I'm a woman in my mid-30's. I've visited Egypt once, for two weeks.
I'm pretty sure half the gropings of my entire life were during those two weeks.
this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2025
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I’ve traveled to dozens of countries and never met unfriendly people - unless I was in a bad mood and forgot a smile and a few nice words.
USA. Oh, wait. I'm not a visitor but a resident.
For now. Deportation is right away the corner brœther. They’re gonna send me back to Honduras (thats a joke, I am not in actual fear of being deported)
My partner is a refugee from a dictator country. I'd like to join the protests, but we're very deliberately not doing so to protect her. That's because I'm afraid for her safety. She a recognized human rights advocate who has been jailed. I'm selfish and want to keep her with me.
France, if you don’t happen to speak French
Even when speaking French fluently, I guess an accent is enough
Been to Strasbourg. Never again.
As someone who's lived there for six years (albeit mostly homeless); yes.
Even if you're trying to speak French, you'll get treated like you're speaking Swahili or something.
They just respond in English after hearing my childlike attempts to parle français
Sounds lucky. Normally they wouldn't bother.
And asking them to speak English is like an indecent proposal, I guess they’d react more favourably if you asked for a public blowjob
Next time just ask for une pipe
Just say 'excusez moi?' it's like a magic word to make them suddenly and eagerly speak English.
They won't do it otherwise, but if you threaten to pollute their language with your barbaric pronunciation they'll gladly jump on that grenade.
Chile. Maybe it's because I'm American but nobody there was interested in talking to me, sharing their culture or learning anything about me. I tried multiple times but all my interactions with Chileans were purely transactional and most of them seemed annoyed to have to deal with me. I've been to ~25 countries and wouldn't bother returning to Chile.
I mean we did help assassinate their president in the name of business interests and then installed a dictator that literally fed his own people to his dogs. But I don’t know if that represents all Chileans attitudes.
What a chilly reception.
Oh no, I didn't mean for my pickpocketing scams with hostile service and aggressive touts to mean that I didn't want to be friends 😢. For sure the US though.
Where did you go in the US if I may ask?
USA 100% Ive been all over Europe, and to central America and the USA (I'm Canadian). The USA is by far the unfriendliest.
What states did you visit?
Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho.
Really curious to hear details
I feel like there are two types of people you meet in the US: people who are very polite but hold hate in their hearts, and people who are very rude but are very kind when you get to know them.
Ever been to the States?
They've got a LOT of guns.
Yes, but we're willing to share them.
Seriously.
Go to a range, talk to someone about their guns, and most of the time they're more than happy to let you try them.
All of my UK/EU coworkers that fly here for business meetings always ask me to take them to the ranges here, they LOVE it because they don't get to do it over there nearly as easily apparently. Everyone has a great time.
One guy from Poland wanted to take a spent casing back as a souvenir, but he said they have dogs that detect any gunpowder residue and didn't want to risk going back with it.
Yeah, DO NOT have spent casings in any of your luggage, the people running the x-ray machines really really really don't like that.
Never even crossed my mind because 'Murica and all but now I know when I use my passport to go full crazy mode ripping my bags apart to make sure. One time I checked in at the airport and had a small spring assisted knife in my laptop bag (utility purposes) but didn't want to risk anything so I tossed in the trash before the scanners. Not worth any hassle, bought a new one instead after I got back. Knives and bullets seem like the worst case scenario in that context.
I had something similar. I had a handmade pusher knife in my bag that was a gift (not so easy to throw out). I forgot it in my bag and sent it through the xray machine. Of course they found it and asked about it. They were pretty cool about it. I told them I forgot it was in there and wasn’t trying to cause problems. They told me I could take it but I wouldnt be able to take as a carry on, id have to check my bag in so I wouldnt have access to it during the flight. I did, and got it back no problem after the flight. I had a pretty nice TA agent. I was half expecting them to drag me away and force check my delicious booty for other contraband
I had a friend that made it through O-Hare and LaGuardia security with a 4" switchblade in her carry on; not a spring assist, an actual automatic knife, back when they were illegal almost everywhere, but after Sept. 11. Somehow security missed it both times.
Meanwhile, I nearly missed a flight because someone running the x-ray machine didn't know what brass collar points were.
I only have experience with European countries, and from those I pick Austria. Very self-centered people; even service staff is very unfriendly (in the rare occasions where the staff is actually Austrian). Pet peeve of mine: I've never seen people skipping the queue as often as in Austria.
I see you've been to Vienna.
Go to the mountains (largest part of Austria, literally 2/3), it's much better there.
Utah. Other than the staff at a restaurant everyone was rude. I think a motel manager may have lied about not having rooms, at the very least he made it clear he didn't like us.
Utah is a US state, not a country - you must be Murican
Utah is like another country to me.
I'd say Iraq, but being that I was there as a part of an occupying force, it's my fault they hated me for being there, so I totally get it. That aside, America (as an American) definitely has unfriendly people that one is forced to interact with on a regular basis.
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