80 Ridiculous Times Americans Proved They Had No Idea How It All Works Outside America

Not a question, could be formulated as one though, but couple of lads looked at me like i was crazy when i proposed we take a 15-20min walk from my place to a pub in city centre for couple of pints.

Not in Europe, but French Canada, so close enough.

This was around the time the US was ramping up to go to Iraq in the early 2000s.

I had one American exchange student who was absolutely convinced that:

-Gaza was in Pakistan
-Iraq is close to Brazil
-Egyptians didn’t speak Arabic.

I'm Canadian.

I had an *active U.S. diplomat* ask if the capital of Canada is Toronto. At least we weren't in Canada.

A person heard me and my mom speak and asked where we were from. Answered "Portugal". And without hesitation "is that like Germany, or China?". Yes. Sure. Couldn't be more similar.

I was asked by someone in NC if we could see the moon from England.

"Which one came first?" To a tour guide talking about King Frederick the 2nd and King Frederick the 3rd.

I was driving on the south coast of Iceland with some tourists and a lady asked if we really allowed all the water to run to the ocean and why we actually allow that to happen.

She thought we where very wastefull of our water....

I’ve had two good ones recently.

‘What language were you just speaking?’. English. I was speaking English the same as them.

‘So if Ireland is in the EU, I can just take the Euro Tunnel there instead of the ship, right?’ After explaining that Ireland and NI were different and I wasn’t sure if they’d need a visa to get to Ireland but would most definitely need a passport.

I'm from New Zealand and have been asked what we do to stop inbreeding given our small population. (For the record, we have 5 million people...). Have also been asked by an American if I have electricity in my home, and whether it's possible to drive to New Zealand from the US.

I'm Finnish and an American man asked me what I was willing to do for US greencard.

One time a customer asked me where she can buy authentic Olive Oil from the region. Like she did when she visited Italy.

We were in Frankfurt, Germany.

"Are you third world country, because you dont have air condition in houses?"


We have just cold climate and we dont need to install AC for 2000$ just for few hot days in year.

I used to work at a 5 star hotel in Amsterdam and had an American say, 'is the water safe to drink?' I said it was. He then followed up with, 'no, I mean, is it safe to drink for Americans?'...

I live in Ireland. I had an American ask me (during Brexit), so you’re finally going to get your independence, huh ?

Hitchhiking in Vermont in the 1970s and got a lift from a local pastor. Told him I was from Scotland and he asked if I had hitchhiked all the way.
Er, no. The Atlantic Ocean gets in the way.

Online someone from the US claiming that Amsterdam was a country in Europe, and The Netherlands was just some kind of amusement park. When I told him Amsterdam is a city in The Netherlands and that I live in another city in the same country, his response was 'yeah, in the country of Amsterdam, right?'...

Back in 1998 - a man in his 40's, well heeled, introduced me to his wife adding: "he's from Poland, they basicly destroyed Armenia in 19th century".
Another man, same year, quite seriously asked if our communist government allows us to get color tv's...in 1998...🫩
Some super smart and kind folks I met there while on J1...but a 100 morons for each single one sadly.

I'm American but have traveled extensively. Just retired. Part of retiring was doing a European trip. Picked up a Porsche because I've always wanted one.

My old boss ask what happens when I bring the car back to America. I ask what he means. He ask how I was going to drive a right hand drive car in the US. His idea of international travel is Hawaii.

Whilst in the States? No, not that I can remember. However I did overhear an American tourist exclaim why did they build Windsor Castle right under the Heathrow flight path.

Not a question but a statement... During my first week in the US, I was at Walmart at the register in front of the cashier while she was scanning items and there was this grandpa on the electric scooter struggling barely able to get the items from the basket in front of the scooter to the conveyor belt. I said "here you go" while attempting to aid him and he goes with a really loud grumpy voice "YOU'RE WEIRD"... I didn't try to overstep or be annoyingly helpful (I'm very self aware some people don't want help). In Europe that would never be a problem or at least they'd just say no thanks in a serious manner... Lesson learned I guess.