Annoying Things Thais Do Around Town

[sbk]

Funnily enough, my Thai husband feels that manners to the elderly have degraded quite significantly since he was young(er). I have noticed that on the few occasions I am on the skytrain in Bangkok almost nobody will give up their seat, doesn't matter if the person is elderly, pregnant or with a small infant. Many is the time I or my husband have given up a seat after watching no one else on the train do so.

As for the cell phone thing, well, my husband is a bit hard of hearing and looks at his phone to make sure it really is his phone ringing. Especially since everyone seems to have one!

No, the most annoying habit I find is the littering. Doesn't seem to matter how beautiful the surroundings, you will always find trash.

[Wanderer]

"Annoying Things Thais Do Around Town..."

The habit of digging in one's nose up to the second knuckle in public - totally oblivious to all around.

Never have quite gotten used to that one!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

when i first met my gf/wife i asked her about this practise a nd she said it wasn't a problem, i was recently ridiculed at work trying to capture a boogie about 2 inches up my nose but on the other hand I was in the mess picking my teeth with the toothpick covered with my left hand and a stranger across the table asked me if i spent alot of time in thailand, also on another plus side road rage id pretty non-existant considering the antics you see

[haha]

All true, especially what the knowledgeable Professor stated -- but we can't do a ###### thing about any of it -- the bigger picture?  yeah, all these complaints, and it still is the best place to live, bar none.   Place the focus there amigos. 

Want to go back to England and have your soul just say "&lt;deleted&gt;  it?"

Or back to the States and crawl on the San Diego  freeway in total misery and ask yourself frequently, "what the ###### am I doing here in this slow-death purgatory?"

God do I love it so!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Harmonica, couldn't agree more. Wouldn't live anywhere else on the planet. Don't understand these guys. Do they believe Thai's actually read this farang thread and are going to "shape up" because a few whiney foreigners say they should? If I do recall, we had our share of pollution, filth, crime, etc. back in the good ole USofA. And if some foreign d**khead were to come over to the US and complain about our way of life, I certainly would tell him to go the heck back to where he came from (after telling him to go piss up a rope). So it wouldn't surprise me if the average Thai would respond in pretty much the same way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting quote,have the USofA signed up to the Kyoto Protocol yet ? Or are they still pissed that some foreign d**kheads (i.e. the international community) are trying to do something about climate change.I understand your point veiw, because America never went over somewhere and complained aout how others did things did they ?

We are allowed an opinion ,sometimes we may simply be raging against the machine , however just because it's not our country doesn't mean we have to agree with all that happens.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

my 2 cents....

it is impolite for "guests" to complain when they are staying in someone else's home.

imagine for one moment the following scenario...

..you invite someone over to your house for dinner. as soon as he/she enters your house, they start complaining about the way the furniture is arranged, how messy it is, or maybe you didn't serve meat for dinner. etc.

what would you do?

frankly, I would kick the person out of my house. ..wouldn't you?

people who complain too much are not sensitive to other people's feelings. they are usually not aware of the pain and hurt they cause other people because of their critical remarks.

thai people have feelings just like everybody else.

here they are... they invite you into their home, and then, you complain about everything????

entitled to your opinion? if you are a guest in my home... no, you are not.

this applies to the in-laws, the kids, and anyone else who is a "guest" in my house.

if you want to express your opinion while in my house, you better have the same opinion as me. otherwise, I'm going to walk you to the door. and tell you where you can "take your opinion". comprendi?

if you are in thailand on a visa, you are a guest. remember that. or else, you may not be welcome anymore.

[sbk]

Thanks for reminding me that after 16 years of living in Thailand I am only a guest with no right to an opinion.

Give me a break. I get so sick of this "if you don't like it go home" or "you are just a guest in this country" attitude it makes me feel ill. I am a human being with the right to my own opinion. And you know what? By sharing it with Thai people I know (like littering is wrong) I may change a few attitudes. Certainly everyone in my husband's immediate family is alot cleaner and more aware of their rubbish since learning about pollution. My sister-in-law no longer dumps her rubbish in the khlong next to her house because I spoke up and talked to her about how dirty it was, how it breeds disease. Are you suggesting this is wrong?

[igotworms]

my 2 cents....

it is impolite for "guests" to complain when they are staying in someone else's home.

imagine for one moment the following scenario...

..you invite someone over to your house for dinner.  as soon as he/she enters your house, they start complaining about the way the furniture is arranged, how messy it is, or maybe you didn't serve meat for dinner.  etc.

what would you do?

frankly, I would kick the person out of my house.  ..wouldn't you?

people who complain too much are not sensitive to other people's feelings.  they are usually not aware of the pain and hurt they cause other people because of their critical remarks.

thai people have feelings just like everybody else.

here they are...  they invite you into their home, and then, you complain about everything????

entitled to your opinion?  if you are a guest in my home...  no, you are not.

this applies to the in-laws, the kids, and anyone else who is a "guest" in my house.

if you want to express your opinion while in my house, you better have the same opinion as me. otherwise, I'm going to walk you to the door.  and tell you where you can "take your opinion".  comprendi?

if you are in thailand on a visa, you are a guest.  remember that.  or else, you may not be welcome anymore.

Brilliant analogy. Lets try another one.

Say you are invited into someones home for dinner. While looking for the bathroom, you take a wrong turn and come upon a room that has:

a) kidnapped children locked in a closet

b. an anthrax lab

c) a group of highly trained midget assasins

d) a crack-cocaine lab

e) a collection of hazerdous waste or nuclear material

f) two surgically altered chimpanzees and a horse

As a guest would you complain to the authorities about these illegal activities or would you mind your own business and leave the host to his savage habits?

Edited January 16, 2005 by igotworms

[cdnvic]

Say you are invited into someones home for dinner.  While looking for the bathroom, you take a wrong turn and come upon a room that has:

a) kidnapped children locked in a closet

b. an anthrax lab

c) a group of highly trained midget assasins

d) a crack-cocaine lab

e) a collection of hazerdous waste or nuclear material

f) two surgically altered chimpanzees and a horse

As a guest would you complain to the authorities about these illegal activities or would you mind your own business and leave the host to his savage habits?

Dude.... you really need new friends.....

cv

[Pablo H]

Cannot understand why people always try to rush the doors of the skytrain when there are people trying to get off, is it not common sense to wait for people to get off first? I would have thought so.

I also notice that many men have hardly any consideration for the women, guys will not hold doors open when the enter a place, I have seen guys out with their girlfriends/wifes enter a shop and then let the door slam behind them into the womans face, very sad. This of course is not just restricted to Thailand.

Some people look surprised when I spend that extra second or two holding a door open for them (men & women), but to me its just basic manners.

[jackr]

All true, especially what the knowledgeable Professor stated -- but we can't do a ###### thing about any of it -- the bigger picture?  yeah, all these complaints, and it still is the best place to live, bar none.   Place the focus there amigos. 

Want to go back to England and have your soul just say "&lt;deleted&gt;  it?"

Or back to the States and crawl on the San Diego  freeway in total misery and ask yourself frequently, "what the ###### am I doing here in this slow-death purgatory?"

God do I love it so!

Harmonica, couldn't agree more. Wouldn't live anywhere else on the planet. Don't understand these guys. Do they believe Thai's actually read this farang thread and are going to "shape up" because a few whiney foreigners say they should? If I do recall, we had our share of pollution, filth, crime, etc. back in the good ole USofA. And if some foreign d**khead were to come over to the US and complain about our way of life, I certainly would tell him to go the heck back to where he came from (after telling him to go piss up a rope). So it wouldn't surprise me if the average Thai would respond in pretty much the same way.

Interesting quote,have the USofA signed up to the Kyoto Protocol yet ? Or are they still pissed that some foreign d**kheads (i.e. the international community) are trying to do something about climate change.I understand your point veiw, because America never went over somewhere and complained aout how others did things did they ?

We are allowed an opinion ,sometimes we may simply be raging against the machine , however just because it's not our country doesn't mean we have to agree with all that happens.

my 2 cents....

it is impolite for "guests" to complain when they are staying in someone else's home.

imagine for one moment the following scenario...

..you invite someone over to your house for dinner. as soon as he/she enters your house, they start complaining about the way the furniture is arranged, how messy it is, or maybe you didn't serve meat for dinner. etc.

what would you do?

frankly, I would kick the person out of my house. ..wouldn't you?

people who complain too much are not sensitive to other people's feelings. they are usually not aware of the pain and hurt they cause other people because of their critical remarks.

thai people have feelings just like everybody else.

here they are... they invite you into their home, and then, you complain about everything????

entitled to your opinion? if you are a guest in my home... no, you are not.

this applies to the in-laws, the kids, and anyone else who is a "guest" in my house.

if you want to express your opinion while in my house, you better have the same opinion as me. otherwise, I'm going to walk you to the door. and tell you where you can "take your opinion". comprendi?

if you are in thailand on a visa, you are a guest. remember that. or else, you may not be welcome anymore.

Blah, blah, blah. Although, as the saying goes, you'll never be Thai; I'm married to a Thai national with a son from the pair of us and consider myself slightly more than a guest.

Get off the bandwagon mate

[DJ Pat]

People are shocked when I hold the door open for them. Needless to say I no longer do this courteous act.

[Gazza]

People are shocked when I hold the door open for them. Needless to say I no longer do this courteous act.

Same as when I'm at the superstore check out. I'll have a ton of food but will let someone with only an item or two go first.

They look totally perplexed.

[davethailand]

People are shocked when I hold the door open for them. Needless to say I no longer do this courteous act.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I still do hold it open

(Sometimes they look at me like i'm an idiot and walk slower)

Thats when i swing it shut on them

Normally the reply is thank you,

Manners cost nothing

[leftcross]

I always hold the door open, but I do it for my benefit not for theirs. If they don't appreciate it - who gives a fk?

[Gazza]

People are shocked when I hold the door open for them. Needless to say I no longer do this courteous act.

I still do......... sometimes. Especially when they're good looking.

Gazza holds door open for beautiful girl.

Girl walks through door.

Gazza sees 'caboose' of girl as she passes and likes what he sees.

Girl says 'Khoopkhun Maak Ka' for Gazza's courteous deed.

Gazza says 'Mai Pen Rai Khap. Chawp Oral Mai'

Gazza gets faced slapped alot,

but then again, Gazza gets loads of.........

[Silvercharm]

I still hold the door open, and yes, some folks do acknowledge that with a thank you, and others give a confused look, while a low percentage haven't a clue what I'm doing for them and will stand there with a blnk stare.

The que jumpers are the worst, IMHO. After nearly 4-years here I had decided a few months back not to allow it to happen. Christ that difficult! It's so ingrained into my psyche not to be pushy, that it took a few months to begin to feel comfortable doing that. These days, when someone cuts in front, I cut right in front of them and will proceed with my order or purchase. Happened today while waiting in line for about 5-minutes. A young gal did the side sweep and went to open her mouth to order. I just stepped in front of her, looked at the cashier and placed my order. The youngster just walked to the next counter and bullied her way in front of others and made her order. I'm sure to newbies here, my behavior will be shocking. "Did you see that rude falang! He just cut in line in front of that poor local! The nerve of that guy." Oh, well!

I liked sbk's post. It said a lot about living here after X-amount of years and still being called a "guest." Guests usually stay for short amounts of time. After that, you're a resident. Don't care if it's on paper or not, and you do have the right to express on opinion. Not trying to change Thai culture or Thainess (whatever that is), but trying to help people be a little more aware of the everlasting consequences of their selfish actions (littering, pollution).

Last week I taught my roommates and their family about the proper usage of a coffee table. They were ready to cut meat, vegetables and god knows what on the table! I found glasses of water, and a soda sitting on my table with no coasters. Just explained what the usage is for, and the do's and dont's for using that table. They never did it again. Me thinks many just need to be told.

[chuchok]

People are shocked when I hold the door open for them. Needless to say I no longer do this courteous act.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I still do......... sometimes. Especially when they're good looking.

Gazza holds door open for beautiful girl.

Girl walks through door.

Gazza sees 'caboose' of girl as she passes and likes what he sees.

Girl says 'Khoopkhun Maak Ka' for Gazza's courteous deed.

Gazza says 'Mai Pen Rai Khap. Chawp Oral Mai'

Gazza gets faced slapped alot,

but then again, Gazza gets loads of.........

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I laughed out loud at that one

[Lung Ling]

On the subject of holding the door open for ladies and allowing them to go ahead of you...I have always done this as a matter of habit. Here in the US it's always received with either shock or rolled eyes; in most of Europe, it's de rigeur--just another old world custom like kissing hands. When I first started doing this with my fiancee, she was very surprised. She explained to me that in Thai custom, the man always goes first, ahead of the woman, not because of any sort of superiority, but because in the old days, when living at the edge of the jungle, there was always the possibility of a wild animal. So the man going first is a custom that arose out of protection. Like the Western custom of the man walking on the outside nearest the street, to protect the woman from getting splashed by a car. So when I now walk ahead of her into the supermarket, it's because if there's a tiger in aisle five, I'll be the one to get eaten instead of her.

[meemiathai]

On the subject of holding the door open for ladies and allowing them to go ahead of you...I have always done this as a matter of habit. Here in the US it's always received with either shock or rolled eyes; in most of Europe, it's de rigeur--just another old world custom like kissing hands. When I first started doing this with my fiancee, she was very surprised. She explained to me that in Thai custom, the man always goes first, ahead of the woman, not because of any sort of superiority, but because in the old days, when living at the edge of the jungle, there was always the possibility of a wild animal. So the man going first is a custom that arose out of protection. Like the Western custom of the man walking on the outside nearest the street, to protect the woman from getting splashed by a car. So when I now walk ahead of her into the supermarket, it's because if there's a tiger in aisle five, I'll be the one to get eaten instead of her.

ha ha, if one does this in HK, that lady most likely is going to find another door herself.(thinking that there must be something wrong ahead)

[chico]

On the subject of holding the door open for ladies and allowing them to go ahead of you...I have always done this as a matter of habit. Here in the US it's always received with either shock or rolled eyes; in most of Europe, it's de rigeur--just another old world custom like kissing hands. When I first started doing this with my fiancee, she was very surprised. She explained to me that in Thai custom, the man always goes first, ahead of the woman, not because of any sort of superiority, but because in the old days, when living at the edge of the jungle, there was always the possibility of a wild animal. So the man going first is a custom that arose out of protection. Like the Western custom of the man walking on the outside nearest the street, to protect the woman from getting splashed by a car. So when I now walk ahead of her into the supermarket, it's because if there's a tiger in aisle five, I'll be the one to get eaten instead of her.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ha ha, if one does this in HK, that lady most likely is going to find another door herself.(thinking that there must be something wrong ahead)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i lived in france for some time, and when i did it, as i was used to do so, the ladies where surprised and stated, they had never experienced this by french guys - and then french guys are said to be very polite??

maybe we should have lived last century?

[jackr]

On the subject of holding the door open for ladies and allowing them to go ahead of you...I have always done this as a matter of habit. Here in the US it's always received with either shock or rolled eyes; in most of Europe, it's de rigeur--just another old world custom like kissing hands. When I first started doing this with my fiancee, she was very surprised. She explained to me that in Thai custom, the man always goes first, ahead of the woman, not because of any sort of superiority, but because in the old days, when living at the edge of the jungle, there was always the possibility of a wild animal. So the man going first is a custom that arose out of protection. Like the Western custom of the man walking on the outside nearest the street, to protect the woman from getting splashed by a car. So when I now walk ahead of her into the supermarket, it's because if there's a tiger in aisle five, I'll be the one to get eaten instead of her.

ha ha, if one does this in HK, that lady most likely is going to find another door herself.(thinking that there must be something wrong ahead)

i lived in france for some time, and when i did it, as i was used to do so, the ladies where surprised and stated, they had never experienced this by french guys - and then french guys are said to be very polite??

maybe we should have lived last century?

It's a fallacy that the food is good as well.

[Insight]

Ever decided to give way to a Thai driver, as in pull back and let them move into the same lane as you? If they're not the type to dive in without any regards for your position (but then, them drivers don't usually indicate), they'll just sit there in the same lane wondering what the bleedin' ###### your doing. Then you make the worst mistake ever, follow your western-style driving reactions and flash your lights to indicate it's safe for them to move in...

Means the complete opposite out here.

[Marmite the Dog]

On the subject of holding the door open for ladies and allowing them to go ahead of you...I have always done this as a matter of habit. Here in the US it's always received with either shock or rolled eyes; in most of Europe, it's de rigeur--just another old world custom like kissing hands. When I first started doing this with my fiancee, she was very surprised. She explained to me that in Thai custom, the man always goes first, ahead of the woman, not because of any sort of superiority, but because in the old days, when living at the edge of the jungle, there was always the possibility of a wild animal. So the man going first is a custom that arose out of protection. Like the Western custom of the man walking on the outside nearest the street, to protect the woman from getting splashed by a car. So when I now walk ahead of her into the supermarket, it's because if there's a tiger in aisle five, I'll be the one to get eaten instead of her.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ha ha, if one does this in HK, that lady most likely is going to find another door herself.(thinking that there must be something wrong ahead)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i lived in france for some time, and when i did it, as i was used to do so, the ladies where surprised and stated, they had never experienced this by french guys - and then french guys are said to be very polite??

maybe we should have lived last century?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, most Frenchmen are rude - as are most continental Europeans. The politest people are the English Gentlemen, of which there are about 7 of us left

[jackr]

On the subject of holding the door open for ladies and allowing them to go ahead of you...I have always done this as a matter of habit. Here in the US it's always received with either shock or rolled eyes; in most of Europe, it's de rigeur--just another old world custom like kissing hands. When I first started doing this with my fiancee, she was very surprised. She explained to me that in Thai custom, the man always goes first, ahead of the woman, not because of any sort of superiority, but because in the old days, when living at the edge of the jungle, there was always the possibility of a wild animal. So the man going first is a custom that arose out of protection. Like the Western custom of the man walking on the outside nearest the street, to protect the woman from getting splashed by a car. So when I now walk ahead of her into the supermarket, it's because if there's a tiger in aisle five, I'll be the one to get eaten instead of her.

ha ha, if one does this in HK, that lady most likely is going to find another door herself.(thinking that there must be something wrong ahead)

i lived in france for some time, and when i did it, as i was used to do so, the ladies where surprised and stated, they had never experienced this by french guys - and then french guys are said to be very polite??

maybe we should have lived last century?

No, most Frenchmen are rude - as are most continental Europeans. The politest people are the English Gentlemen, of which there are about 7 of us left

Make that 8

[haha]

Thanks for reminding me that after 16 years of living in Thailand I am only a guest with no right to an opinion. 

Give me a break. I get so sick of this "if you don't like it go home" or "you are just a guest in this country" attitude it makes me feel ill. I am a human being with the right to my own opinion. And you know what? By sharing it with Thai people I know (like littering is wrong) I may change a few attitudes.  Certainly everyone in my husband's immediate family is alot cleaner and more aware of their rubbish since learning about pollution. My sister-in-law no longer dumps her rubbish in the khlong next to her house because I spoke up and talked to her about how dirty it was, how it breeds disease.  Are you suggesting this is wrong?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

constructive criticism is always welcome if it does not turn into whining.

as for my opinion on being a guest, I already said my piece.

[ronz28]

The garbage and pollution bugs me the most.

We have cleaned up quite a bit of our U.S. pollution over the last 40 years by educating everyone about the environment and showing people maps of where the cancer hot spots are. I worked at an engine plant in Florida for a while and it seemed like an unusual number of people were dying from cancer. A nearby University did a study and found engine parts solvent that was a known carcinogen in the water supply. Yes, they found old rusted barrels outside leaking into the ground eventually getting into the water supply and cleaned it up after the fact. Lesson learned but not before many died. I don't even want to know what is in Thai water. I think all Thai people have to learn that all that pollution will end up killing a lot of people sooner or later. There needs to be environmental education in the schools, public advertising of how to solve the problem and government leadership involvement to turn this problem around. It such a massive problem in Thailand and I am sure every Thai student that has studied abroad has seen the difference and knows this has to be Thailand's number one problem.

[maikee]

Regarding holding the door, or even opening the car door. I always open and hold the door open for my wife (and family if they are along). Same with the car door. I'll always open it, wait for my wife to get in then close it behind her, or at least open it if the family is along. I usually get looks when I do it in front of a group of Thai guys... I just look at them, smile, and nod. With people I don't know regardless of male/female, I'll go first but will hold the door open for someone who is right behind me. Unless they are elderly in which case I'll hold the door and let them go first (then cutting off the other 10 people trying to slam their way in )... just the polite thing to do.

On the subject of what the Thais do that is annoying... It has to be their overly aggressive driving on the highways. We make quite a few trips down into Bangkok from Saraburi, and I just accept the fact I'm going to have a few opporunities to laugh... the wife and I, instead of getting pissed we just make jokes.

However, there was one time a few weeks back that wasn't a joke and almost turned ugly. Had some dumbass in his pickup with his 2 buddies, come over on me with no regards to the fact he was trying to slam his truck into a 2 meter space at 100 Kph (me in the far right, a big dumptruck in the center lane). I applied the brakes firmly without locking them up but was just a tad too late; he ended up clipping my front end barely. Had I not braked at all, the aggressive way he came over on me, he probably would have flipped the truck and him and his buddies would have been 3 wet spots on the road.

I was f@c%!ng pissed and ran his dumba$$ down (in our mazda fighter ) and "made" him pull over. I got a lesson in roadside negotiations... I think before he realized what he was doing he agreed to pay my wife 1000 baht. The interesting thing is that it seems insurance rates don't go up with accidents that you claim. Her brother had wrecked the front end a few months back. I was a little pissed at the carelessness especially since I thought insurance would rise... It didn't and hasn't.

Lots of other instances in traffic (on the highway for me)... But, like a couple folks have said, the horn honking in Bangkok.. or any city in Thailand for that matter is remarkably low!

[Steve2UK]

On the subject of holding the door open for ladies and allowing them to go ahead of you...I have always done this as a matter of habit. Here in the US it's always received with either shock or rolled eyes; in most of Europe, it's de rigeur--just another old world custom like kissing hands. When I first started doing this with my fiancee, she was very surprised. She explained to me that in Thai custom, the man always goes first, ahead of the woman, not because of any sort of superiority, but because in the old days, when living at the edge of the jungle, there was always the possibility of a wild animal. So the man going first is a custom that arose out of protection. Like the Western custom of the man walking on the outside nearest the street, to protect the woman from getting splashed by a car. So when I now walk ahead of her into the supermarket, it's because if there's a tiger in aisle five, I'll be the one to get eaten instead of her.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ha ha, if one does this in HK, that lady most likely is going to find another door herself.(thinking that there must be something wrong ahead)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i lived in france for some time, and when i did it, as i was used to do so, the ladies where surprised and stated, they had never experienced this by french guys - and then french guys are said to be very polite??

maybe we should have lived last century?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, most Frenchmen are rude - as are most continental Europeans. The politest people are the English Gentlemen, of which there are about 7 of us left

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Couple of observations............

Count yourselves lucky in LOS because there's another LOS (but in this case it means Land of Scowls) - Bulgaria. Last year, I spent about 5 weeks in different parts of that country. It took just a few days to register that there was something missing - almost nobody ever smiled. It was truly bizarre. On one occasion, I was on a long-haul bus with a narrow aisle. When it reached the final destination, everybody stood up to get off; seeing a young woman with a heavy bag standing in the aisle, I held back to allow her past; she looked surprised but went past - but the guy behind her shot me a hostile look I won't forget. When I later asked some people I met about this, their response was that both woman and guy almost certainly interpreted my polite gesture as a way of "coming on to" (flirting with) the woman. Maybe that should make Bulgaria Land of Suspicion..........

Having said that, I was brought up with these "good" habits and - at 54 - I'm too old to change all my spots. I recognise that it's incumbent on me to adapt to my host country and I reckon I know the right balance of behaving as a guest - and it is a balance. There are plenty of criticisms of bad habits picked up by "westernised" Thais; I don't think it's unrealistic to think that they will also pick up some good ones - given the chance. Other countries, other ways - but we can all learn from each other.

[Harmonica]

>>>>>> Annoying things that Thais do in town? <<<<<

Summed up in one cut-to-the-chase concept? .... make the find-fault with-&-nit-pick farang feverishly aware that he has left his own country for theirs -- that he dare not or does not want to return -- for reasons that would confound most psychiatrists -- that he desperately wants to now, AFTER forsaking his own, convert this country into what he previously disdainfully abandoned.

And we're making fun of them? Shouldn't it be the other way around, amiguitos?

[FreedomDude]

On the subject of holding the door open for ladies and allowing them to go ahead of you...I have always done this as a matter of habit. Here in the US it's always received with either shock or rolled eyes; in most of Europe, it's de rigeur..

Obviously, you've never lived in the South. I've lived in Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Kentucky, and doors are ALWAYS held open for ladies and ladies ALWAYS enter the elevator first.

[Phil Conners]

No, most Frenchmen are rude - as are most continental Europeans. The politest people are the English Gentlemen, of which there are about 7 of us left 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Said the brit. Having lived in most of Europe, including Brussels, Milan, Paris, Copenhagen and London I can truly say the rudest people are the brits.

[davethailand]

No, most Frenchmen are rude - as are most continental Europeans. The politest people are the English Gentlemen, of which there are about 7 of us left 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Said the brit. Having lived in most of Europe, including Brussels, Milan, Paris, Copenhagen and London I can truly say the rudest people are the brits.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

After the continental Europeans.