A Dumb American in an Irish Ice Cream Parlor

[G-Radical]

I am an American but sometimes I am embarrassed to admit it, here is an example of why. . .

Whilst visiting the beautiful Ireland country I stopped in an ice cream shop with some friends. (Sidenote: best ice cream I ever had!!!)

So anyway, after chatting it up with the employees my friends and I sit down to enjoy our treats. Now, I am not a nosy person I just have very acute hearing so I am really good at following several different convos at once. My back was to the counter where another American has come in to purchase ice cream. An elderly fellow. This is what I hear at first

Em: Ice Cream Employee
Em2: Ice Cream Employee #2
SC: dumbass American

Em: We only deal in Euros
SC: Take it
Em: We don't know the conversion rate
SC: It's ok, take it.
EM: Sir, we can't accept that

I look over at this point and the man is trying to give them a $10 American bill.
He mumbled something about that they could keep it, blah blah blah.

EM2: *just to get rid of him* just take it. I am going to the bank later anyway.

I wanted to rip his head off!!! The arrogant mutha frucker!!! You don't just wander into another culture and expect them to treat you different/special/whatever cause you are an American? Your money is not good there!!!

My biggest pet peeve is when other people are disrespectful to other cultures. Get off your high horse and convert your own damn money before you start shoving it in people's faces.

I forget what the conversion rate is but he was paying for a 5 Euro ice cream with 10 bucks so i don't think he short changed them, just gave them extra work to do.

[Teskeria]

At the time of my posting:

10.00 USD = 6.81702 EUR

Hopefully their bank doesn't charge a high fee for conversion.

[tropicsgoddess]

Idiots like that old codger give American tourists a bad name.

[chainedbarista]

idiots like that old codger give us a bad name back home, too.

[wagegoth]

The U.S. is the Land of the Whiner, the Home of the Entitlement Whore, filled as far as the eye can see with Extra-speshul liddle snowflakes.

And sometimes they travel. Sorry, world.

[Pagan]

Get off your high horse and convert your own damn money before you start shoving it in people's faces.

Jet-lagged as we were, changing some money was the first thing we did before even leaving the airport when we got into Edinburgh! Well, after clearing passports and getting our luggage....

[Boozy]

The U.S. is the Land of the Whiner, the Home of the Entitlement Whore, filled as far as the eye can see with Extra-speshul liddle snowflakes.

There are people like that in every country on earth. Case in point: We have members here from all over the UK, Canada, South Africa, and France, just to name a few. And every single one of us has a story or two about an entitlement whore. Please don't turn this into a thread about all American tourists being awful. Some are, some aren't -- like the people of any country.

[wagegoth]

There are people like that in every country on earth. Case in point: We have members here from all over the UK, Canada, South Africa, and France, just to name a few. And every single one of us has a story or two about an entitlement whore. Please don't turn this into a thread about all American tourists being awful. Some are, some aren't -- like the people of any country.

I'm American. I've got ancestors who fought in the Revolution. I'm don't want to end up in Fratching, but honestly every day the number of EWs I see just seems to increase. Yes, they are every race, age, sexual orientation, native, immigrant, etc. there is, but there is a culture in the U.S. that's arisen here that seems to make people believe they have the right to be assholes, just because they feel like it.

[Boozy]

I think you misunderstood what I was asking, so I'll try again and make it crystal clear:

Please do not turn this into a thread about American tourists behaving badly. That line of discussion is to be dropped immediately. This is a direct instruction from the moderating team.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Attempting to get back on topic here--I've only been out of the U.S. twice, and both times I was in Canada, and we always made sure to get our money changed over to Canadian dollars very shortly after we crossed the border.

It ought to be common sense that when you leave the U.S., you'll be required to transact business in the new country in their currency.

[MrSmiley]

Attempting to get back on topic here--I've only been out of the U.S. twice, and both times I was in Canada, and we always made sure to get our money changed over to Canadian dollars very shortly after we crossed the border.

Many canadian businesses will take American money, though many only at par. And usually only when they can make around 10-15 cents on each dollar through the exchange rate, though of course this varies. The times when canadian money is worth MORE than the US Dollar, well then this policy gets repealed. (The last time was Autumn 2007).

Where I work, the registers actually have a conversion rate tool built in and a whole system setup to charge american money for canadian items.... and nobody ever uses it, because the bosses have decreed we'll only offer at-par.

[Broomjockey]

Where I work, the registers actually have a conversion rate tool built in and a whole system setup to charge american money for canadian items.... and nobody ever uses it, because the bosses have decreed we'll only offer at-par.

We actually did offer a rate, though of course slanted in our favour at the added charge the bank tossed at us. Then again, at one place, we were a fairly major tourist stop (why tourists go to see a movie, I dunno), and the other, we were connected to a hotel which was near the Greyhound station, and the airport shuttle dropped off cheap.

[Luna Baby]

When we traveled to Canada, we obviously did some exchange at the airport but not all of our money. We would dine out and the servers would always bring our bill with 2 different charges-one in Canadian dollars and one in U.S. dollars. That helped out if we ate at a more expensive place and didn't have enough Can. on us at the time.

[chainedbarista]

definitely, as the old adage states,"when in rome...," it also applies to payment method in LOCAL currency.

[PepperElf]

when i was in europe on the ship, they gave us nice conversion charts to use for quick reference
and we always went to the ATMs

though for us it was a bit easier since we were hitting a lot of european countries, we could save the leftover euros for other ports.

i did that when i came back from a tour... i didn't have $50 worth of euros so i couldn't exchange them at the bank so i saved them for the next deployement.