Flying to Canada in March and tried to hire a car through an international airport car agency. Unfortunately, they run their call centre out of New York. Here’s an excerpt of my phone conversation:
Me: Yes, I’d like to hire a car for 19 March to the 23
Yank: What airport you coming from and where are you going to?
Me: Flying from London to Toronto
Yank: From where?
Me: London
Yank: Sorry, where?
Me: London
Yank: Could you spell that?
Me: L-O-N-D-O-N
Yank: Which state?
Me: The UK. *sigh*
Yank: Where?
Me: ENGLAND
Yank: And where you going to?
Me: Toronto
Yank: Sorry?
Me: TORONTO. T-O-R-O-N-T-O
Yank: Which state?
Me: CANADA
Yank: You want a car to drive from England to Canada?
Me: NO!! From Toronto to Peterborough
Yank: Peter’s Brow?
Me: PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO, CANADA, I NEED TO HIRE A CAR TO DRIVE FROM TORONTO, CANADA TO PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO, CANADA!
Yank: Driving to where?
Me: Goodbye
UNFCKINGBELIEVABLE!!
2007-02-27 06:13:55 · 29 answers · asked by Anonymous in Travel ➔ Other - Destinations
Contrary to popular belief, WE'RE NOT ALL THAT STUPID AND IGNORANT. I certainly know where London is, I've been there on numerous occasions, and I'm moving to the UK next year. In fact, I probably know the geography of the UK better than the US. Why? Because I love it more than anywhere in the world. You were obviously just talking to a very stupid individual. I'm an American and I consider myself very knowledgeable when it comes to geography and cultures. Obviously you can't drive a car from the UK to Canada... And I know where Peterborough and Toronto are. Please, don't stereotype us all based on one bad conversation. Granted, a lot of people here might not care about anything outside of the US, but I'm not one of them, and I won't be stereotyped as one.
2007-02-27 06:24:40 · answer #1 · answered by Elisabeth 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
hahahah it really is tremendous. to lots of the previous posters, there is not any excuss to no longer comprehend the position those places are (nicely peterborough ok) yet London and Toronto, they're both international places, i'm from yet another London yet at the same time as i'm coping with commute one would assume a international vacation spot. places jointly with New Amsterdam???? Nieuw Amsterdam hasn't been conventional by that call because the 1600's, and the in effortless words different decision by that call is to small to even evaluate flying to. haha the remark about utilizing from the united kingdom to Canada (oops sorry England because the united kingdom looks slightly above the point of the convo) became in simple terms to reliable haha. Hehe and the US visa subject also very commical! "I absolutely haven't any objective of ever going to visit u . s . as a vacationer," i could not agree extra, i wish to be going to the decrease back waters of mexico yet when i'm able to avert the united states i am going to. Edit: tourist, your on the point of proper yet peterbourough is interior the Kawarthas NE of TO :)
2016-12-05 00:52:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To start with, I highly doubt you actually had this conversation. Everybody knows where London and Toronto are. In fact a New Yorker could probably pick out London easier than some perceived "backwater" in the middle of the country. If you want to spew anti American rhetoric, just try to make it something believable. Don't be such a silly muppit, you are embarassing yourself.
PS While Americans might be slightly ignorant on their geography, it is important to remember that the US is as large as continental Europe, I think you would be hard pressed to find Europeans who could pick Paraguay off of a map.
2007-02-27 10:20:56 · answer #3 · answered by Brian G 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's par for the course. You'd get the same stupidity if your call was routed through to Montreal. The teleserver would have heard of Toronto but known nothing about it and wouldn't have a clue as to where Peterborough was. And just to add to the confusion, there is a London, Ontario!
2007-02-27 06:29:35 · answer #4 · answered by STEVE 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
While I can believe you had this conversation, in my experience Americans are not all pig-ignorant thickos. Having said that most of the ones I've met were in higher education and I've only ever met one that fit the stereotype. He was in an electrical shop and seemed to think that Scotland was 10 or 20 years behind the US in technology, and refused to accept that we had a similar level of technology. Possibly the 10% or so Americans who have a passport are generally more well informed than those who don't travel, but you only need to turn on Big Brother or the Jeremy Kyle Show to get proof that the UK is also full of pig-ignorant thickos.
2007-02-27 06:53:55 · answer #5 · answered by Rotifer 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I can agree with you about the frustration of dealing with someone who lives in a different country. I have had my trouble dealing with some of the people in various businesses here in the U.S.A.and can not believe how single minded they can be.
I had to deal with a bank on a vehicle loan and started getting charged for late fees on payments so I started sending the payment registered mail with a return receipt requested and they would still try to charge a late fee because the payment department would not receive the payment until the day after it was due but the return receipt would show they received the envelope 3 - 5 days prior to being due. Try getting through to these people it is their fault and see what kind of headache it causes.
Just because you dealt with one idiot in America does not mean that we are all just as stupid as he/she. Age has a lot to do with the idiots also. I hate to say it but most of the younger generations in America really do not have a clue and do not care to learn anymore than is required of them.
2007-02-27 06:34:20 · answer #6 · answered by Lance D 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My wife and I have come across quite a few americans in our travels, various countries. So we do meet those who travel outside of their own country.
But, even so, the vast majority display an awe-inspiring ignorance of the country they are in and seem eager to make it clear to all around by talking very loudly.
Strangely, the only intelligent and informed americans we have met have all turned out to be retired teachers.
2007-02-27 07:22:22 · answer #7 · answered by DriverRob 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Typical really. Most ( and I say most ) Americans think the world starts at the Atlantic and ends at the Pacific. When I tell them where I'm from, which isn't London, they tell me they always wanted to visit London as they think London is England.
They only know of Iraq because they have troops over there.
2007-02-27 06:21:27 · answer #8 · answered by bassmonkey1969 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Because most Americans have never been outside of the country.
2007-02-27 06:59:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
americans do know that there is an outside world, whilst working in spetses, greece, i was standing waist high in the sea, when an american, who had been snorkelling, surfaced by me, and informed me that there was a whole bunch of fish down there. a lovely moment. just popping out to buy a shoul of flowers. i know this was just one guy, out of a huge country, but it made me smile, sorry if anyone takes offence.
2007-02-27 06:31:17 · answer #10 · answered by alan p 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋