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.

I think, “we” should be able to board a plane with family, especially at such an early hour and expect NOT to be put through such behaviour. Some folk on here must only travel business class. Aren’t you lucky! I’ve done that for work and when I’ve done long haul for pleasure (Virgin/Emirates) I haven’t come across this. So, what some on here are saying is, if you want to travel inexpensively to Europe, expect to be sat next to a pissed up bloke, swearing at the cabin crew and singing at the top of their lungs. I guess one good thing about Brexit is, fewer louts will be able to afford to travel. Silver lining there then!

@ViciousJackdaw no, but thank you. I’m not snotty. I just know how to behave myself. I was brought up well.

@pjmask, no not at all. This is a public forum and we’re all entitled to our personal opinion. I just know that those who might find me snotty and bigoted are probably the type to behave like this themselves. I’d defy anyone with half a brain to find it endearing travelling with beer belching drunks at breakfast. If that’s you, I don’t have a problem with that. I’d just rather not, is my point.

I’m not trying to bang on about ‘Brits aren’t the only ones’ but I recently had the displeasure of sitting in First class on a domestic flight to Miami next to a man who necked drinks as quickly as he could, proceeded to play music on his phone at full volume, dance around in his seat, then pass out snoring so I was penned in at the window (I should have had the aisle but he boarded first and stole my seat). Some people are just inconsiderate twats who don’t know how to behave in public. Just like it’s not fair to say it’s a British thing, I don’t think it’s accurate to imply it’s a low cost / class thing either. As a PP reminded me up thread, the worst behaviour I’ve ever seen from my fellow Brits abroad has been aboard the ski train which is not exactly a cheap holiday.

Oh stop Op. you’re embarrassing yourself

Try a weekend flight to Ibiza! We had exactly the same, big bunch of "lads" in their 30s to 40s, steaming drunk before they got on the plane. One lurched onto the plane and straight into the loo where he proceeded to pee all over the seat and the floor (I was waiting to go in but decided to hold it). For the whole flight I put my earphones in with music turned up to drown them out, and one actually got arrested on arrival for causing trouble on board. Disgusting pigs.

I blame Tony Blair for trying to introduce a cafe culture of coffee outside cafes with a small brandy to wash it down. He extended the drinking hours from 7-11pm, I think it was.
Booze in supermarkets - as if it's just another commodity we need like bread or milk.
Booze for sale in airports, must be a special rule for them that let''s people drink before 10.
I'm sure the gov makes so much tax from the horrendous amount that's drunk in the uk that they let it run.
Imagine how little work there would be for police if drinking was banned. Our local paper would have several empty pages.
Strict booze laws are needed.

Fatshedra alcohol is sold in supermarkets in many countries, brandy coffees are popular elsewhere etc. Also in some Scandinavian countries where excessive drinking is as massive public health problem the sale of alcohol is hugely restricted. It's not a problem of availability but of attitudes and expectations.

Scene: women fighting, middle-aged men bellowing, terrorising people in public transport, pushing, falling over, damaging public property, being sick. Some get home and fall asleep with their head on the toilet seat or pass out in the hall and soil themselves (read it many times on MN); some will have falls and have serious injuries, spending the next couple of weeks in hospital (know this from RL).

Attitude 1: it was a great night, we had a good laugh, let's do it again. Feats of the night are retold and found hilarious by the audience and as "what one does for fun".

Attitude 2: unacceptable, disgusting, scary, police are called, fines are issued; the people involved never mention it.

Many people, Brits or otherwise, are very scared of flying and drink to excess believing it will make the journey more tolerable. Which it may do. For them but not their fellow passengers.

Not really fatshedra, the younger generation now drink a lot less (which I think makes it a Success, no one expects instant cafe culture surely?) so its only us generation of boozers and above left to die out head first in a glass of vino collapso.

You blameTony Blair? I blame the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings, we've been boozing like them since they brought us the first foaming tankard.

Just been to rome and the brits definitely were not the worst!

I arrived in Palma airport in the summer with my partner and our children. A group of young men were behind us in tracksuits football shirts singing badly, clearly drunk but not being awful. Just loud and lairy. My partner and I muttered something about no wonder we have such a bad image abroad. Then we realised they were German . I don't think its exclusive to British but perhaps we are the worst offenders?
I hate the drinking culture anywhere. Home or away.

I was on a flight back from Europe and a group of lads were in ruby shirts were. All filthy, drunk and stank. The lad next to me vomited over himself most of the flight. I was revolting and he was too drunk to move

Honestly it puts me off flying and I wish alcohol was not sold at the airport or onboard. People complain about babies crying, but it’s drunk adults who are the problem.