Xenophobia

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 06 Feb 2009, 00:30

As there were several discussions here in the German news recently and this is an international forum I would like to know about the situation in your country or if you experienced any trouble due to your nationality or religion.

Please keep in mind that the forum rules do not accept political discussions. Therfore I ask you for following those rules. I am just interested in your experience.

Thanks for sharing.

(Staying at a hotel room I was wondering about the place to spend summer vacation this year. Being a German I'd like to stay away from places people do not like to see Germans/foreigners

)

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 06 Feb 2009, 00:55

All "Natives" to any area hate seeing people be tourists lol. I've never seen any biggotry towards foreigners though, at least not to their face or so they'd notice.

Working in a restaurant for 5 years though, I can tell you that the biggest gripe waiters/restaurant staff have with foreigners is that they stereotypically do not tip well. In America, restaurant workers are paid very very little and are actually working for tips. For example, at the restaurant I worked I actually made only $3.25/hr, which if I worked a standard 30hr work week I would get a check for $0.00 that said "Void" because all of it went to taxes

.

A little tip (pun DEFINETLY intended) is take the tax of your bill, round it up and double it. This is the absolute MINIMUM tip. So for example, if your tax total is $8.06, then the tip you should leave should be equal to at LEAST $18.00. This is considered a "fair" tip, but something along the lines of $20.00-$25.00 would be considered a "great" tip for that bill.

If that seems "high" keep in mind that wait staff do not keep all of their tips, they usually have to give a certain percentage to the buss boys, bartenders, etc. The percentage they give is usually based off of the subtotal, so if the tip is really small but the subtotal is high, waiters sometimes wind up PAYING to serve you since they're still obligated to give that percentage to the other staff based off of the subtotal.

Given that $18.00 dollar tip from above, the waiter probably only keeps about $12.00 or so. If you get a check that has the "Gratuity included" in your total, you should still leave a few dollars on the table as that gratuity that was added is usually on the border of a "fair" and "bad" tip lol.

Sorry if this seems kind of long and pointless, but after 5 years in the restaurant business in a tourist town I've been burned waaaaaay to much by foreigners lol. I once got a $5.00 tip on a $199.00 check....the tax was like $10 something. Yea, I wound up losing a a lot of money in my tip out

P.S. - I'm from Long Island, NY about an hour and a half train ride from New York City. New York City is FULL of tourists from all over the world, you'd fit right in lol

ronniegj · Post by **ronniegj** » 06 Feb 2009, 04:52

That must be a good rule in the northeast, but in Texas, the tip is way too much. However, the reasons for a generous tip still applies. IE resturants don't pay the staff much, and they are expected to gain most of their income via tips. Keep in mind that folks are not paid the kind of salary as those in the NE. part of the country. The price of the meal will be quite a bit less as well.

If you come to the US and visit Texas, you will have no problems. (Actually, I can't imagine you'd have a problem anywhere in the US). A large part of the population are of German or Bohemian ancestry, with the rest mostly Scotch and Irish, and of course Mexican. We are famous for being warm and welcoming to strangers. Ya'll come on down and eat a little barbeque, drink a little beer and see the sights!

Ron

VulcanDriver · Post by **VulcanDriver** » 06 Feb 2009, 06:09

Never heard of or seen any 'attitude' towards Germans in the UK (except when it comes to football (soccer) as Germany always beat us

I work for Mercedes in the UK BTW.

Ford Friendly · Post by **Ford Friendly** » 06 Feb 2009, 06:26

You know, I've lived in 13 different States and travelled outside the US quite a bit. I've run into only 3 situations where my being either a foreigner (in general) or an American (specifically) ever seemed to make a difference to those around me and how I was treated.

Simple things - a smile, at least an attempt to speak the local language and respect local customs, and an interest in things as opposed to isolating myself probably made some difference.

But that's just my experience.

Firebird · Post by **Firebird** » 06 Feb 2009, 07:05

One weird thing about traveling in the US is the automatic assumption about where we were from changed according to where we were at the time.
On the East Coast, we were from England, on the West Coast we were from Australia and in Texas it was about a 60-40 split in favour of England.

I guess that its due to where the majority of English speakers are from that visit that area. Maybe I would be Canadian in Wisconsin.

CelticWarrior · Post by **CelticWarrior** » 06 Feb 2009, 09:21

The only place I ever found a problem was bizzarely also the place I found to be the most welcoming. I was assailed by a Canadian in Calgary who was convinced I was either French or french Canadian and therefore wished me harm. I think he may have been confused by my Welsh accent.

The only issue I have in general is when people tell me I come from england

I suppose they're technically correct, as I'd probably have flown out of an english airport in Britain

In these days of economic hardship anyone would be very unwise to display any sign of unwlecomeness (is that a word?) for fear of alienating people - "don't bite the hand that feeds you".

BadPvtDan · Post by **BadPvtDan** » 06 Feb 2009, 13:21

Yes, you wont find that kind of nonsense in general here in Texas. Hell, we have Fredericksburg right down the road (they have fantastic little GA airport btw with a hotel right on the tarmac!).

Firebird · Post by **Firebird** » 06 Feb 2009, 14:21

This thread does remind me of my partner in crime at work a decade ago. Somebody accused him of being xenophobic which he denied with the retort "That's total crap, coz I hate everyone!".

He was a good bloke, Al, despite his proclamation.

flyboy · Post by **flyboy** » 06 Feb 2009, 16:28

Traveling around the world in the USAF, I found the people from the United Kingdom to be very friendly and helpful. I help set up the Rapier battery sites around RAF Fairford. We placed one in a older gentleman's back garden and would be there at 5AM during exercises and he would bring us tea.

I found the Turkish to be the most interesting. Really the first time I felt in a foreign land. Got some of the best shopping and history you will ever see.

The only place I did not feel at home was on Guam in the last 80s. The Chammaro people was very tired of the US Military (we did occupy about 45% of the island since WW2) and there was a big economic boom going with the Japanese. The Japanese was building resort hotels and golf courses and was willing to pay big money for the land. A lot of the Chammaro familys wanted their land back from the US Military so that they could get in on the action. Andersen had lost their nuclear mission and was setting half-empty and they felt it was a lot of wasted space.

Ford Friendly · Post by **Ford Friendly** » 06 Feb 2009, 16:54

The Guamanian/Chamorro/Andersen AFB situation was actually one of the 3 uncomfortable situations I referred to. Strangely to some extent, the Chamorro's want the best of "both worlds" - American citizenship and benefits while resenting the fact that non-Chamorro-Americans were there at all during the 80's. (I was there '82-84).

Friends who have been stationed there since say the "I resent you" attitude seems to be a cyclic thing, one year gracious, the next - NIMBY (Not in my backyard).

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 06 Feb 2009, 21:21

Thanks for all your comments. Some of them reflect the same I experienced in various countries. I felt warmly welcomed in UK (some 45mins north of London; biz trip in 2002) and US (mainly Louisiana, vacation three times in the 90's). I also had good times in Italy, Hungary and Spain.

Unfortunately US is no choice ATM as my wife does not like to have a long flight - well, she does not like to fly at all

@jumpshot
I was told to give 10...15% of bill value on top in US.

@John
When it comes to soccer the Germans have no friends - then the Dutch do not like us and so do the Brazilians, Italians, British people, etc.

@Ford
Attempting to speak the language does not work everytime. I remember being a child an travelling with the family. My younger brother was the only one having learned the local language in school so he tried to order the food. I thought it sounded pretty good but she seemed to have noticed where we came from. In the end we used our fingers to point onto the meal in the menu card

@Steve
People in UK thing I have learned English in US while Americans believe I did that in UK

As for your second post - a friend of mine always says "I do not like and I do not trust humans. If I had to make the choice between saving the life of a human or an animal - I'd always go for the animal!"

Jumpshot724 · Post by **Jumpshot724** » 06 Feb 2009, 22:52

@jumpshot
I was told to give 10...15% of bill value on top in US.

Yes. The method I gave you works out to be around 10-15%, it's just a much easier way to figure it out