I want to know what Canadians think of americans.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

A cabbie I was talking to in Vegas...

*in a mocking voice* "So you're from Canada, EH? Pretty cold up there, EH? What are your plans for the night, EH? You guys say EH a lot, EH!!!"

Friggin knee slappers...

Everyone else was nice, but every once in a while you'll run into an ass hat like this cabbie.

I would have said, "Yeah we're also notoriously bad tippers co$k bag"

[Phanuthier]

Canadians seem to look down on Americans (dumb, greedy, fat, unhealthy, rude) and I don't think Americans seem to think Canada exists.

[metal_geek]

I've traveled though the states 4 times now, and each time I've experienced a situation standing in a store line up, having the same conversation I would have had in any Canadian store and I know the guy or girl had no idea I wasn't from the US. In my experience Canadian's and Americans are basically identical.

US customs officers are WAY easier to deal with then Canadian officers. Going into the us, if you don't have any drugs or bombs you're good to go. Coming into Canada it's "what did you buy and where are my tax dollars? Is that a watch you're smuggling in your arse?... Where's your receipt!"

As for being "COLD"... apparently 1/4 of Americans live further north then 1/2 the Canadian population, given the concentration of Canadians in Southern Ontario. Basically if you live in a town north of Detroit, chances are some Canadian thinks you live in an igloo....

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

A cabbie I was talking to in Vegas...

*in a mocking voice* "So you're from Canada, EH? Pretty cold up there, EH? What are your plans for the night, EH? You guys say EH a lot, EH!!!"

Friggin knee slappers...

Everyone else was nice, but every once in a while you'll run into an ass hat like this cabbie.

The last cabby I had in Vegas was really down to Earth. He was shocked when I said I was from Calgary, he said my accent sounded more like I was from Buffalo. I wasn't sure what to make of that.

[mikey_the_redneck]

I dont mind Americans, it's just pretty obvious sometimes that they are ill-informed about some things.
I just wish they would appreciate hockey more and I wish the white people and the black people could get along better.......

[Resolute 14]

I've only spent a few days each in Seattle and Tampa, but in both cases, the one thing that stood out was that Americans are passively rude. Not very many people, I found, thanked you for holding a door open, or held a door for you, for example. Little things.

When I was in Seattle (2003), I encountered a few neighbourhoods that had American flags on every single house front. I was left wondering how much patriotism was "true" and how much was forced because the neighbour to the left and the neighbour to the right had a flag. Though given this was a year and a half after 911, I could see it.

Your beef sucks. Seriously. That was the other big thing. From fast food to sit down, decent restaraunts, if it aint Alberta Beef, it's pretty terrible.

Otherwise, the individual people were not much different from the average Canadian.

[Vulcan]

I've been accused here of being anti-American but I don't think it's true. Both my grandfathers came from the States and a lot of my family is there, or have married Americans who are living here. Americans are mostly nice people who I lost some respect for in electing Bush not once but twice. So it's been the government that I've had issues with but that should change. Sure it will still be looking after their own self interests but it should be with a more enlightened view.

It's an old joke that Canada inherited the best of all worlds.
British Government
French Culture and
American know how.

Instead we ended up with
French Government
British know how and
American culture.

This last one kind of gets to me at times as I watch us unquestioningly become more Americanized the longer I live. Just the recent use of the world and us calling the United States, 'America' when in truth they are only a part of America and this upsets me because the other part of it is the rest of the world than includes us as a part of this America and we lose our distinctive nationality. Hey a lot of their culture is great, good movies, good music, good baseball etc. There is just too damn much of it sometimes and as has been said before it's like sleeping with an elephant.

[troutman]

We could do without the red states.

[4X4]

I think that Canadians have a bit of a little brother complex about USA. Canadians seem to be annoyed that Americans don't know much about their "biggest trading partner and ally". But if you think about it, it's not like it's deliberate neglect. US has alot more history and population. Really, why should they know so much about Canada? I mean, ask your average Canadian how many provinces or states there are in Mexico. Ask to name more than 5 cities. I dunno. I've been guilty of thinking americans are stupid because they have no idea how big or small Canada is, or that they only know of Toronto and Montreal. But really, is that so ridiculous? The college educated ones know alot more about Canada. Should Canada be taught in their grade school system? Pretty sure they're more interested in teaching their kids to read, do math, and write - and squeeze in some european history.

That said, I spent a year working in the tourism industry in Italy. Far and away, Americans were the rudest and had the most obvious senses of entitlement. I met hundreds of people from dozens of countries and I have to say, I developed some stereotypes that were true more often than not. Top of the llist: Americans - picky, whiny, rude, inconsiderate. And to add insult to injury, american military guys were by far the worst. I simply stopped taking them. Wouldn't let them stay at my hostel. They'd get drunk and trash the place, be loud at all hours, didn't matter if other guests were sleeping when they came in, they'd yell and regale stories from that evening. Flicking cigarettes out the windows and even tossing bottles out the window. If someone had the nerve to ask them to quiet down they'd get all tough guy and start yapping about their military contributions to the world, then they'd leave the place a mess when they left.

Of course, those are only the ones that left an impression. For the most part, americans were the same as anyone else. Just travelling and chilling at a hostel. Only reason it stood out so much was because I just cant say the same for other nationalities. Aussies were always polite and cool. Ditto Irish. South Americans and Mexicans were always, always really cool as well. Hell, they'd make their beds before leaving.
Gotta say, there's a real difference between Americans and the rest of the world.

[joe_mullen]

Originally Posted by metal_geek

I've traveled though the states 4 times now, and each time I've experienced a situation standing in a store line up, having the same conversation I would have had in any Canadian store and I know the guy or girl had no idea I wasn't from the US. In my experience Canadian's and Americans are basically identical.

US customs officers are WAY easier to deal with then Canadian officers. Going into the us, if you don't have any drugs or bombs you're good to go. Coming into Canada it's "what did you buy and where are my tax dollars? Is that a watch you're smuggling in your arse?... Where's your receipt!"

As for being "COLD"... apparently 1/4 of Americans live further north then 1/2 the Canadian population, given the concentration of Canadians in Southern Ontario. Basically if you live in a town north of Detroit, chances are some Canadian thinks you live in an igloo....

You must obviously not be a visible minority. I've had numerous friends detained or subjected to "random" searches by American customs officials for absolutely no reason. Try flying into/out of New York and you will appreciate Canadian customs much more (at least in my own experience).

[missdpuck]

I agree with the comments about the lack of please/thank you, holding doors open etc. There seems to be more politeness in the Midwest and in some parts of the South... and I don't mean Florida..I've only been to Niagara Falls so I don't know about Canada but one thing that really impressed me about the people in Central and Eadtern Europe was the politeness. Seems like I never had to worrry about opening a door if there were guys of any age around. But then again some women get insulted when guys do that! Also I don't remember their names but I used to hear some Canadian comedians harping on the Canadian "eh".

[Rathji]

I believe people in Canada have been culturally socialized by the fragment theory which says that if one culture splits off of another one, the dominant ideologies of the time will be used as the basis of their national culture.

When Canada was formed a large portion of the English speaking population was either from England or was a Loyalist who emigrated here from the US because they did not support the revolution. The 2 groups of people would, generally speaking, have anti-American feelings given the situation of the American revolution etc.

This portion of the national culture is really the only thing that Canadians have that make them unique compared to other English speaking cultures in the world. So this attitude has been passed down from parent to child, through literature, media and other sources and forms a part of our identity as Canadians today.


^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have no idea where I heard of this, maybe history class, but it makes sense to me.

[4X4]

Frankly, I have to agree with metal_geek. Canadian border guards are a-holes of a different breed. I've had my ride torn apart by americans looking for illegal stuff, but I've never been berated by them like I have been by my own "brethren". Seriously, every brutal border guard story I have (and there are several) involve Canadian border guards (except the one from Italy where the racist border guard jacked my filipino friend).

[MJM]

I had a very low opinion of Americans until I moved from the East to Calgary, and got to experience wonderful States like Washington, Montana, Oregon, California, Texas, etc. Wonderful people, helpful, and friendly. I'd move to California or Washington in a heart beat. The midwest and western States of the US are like completely different places than the north eastern States. People from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, and Pensylvania are by and large the most ignorant people I have ever met on the planet. Just completely in your face, letting you know how much better they are than you, obnoxious, and completely ignorant on any world matters outside a 20 KM radius of where they live. They don't even park their attitude when they come to Atlantic Canada for vacation. Ask any Atlantic Canadian in the tourist industry what they dread and they will without a doubt tell you it is when a tour bus arrives from New England. Now i'm not saying everyone in the North East of the US is like this, but there seems to be quite the pattern from my numerous experiences. All it takes me is one day in New England before i'm counting the hours down until I can leave.

And unfortunetly for the US, the most of the media is in the North East so the impression Canadians and the rest of the world get is that "Bigger than life, in your face, love us or leave us" attitude that is so present there.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by 4X4

(except the one from Italy where the racist border guard jacked my filipino friend).

Did you get them back?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by missdpuck

I agree with the comments about the lack of please/thank you, holding doors open etc. There seems to be more politeness in the Midwest and in some parts of the South... and I don't mean Florida..I've only been to Niagara Falls so I don't know about Canada but one thing that really impressed me about the people in Central and Eadtern Europe was the politeness. Seems like I never had to worrry about opening a door if there were guys of any age around. But then again some women get insulted when guys do that! Also I don't remember their names but I used to hear some Canadian comedians harping on the Canadian "eh".

I can't speak to the American side of things, but as a Canadian man I open doors for people all the time, not just women of someone is behind me I hold it open for them. But It's also expected the other way and it usually happens for me as well. The 'eh?' thing bothers me because yes we do say eh (or i find myself doing it anyways). But from my experience Americans use 'huh?' in the exact same context A LOT.

[moncton golden flames]

i have not travelled much to the states, but the americans i have encountered while visiting have always been great people.

while working in the hotel industry here in alberta, i have come across quite a different american. the older, wealthy, republican type. a lot of them really come across as brash ignorant asshats but not all.

the american i am really not fond of, is the one that presents itself thru its foreign policy. if america is full of great people, then why do they let their government get away with the poop they pull?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

When I was in Seattle (2003), I encountered a few neighbourhoods that had American flags on every single house front. I was left wondering how much patriotism was "true" and how much was forced because the neighbour to the left and the neighbour to the right had a flag. Though given this was a year and a half after 911, I could see it.

My sister resides in the States and has often commented on the blind patriotism she sees. On her street all other houses have American flags waving. When Bush was in power she was often chided by her neighbours for questioning the Bush govt and it's motives. Sadly, she said, a lot of that patriotism got young men and women killed.

[Calgaryborn]

Originally Posted by troutman

We could do without the blue states.

fixed

I think I have more in common with American's from the smaller western states than Canadians from the East. You get a lot of good folks, a few bad ones and some ugly.

The only thing that bothers me is most Americans have no clue about the contributions of Canadians and other nations in the World wars and modern conflicts.

[jammies]

I love Americans and love going down there. Sure, there's different kinds of idiots than we have here, but overall the idiot/cool proportion is about the same as Canada.

Not a big fan of the American federal government, but most Americans aren't either so you can't hold that against them.