Do Americans know ANYTHING about the world outside of the USA?? Here's what just happened to me:?

Question

Flying to Canada in September 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 telephone conversation:

Me: Yes, I’d like to hire a car for 19-23 Sept

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 need a car to go from England to Canada?


Me: No, from Toronto to Peterborough

Yank: Peter’s Barrel?

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

UNBELIEVABLE!!

Answer 1

I'm surprised you got that far....

Answer 2

I'm sorry you had to deal with frustrating and bad customer service that happened to also include an American. Bad customer service is universal. (According to my British husband most customer service is non existent in the UK-I've experienced the same while in the UK too.)

Many Americans (though not all) are well informed about global events.

In the future it may help to do some research of car rental agencies so that you can book online if possible, I know several offer that service. Most bookings my husband or I make are done online so that if we actually need to deal with anyone regarding our arrangements we already have a reservation in place, it saves a lot of confusion.

A side note as well is that America has a habit of having cities named after other ones globally, and though I doubt it in this case there are a number of cities with the name of "London" in the US.

Better luck if you visit Canada again, and I'm sure you won't use the same company, and I hope you find a better way to make sure you have a car available when you travel.

Answer 3

LOL - Most of us Americans know where London and Toronto are. A few do not but I think this story is hilarious. You should think it is funny too. There is a rumor that we are dumb but some are just plain out to lunch. Unfortunately that is sometimes the person booking your car hire.

Answer 4

This American does. Perhaps the person was young - he or she just needs more experience in the world.

People know about the things that interest them. As a kid, I was a major geek, always reading and looking at maps. That doesn't make me better than someone else, it just means that I have a different interests than some people.

Also, this isn't an American thing. A recent poll of school kids in the UK found that 90% of them chose "Hitler" as the answer to the question "Who was PM in Britain during World War 2?"

Love jack

Answer 5

I'm surprised that agency is actually in business with buffoon's like that manning the phone.Now Americans are by no means any more stupid than your average person but I do feel when it comes to matters global their brains seize up.My son worked in Wisconsin on a J1 visa while at Uni and used to frequently e-mail home hilarious stories about this type of thing.He asked one did he not fancy travelling to Europe.His reply-Why would I want to.I live in America. I'm still trying to work that one out.

Answer 6

And you were dealing with a New Yorker! Try dealing with someone from the Southern US. We understand British and Irish accents I think more so than the northerners. But yet I speak several languages and pick up accents when talking to someone with a prominant accent. For example my last name is Diaz (pronounced Deeaz) but when I tell someone here in the south that pronounced that way they ask how do you spell it and when I pronounce it Deye azz then they know how to spell it. Plus there are a lot of people that "mumble" when they speak and it is the adapted accent they live with and the area they live. They get so used to speaking with people of their own area they can't understand the accent from somewhere else. Also, what I have noticed, people that have hardly any experience with people from a foreign country and they see the color of their skin or hear an accent they go limp in the mind and for some reason they don't understand clear English. This is from experience. About 6 yrs ago my husband (Mexican by birth) and I went to eat at a restaurant. His English is perfect (and sometimes a little better than mine!) And the waitress asked for our order when my husband gave her his order she looked confused. She asked me "What did he want I couldn't understand his accent" and he has none! Just because of his ethnicity she didn't understand. I had to repeat his order and needless to say we never went back. You just have to hope you don't get one of those people on a phone in any country. I get some that even though I speak Spanish perfectly and with the accent as long as they see my white face they don't understand me but YET they understood me when I spoke on the phone. Go figure the human brain and it's stereotypes.

Answer 7

Yes a lot of Americans are quite intelligent about the outside world, and most are certainly more intelligent about the world than this. It is unfortunate that you happened upon this poor soul and he or she has given you a bad impression of all Americans. But, once you get over your aggravation, I am sure you will agree that there are people like this in all countries, not just America.
7&

Answer 8

I live in the states. A few years back I went to a travel agent to book tickets from London to Dublin, taking the train from Euston to Holyhead, Wales and then the ferry. The travel agent said, "So, you want to travel from Dublin to Ireland." and she said it at least three times! A TRAVEL agent!! sigh...

Answer 9

you know it could have been your accent. most people from the UK talk much faster and when you add in the accent it can be difficult to understand. But yes I do understand your frustration at not being understood. I've had to call for tech support and I always end up talking to indians who I can't understand and they can't understand me.

Answer 10

that's to funny.I agree,i have lived in the us for 25 years,and the majority of people here are totally ignorant of the the world outside of the U.S.Im from Norway and I get questions like is Sweden the capital there,do you have chickens there,what language do you speak?BUT bless their hearts they are still good as gold here just not very well traveled nor informed.I do wish we could drive across the Atlantic,wouldn't that be nice.

Answer 11

What I really think is everyone is pretty fast to Judge the USA.Yeah you might have got a stupid person on the phone, But I guess you never have to contact telecheck because I have had to spell Rock, Bob and several words just like that and you can't blame that one on Americans because they are all Indians