Pretty much every tourist knows that they’re in for an amazing experience if they just give themselves over to the place they’re visiting. Some people, though, act more entitled when they’re abroad and expect everyone else to cater to their needs, which can be exhausting.
This is what a woman experienced while working at a Norwegian cinema, when an entitled American tourist came along and demanded that all the workers speak English. Unfortunately, she took this behavior too far, leading to unpleasant experiences for everyone involved.
Some people truly believe that the world revolves around them and expect everyone else to cater to every one of their needs
The poster shared that she worked as a cinema technician and that one day an American lady came with her kids and got angry about the movies being dubbed
The tourist family waited an hour to see an English movie, but the entitled mom got mad when one of the movie theatre workers spoke to her in Norwegian
The lady demanded to speak to a manager and was flabbergasted upon learning that the Norwegian-speaking man was actually the only one in charge there
The rude woman later came and demanded a full refund as the movie had subtitles that were covering a bit of the screen, but the cinema refused to give her back anything
Americans often get a bad rep when they travel abroad, because some of them don’t take any steps to follow the cultural rules and traditions of the place they’re going to. USA Today also mentions that such people seem to believe assertiveness is an important quality, which is why they might be a bit more demanding and forceful even in places where this kind of behavior isn't considered right.
This idea among some Americans that they are the center of the world may also explain their entitled, rude behavior. So, instead of accepting new ways of behaving, they might struggle to adapt and, in turn, be considered a bad tourist by the people of that country.
When people travel to new places, they might commit a faux pas without even realizing it
Most foreigners are respectful when they visit a new place because they know that every culture is different and should be respected equally. Unfortunately, some travelers aren’t like that and instead expect everyone around the world to speak English or go out of their way to wait on them hand and foot.
Lily Ann Fouts, an expert traveler, explains that she, too, has made mistakes as a tourist, and one of the most common is losing your cool. With communication gaps, misunderstandings are bound to happen, and Lily explains that in those moments it’s important to be patient with the person in front of you, rather than getting mad over the slightest thing.
The key to being a good traveler isn’t to just blend in; according to the CAE, it’s to immerse yourself in the other culture by trying different experiences and even learning a bit of the language. This can help you have a more authentic experience, understand people better, or even make friends.
Another awesome benefit of speaking a bit of the local dialect is that it can protect you in tense situations or help you out in emergencies. If people see that you are making an effort to learn their language, they might be more welcoming and even show you around.
Even though English might be spoken in many places around the world, folks often feel more comfortable talking in their local dialect
In Norway, nearly 90% of the population speaks English, but it’s treated as a second language. They also prefer to speak Norwegian because it is part of their culture, but they might use a few English words and phrases depending on their comfort level and confidence.
In this story, the entitled mom expected an older Norwegian man not to speak in his natural dialect and instead cater to her needs. When he couldn’t, she lost her mind and tried to get a refund for her overall experience, since even the dubbing and subtitles weren’t to her liking.
How would you have dealt with a rude American tourist like this? We’d love to hear your opinions and stories about horrible travelers, if any.
People were shocked by the “Karen’s” reaction and felt that her behavior was the epitome of why all Americans got a bad reputation
One commenter shared a similar personal anecdote about their experience hearing an American explain pizza-making to a worker in Italy
The original poster responded to people’s comments and clarified that not all American visitors were like the entitled woman, and that many were very pleasant customers
