Ugly American

My friend Chris asked me how, as an American, I was being treated abroad. It's a valid question given the current political climate. I expected to encounter a fair amount of anti-American sentiment but I really haven't. I think that, unlike some Americans (think "Freedom Fries"), most people in other countries are able to separate U.S. citizens from U.S. foreign policy. Yes, I've seen more than one anti-Bush t-shirt, but I have yet to hear "Yankee, go home!"

Now, I'm not so naive as to think that this has NOTHING to do with the fact that I'm essentially a walking cash dispenser. Business owners in popular tourist destinations would probably happily serve lunch to someone with bubonic plague as long as he had money to spend. However, even the people I've met that aren't trying to sell me something have been, almost invariably, helpful and welcoming.

Cab drivers are another story. Cab drivers are angry, angry people. I suppose I can understand that. Imagine what kind of mood you'd be in if you spent every day commuting to work, but never got there.

Of course, while those I've met have been nice, I have certainly encountered some cultural misunderstandings. Probably the most memorable happened when I was passing through a metal detector to get into my hotel in Cairo. (There are metal detectors everywhere in Cairo.) It beeped and the guard gestured toward my belt, which I started to remove so I could try again. He said, "no, no" and waved me through (I suspect because I was obviously a tourist I didn't merit a lot of scrutiny).

I apologized and said, "sorry, at airports in the States we have to remove our belts." He looked at me and asked, with no hint of irony in his voice, "everyone, or just the Arabs?" From his facial expression I could tell it was a legitimate question. He really wanted to know. It was a little sad.

As a comforting side note, the stereotype of the Ugly American is, I think, exaggerated. I am sure there is no lack of rude American tourists in the world, but all the Americans I've met on my trip have been respectful of other cultures, well-behaved and genuinely seem curious to learn about their host country. I think when Americans travel now, they are aware both of our general lack of popularity with the rest of the planet, and that our reputation precedes us. I think as a result we try a little harder.

This is in stark contrast to tourists from other nations who seem to particularly enjoy standing in large, dense groups at the bottoms of escalators, entrances and exits to museums and will not move until you start using elbows and, often, knees. I think the worst behavior I've seen recently was the couple making out at the Holocaust Memorial in Prague.

I was just happy they weren't Americans.