The British Abroad

[MissKittyBeaudelais]

Now, before I get flamed, I KNOW this behaviour isn’t indicative of all Brits and travellers from other countries also make merry when travelling for fun, however....

I was on an early flight to Lisbon this morning. There were some men travelling for the football on Thursday and as were were boarding, they were behind us in the queue. They were ranging in ages.... mid 20’s to 50’s. The beer fumes were stifling. Singling and swearing. They were allowed on but were spoken to sternly by the cabin crew even before takeoff. It was a very long 2hr 55min flight 🙄

WHY are we like this? Last time we had a short break it was a load of pissed up girls on a weekend to Spain. We really are the embarrassment of Europe. Just my opinion.

“Sweary” not sweaty 😊

They were Rangers fans (they play Porto). Many of whom sing nasty sectarian songs about 'Fenians' and make the DUP seem nice people

They should have been arrested when they landed for singing sectarians songs, just as others would have been if they sang racist songs. (Better they had never been allowed to fly though, and been stopped shipping their vile sectarianism across the globe).

My cousin works in a bar in Cracow, Poland.

She said she's never experienced as much sexual harrassment as she did from the British on stag dos. "Lots of nationalities come here", she said, "but British men are by far the worst. "

Those who think that this is an exclusively British problem really need to travel more, obviously if you're flying out of a UK airport it's going to be Britons but try flying out of some Eastern European countries, that can be a truly vile experience. What happened during the Bulgaria football match is very common.

Well Rangers fans arnt usually English are they

No other nations football fans are ever like you describe so I think YANBU, it must be that all British people behave this way.
@donquixotedelamancha
Have you ever seen how Russian fans behave? They put even the worst British hooligans in the shade.

I’m not British but I can’t say I had many unpleasant encounters with British tourists in my country or when traveling. In my experience most of them might like to drink a bit too much but are friendly and polite.

I did have negative experiences with the Russians and French can be annoying too. And the Germans think they can adress anyone in any country in their native language and that they will get a reply in German , rather annoying chauvinist attitude in my opinion.

I’ve been on 2 domestic flights in the US this year where the police have had to remove drunk passengers before take off. I’ve never once seen this happen in the UK/mainland Europe.

The only reason you don't see the Dutch behaving like this is because they prefer to stay at home and knife each other on campsites instead. It's just as bad.

I think its very dependant on where you're going too.

So out of a plane of what, 180 people, a small group of men were acting like muppets? That isn't representative of the entire British population.

The worst drunken behaviour I've ever seen on holiday was from a group of Russians. They got sloshed on the AI alcohol during the day and were escorted to their rooms by security by mid-afternoon, shouting, swearing and drunkenly toppling into the pools because they couldn't walk straight.

It's related to social class. Probably about 90 per cent of people who behave like this on a plane - and who are usually on a short-haul flight - are lower working or benefit class.

Long-haul flights attract a better class of tourist, plus business people.

Sometimes I wish that air travel had remained a luxury.

And the Germans think they can adress anyone in any country in their native language and that they will get a reply in German

What? I don't know any other country where the population are so proficient and confident in English abroad, I work with 6 Germans in my office alone. I have genuinely never been spoken to by anyone German in anything other than English, and that includes while being in Berlin and Munich. Confused by this comment!

I wish airports would deal with these obnoxious drunks by not letting them on the flight in the first place.
As usual decent people have to suffer their awful language and behaviour, and on a plane it must be very intimidating.

@Pukkatea

My experience is different then yours.
Why is that confusing?

YABU OP.

You think that because you are writing on a British website about your own (?) culture that you can get away with posting what would almost certainly be deleted if the group was a group of Indians or Chinese or Poles.

Maybe widen your horizons, travel to a different destination, go upmarket, (or downmarket), and you will see that bad behaviour is often subjective and depends on a lot of factors, (including specific circumstances) and that good and bad happens among all peoples.

I am ashamed of many aspects associated with people in our country.
I have been away from England for a while, I lived abroad for many years, I came back and I was totally shocked.

Many people that I have met in England are:
Rude
Arrogant
Nasty
No consideration or compassion for anyone
Think that they are superior to all other races. We are known for being like this all over Europe too. I have worked in many international schools around Europe, and he worst teachers by far have ALWAYS been English. They were cruel, nasty and bullying the teachers from other countries.

We really need to grow up, and learn to be conpassionate and kind. And that we are not better than anyone else

I was thinking about moving back here. I have been here for two months, and I am thinking of changing my mind.

@Wheat2Harvest there is no "class".

People have social mobility.

The problem is that in this country we think that getting drunk is funny and people who don’t drink are boring. I was in a large shopping centre today and there was a huge display of glass mats for glasses but around 80% were making some joke about being drunk. Also, think of all the words we have for drunk - they are all “ amusing” and calling people a piss head or similar isn’t seen as an insult
I was discussing this with a Spanish friend a while ago and she said that the words in her language for being drunk would always been seen as very rude

Lazy generalisations based on minorities imo. I've seen the same from other nations.

Perhaps we don't always notice as much because we don't know what they're saying?. Or maybe you're picking the wrong destinations op?

one thing that English have a lot worst than others, is the impression that the world belongs to them and that they are superior. The rude attitude usually follows.

The refusal to adapt or even consider other cultures, the arrogance is definitively a British thing. Other culture will bring some food with them, but not to the extend the Brits too, who can't imagine travelling without their tea bag.

The behaviour of a certain category of the population is also generally atrocious. Say what you want, but there isn't as many articles from the foreign press about drinking nights and barely dress women lying in the street drunk whilst the men are fighting.
Not many countries can pride themselves of these photos of "ladies" at the race track either...

So of course YANBU

Loads of countries do this. I find the Dutch particularly partial to a holiday piss up, more so than brits

How can we change the attitude in England of 3

"We are superior to everyone else".

Because when you think about it, it is an incredibly immature way to be acting, and it is making us very unpopular around the world.

I have travelled so much: and everywhere I go, people tell me that the worst people that they meet : are English. I have met people reay shocked and upset, crying to me about how English people have treated them.

Even me: the worst people that I have met abroad are by far English.

I remember a horrible English old man, being really inappropriate and rude with me at a hotel. He told Me that had just come from a hotel, where the hotel staff had to change the sheets because two gay men had left poo on the sheets. He then said how he hated bringing his little shit of a grandaughter away with him.

You really couldn't make up the rudeness and nastiness of some English people.

We really need to change

“Lazy generalisations based on minorities imo. I've seen the same from other nations.

Perhaps we don't always notice as much because we don't know what they're saying?. Or maybe you're picking the wrong destinations op?”

I think people don’t notice other nationalities because they’re inward looking and not particularly open minded - always looking for the fellow Brit to criticise

@ThatMuppetShow yes I see alot of English people that tink they are superior,"!

Isn't it a strange way to be acting.

How can anyone be worth more than anyone else.

It is so weird