the pain I would describe is like blue balls for like 2 days tops. I took a week off work recommend by doctor since I’m a construction worker and the heavy lifting but I felt like after day 3 I was good to go. Cons: minor pain discomfort, no hanky panky until last semen sample came out clear. Pros: , no unplanned pregnancies(it’s still possible very rarely)."

– Secure_Requirement84

Some final thoughts.

Only Pros

"To me, the only bad part was the smell of the cauterization of my vas deferens.. the procedure was fine. Local anesthesia before and during just felt slight tugging no pain. Recovery was easy. No pain. No cons. Only pros. And if absolutely need be it’s reversible. Much easier and less invasive than a woman getting her tubes tied and significantly less harmful than birth control. I’m an advocate. Get it done!"

– PunchARacist

One Unsettling Thing

"For me, it wasn’t the smell but watching the little puffs of smoke during the cauterization. That was truly and deeply unsettling."

"Otherwise, yeah, nothing major to report. Stayed in bed for a day watching old horror movies and assembling a Lego plant. Pretty much business as usual after that."

– GuestCartographer

The One Constant

"Got a vasectomy, it worked. Got it reversed, that worked.... twice Got another vasectomy...17 years later, all good. Just go to a legit great Dr. I mean top of the field Dr. For ANY messsin around down there. Vasectomy is WAY easier now than 25-30 years ago. In/out in an hour... The only thing that hasn't changed? ... The bag of frozen peas ..😂"

– richwat00

Vasectomies are performed via two methods, the incision vasectomy or a no-scalpel vasectomy, and both use local anesthesia to numb the scrotum.

Always consult a healthcare provider before undergoing the procedure and–most importantly–make sure you don't want to have children or that you and your spouse don't want to add additional family members.

Based on the anecdotes above, there's nothing to fear, so feel free to man up and get to snipping.

gray conveyor between glass frames at nighttime
Tomasz Frankowski on Unsplash

I've always enjoyed a good scare on film and my Mother indulged my preferences as she also loved a good horror film.

While we thoroughly enjoyed a good Disney movie together, I was also allowed to watch Jaws, The Exorcist and The Omen before I was 10 years old.

Slashers and sci-fi frights were good, but to me the most effective scares involved nightmarish scenarios that might easily happen in the not so distant future.

For me, growing up Roman Catholic meant demonic possession and the AntiChrist were on the list of plausible fears.

But what films offered possible Hellscapes for others?

Keep reading...Show less
wedding bands on dictionary
Sandy Millar on Unsplash

Infidelity in marriages isn't as widespread as people think. While some cynics would have us believe faithful partners are scarce, they account for over 4 out of 5 spouses.

Still, 16% of married couples in the United States admitted to being unfaithful at some point in their marriage.

And 57% of divorces were due to cheating.

In marriages where infidelity occurs, but doesn't result in divorce, the loss of trust is still a problem. It can make emotional and physical intimacy challenging.

So why do people cheat instead of ending their relationship before moving on?

Keep reading...Show less
shallow photography of man hugging woman outdoors
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

When it comes to flirting, everyone has their preferences of how they like to be flirted with. Some people like cleverly crafted pickup lines.

I always thought pickup lines were a cheap way to get someone's attention. That being said, there are some good ones out there. I've been on the receiving end of both. "On a scale from one to America, how free are you tonight?" and, "You must be the square root of two because I feel irrational around you."

Both got me to engage in conversation, and I even dated the guy who used the first one for a while.

I'm not the only one that knows some good pickup lines. Redditors have both heard and used some pickup lines and are eager to share their favorites.

It all started when Redditor Sauce_Dealer420 asked:

"What's the best pickup line of all time?"

Read It And See

"You put the sexy in dyslexic."

– koookyko

"This made me laugh so hard."

"Because I can read properly."

– TappedIn2111

I'm Hooked

"This girl I used to work with and I went to a bar after work and we’re having fun, and she leans over to tell me a joke. And she says:"

"Three boy mice and a girl mouse were all stuck in a room with no doors and no windows. One of the boy mice asked the girl mouse how to get out and she said, “Sleep with me tonight, and I’ll tell you in the morning.""

"The next day, he is gone. The second boy mouse asks the girl mouse how he got out and she says, “Sleep with me tonight, and I’ll tell you in the morning.""

"Next day, he’s gone too."

"So now the girl telling me this joke says to me, “Do you want to know how the last mouse gets out of the box?”

"And I say “yes.""

"And she says, “Sleep with ME tonight, and I’ll tell you in the morning”. All this while staring me in the eyes and smiling."

"I said, “Check please bartender!!""

"I forgot to ask her in the morning, but that was the best pickup line I’ve ever heard."

– reb678

Statistics

"The odds we sleep together are 50% because half of us agree so far."

– AlfheimKitteh

"Math is always super sexy."

– Acceptable-News-6811

Money, Money, Money

"Hey girl, are you the English financial system? Because I'm about to give you a weak pound."

– onemanwolfpack21

"Yo girl, do you know exchange rates? Because Euro 10."

– kkirchhoff

Winner, Winner

""Are you a magician? Cuz every time I look at you, everyone else disappears.""

"This line got me a wife and three kids. 😊"

– PRSHZ

One Liners

"Are you a beaver? Cuz damn."

– Starry_Night-

"If you were a fruit you'd be a fineapple."

– Slainna

"Hi, do you want to go for a ride on a Harley?"

"(My name is Harley) 😁"

– OMNIxvTRIX

No Losers

"If I asked you for a date would the answer to that question be the same as the answer to this question?"

– SchemePale6222

"I got blue screen in my head."

"Explain please."

– TastyToothpasta

"You can't lose. Say no, the answer is yes. Say yes, the answer is also yes."

"Dang sounds kinda creepy writing it out like that. Still clever wordplay though."

– Steeze_Schralper6968

Clever

"My go-to was always:"

"I used to be a history teacher, so I know lots of important dates. Want to help me make another one?"

"A little corny, but it usually worked."

– StuffToday

Refreshing

"That one actually worked with my ex on the first try."

"-Hey, do you like water?"

"-Yes."

"-Then you like me in 70% already."

– azurskyy

Sneaky

"Would you date a complete stranger?"

"If she says “yes” you’re in."

If she says “no.”

“Then allow me to introduce myself.”"

– Blastspark01

Playing Coy

"Once a girl came to me and told there was somebody who thought I was cute."

"I asked her who and she said “Me.""

– evil_boy4life

Prop Lines

"You have to have a handful of limes available to do this:"

"Hold the limes, drop the limes in front of the lucky person. Then say 'Sorry, I'm not very good at pick up limes.'"

– cannibalcats

Egg-cellent

"Best one that worked for me was:"

"Me: How do you like your eggs?"

"Her: Over easy, why?"

"Me: Just making sure I have things right for when I make you breakfast in the morning."

– Radiant_Boss4342

The Best Line

"How you doin?"

– 2x4x93

"There was a time when this was the ONLY line you could use!"

– JohnsLong_Silver

That line would definitely work on me!