Brits on holiday abroad - perceptions of us

Do you really think we're short on resources compared to other countries? We're one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

I think we've maybe culturally come to accept it but I don't think there is a resource problem at all.

Holy crap, KN, I didn't say my parents do that. I said a friend of theirs did that. In fact they have several friends who can get loud and boozy at the drop of a 50+ hat, and whose behaviour abroad is akin to the bloke on Shirley Valentine. But my parents? My Dad is bilingual and they both behave impeccably. Puh-lease!

But surely this whole thread proves you wrong? Most people don't behave like that, most people don't think it's acceptable to behave like that. The story that inspired the thread was about how well British tourists are seen across the world, not how badly (second only to the Japanes, woo! ?)

Sorry to be a bit brusque but I really can't stand all this Daily Mailish hell-in-a-handcart stuff. I lived abroad for the last two years and saw plenty of bad behaviour from many different nationalities. I've lived in London for much of my life and rarely see the sort of thing you're talking about. Maybe it's different in the provinces but even so the "vast majority" of people don't behave as you describe.

Having said that, I agree with Hyacinth that acting badly when drunk is quite a northern European thing (although young Americans on holiday in Mexico give us a run for our money ?) . I also detest the idea of holiday companies deliberately setting up opportunities for tourists to act like louts.

My sister is a police woman, and I know her force is massively overstretched, relying on CCTV for what is best handled by officers.

Over here we have 17 police officers, 6 cars, one van, 2 4x4s and an animal control unit to police 9 square miles of town (6 of which are forest) and a population of about 8,000 people. If a dog barks excessively on my street, the police will send someone out within 8 minutes.

I'd say the UK is short on resources. Probably plenty of other countries are too though.

Oops, sorry Stelly- I couldn't see your thread when I posted and must have misremembered. Shall edit at once.

I think that's true..... And it isn't.

Loutish behaviour in many European countries will get you your head cracked without much legal recourse. On the other hand... I think many are more tolerant of (occasionally noisy, very occasionally disruptive) "fun". Try closing down a street in the UK for a quick game of petanque of a Friday evening....

I always find it hard to believe that Hitched views are representative of the population at large. Most Hitchers are well educated, thick-skinned, intelligent people who know enough about the world at large to get on the internet and fritter hours away chatting online to strangers.

I don't like people bashing on about how the UK is going downhill either. I'd move back any day if my H would agree.

But there are issues, and I see them as issues across the UK with the entire ethos of being British, rather than simply the behaviour when on holiday. But that's not to say other nationalities are better tourists. I find Americans quite embarassing when abroad. Particularly when I've seen them in England, wincing at the food. Their youth behave badly when exposed to alcohol, but fortunately most vacation only in the US or Mexico so the rest of the world is less exposed to their childish antics...?

Do you think the effect of making drinking illegal until 21 is positive or negative, Stelly?

Has always seemed to me that drunk people behave worse in countries that make a big deal of drinking (eg the US and northern Europe), as if alcohol is this incredibly dangerous thing that's going to have a huge effect on you. This then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy- people expect alcohol to make them go crazy and so they do. In countries where the attitude to booze is more relaxed (eg southern Europe) people drink just as much but don't act like louts.

I have a feeling that the rest of Europe is catching up with us with the loutish/lager lout behaviour.

I think the drinking to excess culture is a bit out of hand here, but overall the majority drink a lot but don't become ridiculously stupid in the process. Its only the larger-than-it-should-be minority that make it look dreadful.

I think, if I was going to get hammered, I would rather do it in a nice sunny place, where I can sit out at night by a beach, and not have to go to work in the morning, rather than a dingy pub in wet manchester... which is probably why people do it.

Then because they are probably dehydrated, tired, over-excited and without responsibility they probably over do it and get leery.

I'm not defending brits abroad behaviour, but I do think it is easy to see why it happens.

I've been to Albufeira recently, which was excellent. There was one road of (IMHO) sh1tty pubs, which we avoided, but I am sure there were plenty who went there of a night. It gave us the rest of the time, while they were recovering to enjoy the town.

Apparently even Ibiza has some wonderful peaceful places. The rowdy resorts are often only small.

Cheapy packages are not my scene at all, but I think its obvious why they are so popular.

I'm not stelly (obv) but am EXTREMELY against the 21 legal age. College kids in the US seem to act like 14 years olds in the UK. Its utterly pathetic. 21? You could be married, children, a homeowner, the proud owner of a professional qualification, a driver , a voter, (and none of these things are unrealistic for a 21 yr old) and not allowed to have a glass of beer?

Oooo I'll be on a rant soon. Thats truly is one of the most ridiculous attitudes to booze i've come across and only exasberates the cringeworthy spring break typr behaviour from people far, far too old to be acting like that.

As an aside, that TV programme mentioned in the OP was called the tourist trap and if I recall correctly the Germans were shown to be the worst in regards to behaviour - queue jumping, excessive drinking, rudeness to staff etc. It was a fascinating show which I would love to see again now I have travelled a bit more myself.

I'm on holiday in South Devon at the moment, and I really take exception to "all Brits are louts" kind of comments. Where we're staying has been exclusively British (although I have heard a few French voices, to be fair), and the behaviour has been wonderful - strangers saying hello to each other in the street as they pass, the ultimate in manners, children playing together. I've witnessed no vomiting in streets (despite there being a large proportion of teenagers who appear to have recently finished A levels or on Uni hols), no drinking until there is dropping of trousers (I've NEVER witnessed anything like that of ANYONE I know), and definitely no shagging in alleyways.

It is a minority of Brits who behave badly, but that behaviour is what will be remembered. It is also how I feel about "ugly Americans" - the few that are brash and ignorant - every American I've met (and having lived there for the first 10 years of my life, and having family there still, I've met one or two) has been sensitive and intelligent, and very interested to hear about other cultures. You can't tar a whole country with the same brush.

Carrie, you're in South Devon. It's hardly downtown San Antonio on a Friday night ?.

British tourists I meet over here tend to be polite, middle-class couples. Then again, Vancouver isn't really a vomit-in-the-streets kind of destination. ?

Yeah, I think 21 drinking age is part of the problem. But because so many kids/teens need to drive, if you mix suddenly being able to drink with suddenly being a new driver, it would be disastrous.