ironwood

The list is completely irrelevant regarding cyclo-touring. France, along with Denmark and the Netherlands are among the least rude to cyclists. This does not carry over when you are touring in a car.

Pedaleur

Sure, the workers at Roissy are rude, but those aren't the ones you encounter on tour.

Been to Germany a few times, France, most of western Europe, and had very few negative encounters (one, really) and many over-the-top positive ones. On top of that, the inconsistency is odd: Germany is voted rude, but not Denmark. Are Spain and Portugal really that different?

I wonder if the people who complain about rudeness need to look inside themselves a bit.

azesty

In South Korea, if you want attention in a restaurant you have to shout "Yo gi yo". If you dont you will be ignored, because that is the custom in the country. If I did that in the west I would have my food spit in. Having said that buttons on each table are becoming more common in South Korea.

In China you should shout "Fu yu yuan" for the same reason.

I found it difficult at first, but then it becomes fun

z

Pedaleur

I should probably get down off my high horse and add that I'm a white male of Scandinavian descent. There are lots of places in western Europe that treat people who are not with suspicion.

Ekdog

It seems that it's fashionable to say that people are more or less the same wherever you go but, yes, I think they are quite different.

mikhalit

You may see that on the streets people can possibly behave differently but as individuals people are very similar in all countries i've visited (mostly Europe+ex-Soviet Union).

Machka 

Yes, and need to look at how they are as tourists.

Rowan and I lived in a touristy area in Australia. Every school holiday and long weekend, the place flooded with tourists. Good for the area, good for business, etc. perhaps, but sometimes so frustrating. They'd strip the shelves of the grocery stores of food, and then stand there complaining in loud voices about the prices and lack of selection and how they could get so much more for so much less back home. (Meanwhile those of us who lived there silently wished they would go back home so we could shop in peace). They'd leave all their rubbish lying around. They were agressive and dangerous on the roads. (For about 6 weeks during school holidays, Rowan and I couldn't cycle in our local area because of the aggressive and dangerous traffic. We had to go elsewhere every weekend to cycle.)

Not all the tourists were like that, of course, but enough to be noticed, and to wear away at the patience of those of us who lived there.

But meanwhile, we and others, as locals, were generally expected to remain polite to these tourist.


So I do wonder, when tourists find locals rude ... could it be the fault of the tourist?

DeadheadSF

I can.