by Mary P Ivy

Created on: October 11, 2009   Last Updated: September 04, 2011

"Harry, ya got the camera?" A large woman with bleached, piled-high hair yelled across the crowded sidewalk in Quebec City. Harry yelled back and she elbowed her way through the crowd toward Harry and the camera. Everyone else momentarily paused to gape at the American woman. Her attire matched her voice and attitude: loud, conspicuous and, well, obnoxious. In a few moments, the crowd had registered her as 'just another rude American' and resumed their activities. She, of course, remained oblivious to the stir she had caused. She wanted the camera and she wanted it right then. Being American, she felt entitled to have every wish fulfilled - instantly.

For polite and civil Americans, it is embarrassing to see the patterns of rude behavior that earned the designation "Ugly Americans." It is hard to watch fellow citizens behave in such an unseemly way. The first impulse is to apologize and try to explain, "not all Americans are like that." But those words would seem feeble alongside such behavior. 

Years later in a tiny town in Newfoundland the scene played out again.

Tourists from around the world waited patiently for their assigned time on the Internet at the local library. Each had signed in and been given a number and the rules governing use of the computers. Everyone waited quietly. The only sounds were whispered conversations in several languages.

Suddenly a large man walked in and began a very loud conversation with the woman at the desk. Not only did he want to skip ahead of everyone else but he also wanted to use his own computer, a clear violation of the posted rules. Yet he insisted; he couldn't possibly conduct business on the equipment they offered. He became more demanding and more insulting. Her polite but firm behavior soon convinced him the rules would not be relaxed and he left. But not before he issued a final insult: "you people want tourists here, you're going to have to accommodate them. Even if we're on vacation, we still have business to take care of." Perhaps his name was Harry; perhaps he was married to the woman in Quebec City.

The polite Americans witnessing this outrageous, spoiled tantrum tried to make amends to the attendant but their words could not have had the impact of his insults.

Maybe it's just the supercharged, competitive nature of Americans. Maybe America is still a young nation and a few Americans have moments of adolescent tantrums. Surely there are rude and selfish people in all cultures. 

No doubt, many travelers have had the opportunity to witness people from other countries behaving poorly: an Asian man disturbing wildlife in Alaska for the sake of a photo; the Irish family allowing their children to run laps on the plane during a trans-Atlantic flight.

Maybe as young Americans experience different cultures through prolonged educational programs abroad, behavior will improve and the image will change. As companies protect their bottom line through cultural sensitivity training for employees, some of this obnoxious behavior may go away as well. Maybe in another generation or so, children will ask in wonder, "Mom, did you have to wear a Canadian pin when you traveled abroad?"

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