Do you ever despair at the apparent lack of regard for the "social contract" by so many?
In this case, I'm referring to the notion that we all make minor sacrifices in our daily interactions in service of a "greater good" for everyone.
"Following the rules" would be a simplified version of what I'm talking about, I suppose. But also keeping an awareness/attitude about "How will my choices affect the people around me in this moment? "Common courtesy", "situational awareness", etc...
I don't know that it's a "new" phenomenon by any means, I just seem to have an increasing (subjective) awareness of it's decline of late.
You are viewing a single comment
I'm visiting Niagara Falls, which is a tourist area obviously, and you can tell who the Americans are because they're happy to shove you out of the way to get a better look. Also, last night, an already loud motorcycle was driving down the road with its music blasting so loud, I thought I was in the Hard Rock Cafe down the street. Of course, American plate.
I'm despair at the lack of regard for the social contract for my own people in specific. I go out of my way to not annoy people.
In Iceland there are plenty of awful non-American tourists too. In Canada and Alaska I encountered bad Canadian tourists. It sounds like you just don't like Americans.
Yeah I travel a lot and I'm grateful to the British and Chinese tourists who seem to have overtaken americans in terms of shitty tourists. Most of the locals I meet say most of the Americans they meet are kind of annoying because we are loud and overly talkative and friendly, but in a puppy dog sort of way, not in a rude way.
I will definitely admit to speaking loudly (even other Americans say I'm loud) and being super talkative. I can see how being loud might be annoying, but it seems like the local population of Iceland has a pretty good solution for dealing with overly talkative Americans which is to just not engage by being polite and respectful but very curt.