BILDER

I am an American, born to British father and an Aus mother, and every time I visit Australia I get some type of hassle. I was in Sydney at Tetsuyas (if anyone's been, they know it is amazing!). My girlfriend and I were eating and we weren't being obnoxious and loud (as I know many Americans truly are), but we pay and leave, and as we are leaving the party at the table next to us yells at top of his ruddy lungs "F*uck you, you Yank! F*uck off, we're full." I reply in poor French and notify the maitre d', and he says, " there is nothing we can do about that as he is entitled to free speech, and he doesn't seem to have disturbed many patrons"(!) In fact, many people applauded him. It has been a few weeks since this occurrence, but my gf and I are still somewhat traumatized.
I am not sensitive, in fact we are quite thick skinned but that was beyond rude!
I don't mean to paint all Australians with the same brush, but I do find anti-American sentiment quite pervasive. Any country that still uses racial epiphets in common day speech is truly a little backward. It is a pity because Australia is probably the most beautiful country in the world.

willmore

There is no excuse for their shocking behaviour, but was it a drinking establishment?

and remember the infamous words of marvin gaye......

iamthecreaturefromuranus

The patron doing the shouting wasn't perhaps a little Arab looking?

BILDER

If that is meant as a joke...well played. If not well...
Anyway, no he wasn't. He was a lumbering buffoon of a lard (looked like an American himself).

BILDER

well, it certainly is but I can't believe that every single person that applauded him was inebriated.

willmore

Well we both know just how stupid men can be after drinking a few with their buddies......

Sally Redux

Let's get it on?

DadAgain

There are, I think a number of reasons for anti-American sentiment across the globe, some more valid than others.

1) Anti-corporate feeling.
Although corporations and multi-nationalism isnt necesarilly uniquely American. Its America that has fostered and nutured the increase in 'bowing to the mighty dollar' attitude. As people across the globe are seeing increasing loss of freedom as corporate power exceeds democratic governance there seems to be a tendency to blame the 'leader of the free[market] world'.

2) Cultural anihilation.
The spread of globalism as well as a shift in power has resulted in a noticable shift in global cultural diversity. Any city in the world now has a cluster of global brands, cinema and TV are dominated by powerfully mass marketed US giants. Popular music is no more than a heavily marketed mono-culture and we see kids from all over the world dressing and talking like they seriously believe they live in South L.A. - Its nauseating.

Add to this the widespread belief (not necessarily a valid one I might add) that Americans tend to be completely ignorant of the possibility of valuable cultures existing other than there own and its easy to see why some people feel uncomfortable.


3) Militaristic Foreign Policy.
Of course USA arent alone in this - but they are seen very much as illegitamate aggressors by a lot of the world. Many outside observers find it very dificult to explain various military actions by the US without resorting to the conclusion that its self-interest, greed and a 'f%$k every else' attiude that motivates foreign policy. It may seem unfair to blame a whole nation for the decisions of a few lose canons, but the nation keeps voting them in.. again .. and again... and again.


[Disclaimer] I do not necessarily subscribe to any of the views expressed above - but merely state them as 'devils adocate' to provoke debate.


Having said all that "F*uck off, we're full." is almost a mating call of the roughest of Aussie boganism and should be seen by the recipient as a clear indicator of sub-human intelligence. Perhaps is time to look for a more upmarket drinking establishment?

freebo

Shame they weren't around when Oprah was here!

To the OP, no thats not acceptable, no excuse you get wankers in every country and I would hazard fairly unusual. Most posters here are British and will have had many jibes from locals but by far and away most are in fun. In 5 years here I only experienced pommie based hostility once, and they guy was immediately dealt with by locals.

You do need to be able to take a ribbing here, being able to give it back helps too.

On a broader note, the actions of the US government don't endear them to many other countries in the world, and not just their enemies either.

unfair dinkum

I think one thing that unites Poms and Aussies (excluding politicians) is a wariness or mistrust of Americans. The Aussies probably more so.
There are of course too many reasons for me to spell out, but in recent history, 'the war on terror', the support of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, the amount of gun crime, the seeming ignorance of Americans to the rest of the world's plight (ironic seeing as their foreign affairs are so influential), the behavior of American tourists on holiday abroad, the fact that who they elect in their 2 party system affects everyone else in the world, the Vietnam war, the fact that America loves us cos we're your poodle.
I'm not saying any of these things are correct, just that these are perceptions shared by many

Deancm_MKII

Point the finger at your government.

BILDER

Thought provoking responses. I am a conservative American, but only as it applies to economic policy. I did/do not support the war in Iraq either, so I can see how that does anger people all over the world.
Tetsuyas is very upmarket. I was told by the concierge it is one of the most exclusive restaurants in Australia (with waiting lists of over 3 months!), funny enough I was able to reserve a table for 24 hours later.
What's all this about Oprah? After I returned from Australia, I told many colleagues that I had been and they said they saw things about Australia on Oprah and they really wanted to visit. I am not sure if it was a total waste of taxpayer money.

unfair dinkum

not so much a waste, more a criminal diversion of funds

TiddlyPom

I can't imagine anyone at Tesuyas doing this. It's surreal in the extreme. I've been and it's been incredibly civilised. Obviously they did, but it just doesn't 'fit' with the place.

Presumably this was over Xmas? You say a few weeks back? Honestly, I'd just get over it and move on. It's one drunk probably in a whole table of drunks, who've saved up all year for their drunk Christmas party with their fellow drunks and who thinks that spending lots of money in a fabulous restaurant entitles them to be an arse.

In one very good hotel in London I used to work in, an extremely rich American man called me a 'dumb ****ing bitch' simply because I didn't pour lavish attention on him every time he called my name (rudely and loudly) across the entire restaurant. Do I think all Americans hate restaurant workers and would swear like this? Nope. But status or being in places of status sometimes gives people an inflated sense of their own importance and some people will always take advantage of it.
I truly wouldn't let it worry you.

The irony is that whether some people hate the US or not, Australia has been heavily influenced by the US in many ways since the 1950's... pop culture especially.

I imagine if you'd been an Indian person, they'd have yelled 'piss off you Paki, we're full'... Irish - piss of you mick, we're full.... etc etc etc.
You were just there and convenient.

Perfect quote for you ...

'What other people think of me is none of my business'... Peter Brock.


(PS - Next time, try the Rockpool)

ukecadet

I asked an American mate if he cops any flack and he didn't get any more than I do.
I've been here 22yrs and it still happens 99% in fun.
One situation at work when I first arrived in Perth, the main contractor of a building I was working on heard my accent and said"are you a pom?". "Yes" I replied.He said"Some poms are ok but most of them are c###s" and glared at me.I put my hand out and said"pleased to meet you I'm one of the c###s".
He walked off and never bothered me for the rest of the job.
These things unfortunately happen from time to time and you just have to pull your socks up and get on with it.
Call their bluff next time and tell them your Canadian or Irish.They can't pick an accent for the life of them.