Americans traveling to Europe are stereotyped as loud, crass, and lacking sophistication compared to their European counterparts. A recent online thread challenged that assumption, asking what unpleasant facts about Europeans Americans wanted to reveal. The responses indicate that Europeans cannot criticize others, especially Americans.
Fact 1:
Europe is just as racist as the United States. “Lol, I’m Turkish and living in Germany. Europe is definitely just as racist as America, but the racism here is just more subtle and kind of normalized, too,” says one commenter. Unfortunately, racism isn’t exclusive to one nation or one person. It’s a universal scourge.
Fact 2:
Obesity is a serious problem in Europe. One user writes, “This is one of the biggest ones (no pun intended). Especially the Brits, 2/3 are overweight/obese (same as the U.S.), but they constantly criticize ‘fat Americans who eat at McDonald’s.'”
Fact 3:
Smoking is terrible for your health. One person describes how they’re a high school freshman in Italy, and at least half of their class smokes. Another says, “Yes! I love the cafe culture in the Balkans, but my god, even when we sit outside, I walk away smelling like cigarettes.”
Fact 4:
Public bathrooms should be free, like in the United States. One user states, “Public toilets being free should be a standard.” At the same time, another offers this response: “Not an American, but having to pay a euro just to wash my hands at an Italian train station was wild.”
Fact 5:
Yes, you need to use air conditioning in the hotter months. Just like Americans do. According to several people on the thread, refusing to use air conditioning in the summer as if it’s a sign of weakness is the prevailing attitude in Germany.
Fact 6:
Your cuisine isn’t more authentic than American ethnic cuisine. One individual sums it up nicely: “Our ideas of foreign cuisine are basically products of the immigrant experience.”
Fact 7:
Americans are more sophisticated than credited. Europeans operate under the assumption that because they can easily travel between countries, they have cornered the market on being cultured.
One person defended their fellow Americans by articulating that it takes several hours to fly from the U.S. to an overseas destination and don’t have the luxury of driving to multiple European countries by car. You must live near the Canadian or Mexican borders to readily travel from the U.S. to another country.
Fact 8:
America is a much bigger country than they realize. The U.S. spans six time zones. It may be easy to drive from Belgium to neighboring France, Germany, or the Netherlands and reach your destination in a few hours. However, Americans know you don’t hop in a car in Maine, drive to California, and expect to reach their destination anytime soon.
This opinion struck a chord with many people on the thread, with one responding, “I have traveled to Europe, and they all forget this. I met a guy in Germany who was planning a trip to the U.S. I had to deliver the bad news that his trip was wildly unrealistic as he wanted to travel to every corner of the U.S. in 2 weeks.”
Fact 9:
Americans are much nicer than seen on television. This sentiment was typical, with a contributor from Canada recounting how unwelcoming Europeans are to travelers: “I’ve been a visitor in both Europe and America. In my experience, Europeans are far less friendly and helpful towards tourists than Americans.”
Fact 10:
Americans are intelligent and shouldn’t be judged based on stereotypes. One user declares, “We are actually pretty smart as a nation. The stupid ones are just the loudest and the most annoying.”
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