American's: You better Dress Down before coming to Europe!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

On NPR this morning an international securities person was speaking on the increase of street crime in London and Paris. Saying it was worse in those two cities than in New York!:eek:

Apparently, Europeans can recognize Americans right off the bat, and if American’s want to blend in they need to do a much better job than they are currently doing.

Citing things like wearing American Sports team shirts, designer apparrel and flashy jewelry, European street thugs can pick us out like apples in a tree.

So Europeans, do Americans really stand out like a sore thumb?

Why the “Dress Down” comment? Any possible reasons for that?

Do Europeans not dress-up? I spent quite a bit of time after college in Spain, Italy, and Amsterdam, and I didn’t notice such anomalies. Granted that was in 92’.

2

Ah yes. that old gem. :rolleyes:

yes its normally easy to spot an American tourist because they do tend to dress and talk louder than your average Londonner.

But then its generally easy to spot any tourist because they will naturally look and act like someone on holiday.

3

Just curious… I posted something about this a while ago… but what do you call holidays?
and do you ever use the word vacation?
and does this makes sence?
I am going on holiday over the Holiday…

4

Don’t know about “dress down”, but my experience of a rather specific group of tourists is that they are begging to be robbed. The group I am thinking of is one of the most obvious tourist groups visible in Dublin. Retired american couples, in groups usually. They dress in lots of green for some reason, and carry expensive electronics such as video cameras very casually and openly. They keep their money in little wallets around their knecks. As I have said elsewhere, this specific group seems to think that europe (specifically Ireland in this case) is some sort of Old Country Theme Park where they are magically protected from crime. Younger tourists, and people not travelling in groups are fairly invisible, at least when they don’t “act touristy”, such stoppping in the middle of the street to gawp, or pulling out maps and cash in the middle of the street.

5

I’m American, but I don’t dress like the typical American I see on overseas trips. Of course, I’m only going to notice the ones that are … noticable, so the whole premise is flawed, I think.

My sister and I cured my mom of wearing white Reeboks on her overseas trips. She nows wears black Reeboks. :smiley:

I almost always wear all black on my European trips, because it makes packing and dressing a lot easier. All my black pants, shirts, and a couple of blazers get thrown in the suitcase. I also threw in a couple of solid color big-shirts for a little variation, and a couple of solid-color layering tees. No jewelry except for earrings, and definitely no expensive jewelry at all.

Of course, my “traveling” purse (non-leather with lots of compartments to stash crap) and my camera give me away as a tourist. But I carry very little cash, and it’s hidden in an inside pocket that’s very difficult to get to. This past trip was the first time I was almost pick-pocketed, as was my sister on a different day. We both noticed our purses had been zippered open, but there was nothing valuable to be picked. I almost caught the person trying to pick me with her hand in my bag, but I wasn’t 100% sure, or I would have slapped the shit out of her right there on the street - she was a little thing and I probably outweighed her by 60 lbs. But I didn’t actually see her hand in my bag, I only sort of vaguely felt it when I instinctively slapped at my bag.

6

Their first meeting with a heroin addict on O’Connell street usually sorts out this illusion* :wink:

*I read somewere that per capita Dublin has a heroin abuse problems that is greater than New York.

7

I never wear white athletic shoes when I travel, which is a very American thing to wear while traveling.

And I am with Porcupine, my clothes are pretty much all black, no logo anything, no flashy anything. My travel purse is quite small and I can hold it with one hand. When I’m actually site-seeing and not working, I don’t carry a purse at all.

8

True Story:

The Xmas season after 9/11:

A group of Americans singing songs in front of Notre Dame, dressed in red, white and blue, featuring “God loves the USA” caps, shirts, etc.

What were they singing? God Bless America, America the Beautiful, etc etc.

They must’ve missed the warnings to US tourists travelling abroad that they shouldn’t do anything to stand out.

I have noticed that someAmericans abroad tend to be louder and flashier with their money as well.

9

The British Use of the Word Holiday - a Hijack by Garius

“vacation” is an american thing - and sounds very, very, crude and american to our delicate ears. :wink:

we tend to use holiday to blanket everything. The particular definition can be inferred by the sentence so…

“I’m going on holiday”

holiday meaning a trip abroad etc.

“I’m taking some holiday next week so i’m going to miss the meeting.”

Holiday meaning “time off” although we might also use “time off”.

“Last weekend was the Easter Holidays”

Holiday meaning a seasonal holiday. or period of automatic time off.

You also use “holiday” (singular) in places where we’d tend to use it plural - we say “Easter Holidays” or “Summer Holidays”.

so to analyse your statement:

"I am going on holiday over the holiday"
Problem:

the second “holiday” is singular to us not plural. so the second part of the sentence doesn’t sound right - since the whole “over” thing demands a plural.

so you’d have to modify it slightly to:

"I am going on holiday over the holidays"

this would technically be right, and you’d probably get away with it. But to be honest its still a bit clumsy and confusing so chances are a Brit would probably either:

  1. use a different word for the first “holiday”

  2. clarify the second “holiday”

so we’d probably say something like:

"I am going away over the holidays"

or

"I am going on holiday over the Easter Holidays"

or even

"I am going on holiday over the Easter Break"

10

Except, garius m’dear, we do sometimes refer to ‘vacations’ or ‘vacs’ at certain schools and universities. Which are school/university holidays, between terms or semesters.

11

yeah but its not a “standard” thing - depends on the uni.

generally if the university has adopted the American “semester” then you are spot on - they also tend to have “vacations”

BUT

if they are still refering to them as “terms” (as mine did - probably because they had a large teacher education section) then they tend to come with “holidays”.

plus even then we use “vacation” in the sense of “time-off” not “going away”.

so nya :stuck_out_tongue:

:wink:

12

Do Americans stand out? Well, the ones I’m able to spot obviously do! But I’ve been surprised before, when assuming by looks alone the person was English, only to find out the accent was American as I approached. Those examples are in the minority, though.

Street crime in Amsterdam exists, but I wouldn’t call it alarming. There’s a few gangs of mainly Bulgarians that the police are trying to get a hold of, who keep getting kicked out of the country only to reappear a week later. Quite maddening, but we can’t shut down all borders for a few purse snatchers.

So, wear your “USA! USA! USA!” shirt (;)) all you want, but as always, be aware of your surroundings. And don’t dangle that expensive camera from your shoulder as you stroll along the red light district. Small camera, belt-worn zipper bag, that’s the deal. Wear a semi-long coat to cover your back pockets, and you should be fine.

13

Look, I don’t dispute that tourists in ANY country have to be on guard. That’s as true in Dublin and London as it was in my hometown of New York City. There are sensible precautions that everyone ought to take, and they’re pretty much the same precautions you ought to take anywhere.

I merely wish to point out that, even when crime was at its worst in New York City (the 1970s and early 1980s), VERY few people got attacked, beaten or robbed in broad daylight on their way to popular tourist destinations like the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty. Similarly, when my wife and I have visited Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, or St. Stephen’s Green, we haven’t cowered in fear of killers around every corner.

Crime is a problem in EVERY major city in Europe and the U.S., but the people who really have to worry about it are the people who LIVE in the poorer sections of those cities year-round. Are there rough parts of London and Dublin that I’d do well to steer clear of? Sure, just as there are in New York. But if you’re a typical tourist going to the standard tourist destinations in the daytime, there’s no reason to be paranoid. YES, keep your eyes open and watch out for bad guys (especially pickpockets). And if you had the illusion that Ireland (or any other European country) was some kind of cutesy, quaint little country with no modern problems (like drugs, pollution of violence), abandon that illusion immediately. But there’s no reason for hysteria.

There ARE good reasons to “dress down” and avoid loud clothing in Europe (for one thing, it embarrasses the rest of us Americans!), but there’s no need to be timid in most cities, in Europe or in America.

14

BTW, I’m very tempted to change the thread title to “Americans, you’d better dress up before coming to Europe!”. :smiley:

15

You’d be confused in Sweden as in Swedish “semester” means “vacation”.

16

Wearing designer labels and flashy jewellery doesn’t make you a target for being American. It makes you a target because it looks like you have money. Muggers tend to prefer people with money, as attacking tramps is a poor return on effort.

17

I’m American and hate white shoes.

So just exactly what do Europeans wear?? From what I see on the telly, they mostly look pretty much like Americans, except what I think is more sweaters.

I’m not talking about stuff like American team jerseys, hell I don’t wear those here and sure wouldn’t wear one in Europe.

Is there some hope that my black sneaker wearing, non-jersey clad self could blend in, even remotely?? Or would Wrangler jeans be a dead give away??

18

Heh. I’ve been asked (on different occasions) if I was Australian, German, or Swedish … while I was wearing white Reeboks. Apparently it doesn’t always work.

19

Coldfire - I hope I didn’t stir up any European patriotism… :slight_smile:

20

“American Sports team shirts, designer apparel and flashy jewelry” is considered “dressing up?”

[Eve lies down on her fainting couch and sniffs some smelling salts]