I’m not a Beer Guzzling Englishman
By Darren Cronian on Sunday, June 24th, 2007

Sat in the local pub last night with a group of friends, we got talking about travel, and with the Summer holiday starting to kick in we wondered what people’s opinion was of the English abroad. I admitted that I could think of two occasions where I was embarrassed to be English, but then we got on about other nationalities and how they act when they are travelling.

We aren't all Beer Guzzling Englishmen

I was amazed when one of my friends who has been backpacking around Europe, Asia and Australia, found a sign on a pub in Laguardia, Spain, saying “No English allowed” which he walked in anyway, and was told about a group of Englishmen who had trashed the pub the day earlier.

Thankfully, my friend Matt is the decent sort, and they took the sign down, but it got me thinking, about how we should be looking to improve our profile abroad, and show other nationalities that we aren’t a nation of beer guzzling drunkards [apart from when sat in the local on a Saturday night]

What do you think people’s opinion is of your nationality?


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15 responses to “I’m not a Beer Guzzling Englishman”

Kyle | 24 June, 2007 at 4:18 pm

I am American but living in England and people think we are loud and arrogant.

Rohan | 24 June, 2007 at 6:16 pm

I’m Welsh, and I think people generally get on with the Welsh people, especially outside of the UK and Ireland. The English do have a bad reputation though, but I don’t think people should make up their opinion on a nationality based on a group of individuals.

Darren Cronian | 24 June, 2007 at 6:21 pm

I have American friends and I don’t think there rude or arrogant, but I have come across American’s who have come across that way.

I’d not tarnish a nationality just because of a select few.

Lee Harrison | 24 June, 2007 at 9:58 pm

It never ceases to amaze me, the Towel on The Sunbed Culture, and who do we blame, Yes The Germans, and who are the real Culprits, Yes US BRITS.

Lee Harrison | 24 June, 2007 at 10:01 pm

Sorry to clarify above I meant to say It US Brits who are the Perpertraitors.
Way Before Dawn and Breakfast, it’s the Brits that have to leave their Towel on that all important Sunbed.!!

gje | 25 June, 2007 at 8:43 am

Darren

The only problem with your Brits is that you are used to a beer that is so light you get knocked over after two beers when you are abroad.

We Dutch are very direct and usually regarded rude by our directness, but we have better beers:-)

Karen Bryan | 25 June, 2007 at 7:29 pm

I blogged about Scots behaving badly abroad a couple of months ago:
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2007/03/21/scots-behaving-badly-abroad/

Kevin May | 25 June, 2007 at 9:38 pm

Ask restaurant and nightclub owners on the Algarve, where many English fans stayed during the Euro 2004 football tournament in Portugal.

Not good…

Debbie | 25 June, 2007 at 11:55 pm

Can you call them Fans, I would have called them Hooligans.

I have been to Paris and I found the locals extremely rude.

Karen Bryan | 26 June, 2007 at 7:53 am

I can’t understand why the French have a reputation as being rude. I’ve visited France several times, different regions ahd I’ve always found them to be very helpful,, friendly and polite but I do always attempt to speak in French (they often reply in English). and I say that I am Scottish. I’ve come across 2 parties of French tourists in Scotland this month and again they couldn’t have been more charming.

Kevin May | 26 June, 2007 at 10:32 am

let’s be realistic here: it is actually very silly to generalise about people from ANY country, based simply on anecdotes.

Alex | 26 June, 2007 at 3:15 pm

Debbie, did you make any effort to speak the language or to be helpful to them?
Try to remember how you would feel if a large number of tourists cam up to you and proudly spoke nothing but their own language and expectedyou to be obliging and charming at every turn. That is hypocritical, no? You are in THEIR turf, remember…a guest in THEIR home. And unless you spent the time to get to know any of the French people I think it is unwise and naive of you to judge them anymore than you would judge Americans based on several less-then-perfect experiences.

In general, I agree with Kevin — you cannot makes sweeping statements about the very core of a people based on limited travel time.

Debbie | 29 June, 2007 at 1:44 am

Alex,

Yes, my husband speaks fluent French.

I understand that they must deal with alot of tourists, but so does every capital city in the World. Being ignorant and rude is not a good way to treat anyone nevermind tourists visiting the city for the first time.

We recently went to Brittany, and found the locals to be polite and happy to help us

We will never go back to Paris.

Jack | 29 June, 2007 at 4:46 am

I thought (us) Americans have the bad rap for being the lossy thoughtless tourist ! But I guess in every crowd or at any moment there’s that one slip or opportunity to make fools of our selves.

Daniel | 5 August, 2007 at 12:00 pm

I have to say, that I could not agree with you in 100% regarding e for Travellers, but it’s just my opinion, which could be wrong :)

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