Greedy & Selfish Brits Abroard

IvanOpinion

Definitely some people shoul dnot be allowed out in public wihout at least learning the basics of manners and etiquette. Having said that I think we bring much of it on ourselves.

In any self-service thre will be two different kinds of people. Firstly those as you descirbe who seem to think hat the food will run out if they do not pile obscene amounts on their plate. The worst is at chinese buffets were I really do not know how they eat the pile of gunge and sauces all mingling on a single plate. Often they take a pile of stuff not knowing if they like it and then bin it (often with loud complaints).

The second type are those that put a little bit (or normal size portion) on their plate. if they don't know if they like something they may put a little bit on the corner of the plate to try. If they are still hungry then they will go up and get a second plate.

I would defintiely fall into the latter group but have on a few occasions seen people commenting that it was my 3rd time up (or similar). Usually these are the people with a plate piled high, eating like a cow chewing the cud and spitting dinner all over their dinner mates as they talk to them (and for some reason their idea of putting on something decent because they are going out to eat means a football top).

Ivan

pinkshoes

Whilst skiing in italy, this English guy infront of me in the cafe queue was ordering food and drinks in English, depite the bar staff only really speaking Italian and a bit of German (near swiss border). The staff couldn't understand what he wanted, so he shouted louder!

I was going to point out they were Italian, not deaf, but decided against it. I certainly had no intention of helping someone so rude!

They were sitting at a table near ours, so when they brought out the order, it was wrong, and the English guy starts yelling at the poor waiter for being so stupid! I think he understood the word "stupid" so I'm guessing he probably spat in their food when he took it back to the kitchen!

Jimmyboy34

its all very well saying avoid this place but your missing the point WHY should anyone have to put up with this culture that only comes from this country, these places, especially some the Greek islands are beautiful, and spoiled by Chavvy families who's selfish intent is to spoil most peoples image of what are, by and large succesful holidays. Am i the only one to think that Chav culture has grown since 1997(labour) and is the result of a lazy sit on your !!!! benefit britain- Sorry another discussuon board!!

pinkshoes

Jimmyboy34 wrote: »

its all very well saying avoid this place but your missing the point WHY should anyone have to put up with this culture that only comes from this country, these places, especially some the Greek islands are beautiful, and spoiled by Chavvy families who's selfish intent is to spoil most peoples image of what are, by and large succesful holidays. Am i the only one to think that Chav culture has grown since 1997(labour) and is the result of a lazy sit on your !!!! benefit britain- Sorry another discussuon board!!

Absolutely! The British have a shocking reputation of behaviour abroad. It's not just chavs though, it's drunken stag doos, as well as football hooligans!! (although they're probably chavs).

All fuelled by excessive alcohol...

uktim29

Jimmyboy34 wrote: »

Am i the only one to think that Chav culture has grown since 1997(labour)

No, I started working in retail in 1994 and that type of personality was just as common then. If you work with the public you come across this sort of thing all the time. Fortunately for most others they either come across people like this either not at all or maybe once in a lifetime.

gremlin

Jimmyboy34 wrote: »

its all very well saying avoid this place but your missing the point WHY should anyone have to put up with this culture that only comes from this country,

Although I agree that unfortunatley there are an awful lot of horrendous Brits abroad it isnt only restricted to our nation. I recently spent a fortnight in Antalya in Turkey in an all inclusive full of Russian new money. :eek: It was awful. The hotel was beautiful and the facilities were amazing but the Russians were vulgar, rude and completely obnoxious. They spoke to the staff like they were rubbish, they pushed in front of anyone, they shoved kids out of the way at buffets, were greedy, messy, loud and obnoxious.

The locals in the markets were so nice to us because we were British, they HATED the russians. It was lovely being the liked nation for a change.

Bamber19

pinkshoes wrote: »

Absolutely! The British have a shocking reputation of behaviour abroad. It's not just chavs though, it's drunken stag doos, as well as football hooligans!! (although they're probably chavs).

All fuelled by excessive alcohol...

Aye, we're all British when it's a bad thing we're being accused of.

Pennylane

This is spooky! I was having this very conversation with our builder just yesterday. He is a very nice chap, married with 2 children and they always go All Inclusive and he was saying how brilliant it is.

I had to disagree - I have only experienced it once and that was enough! We usually stay in 4 or 5* hotels most of which dont do AI. One particular year we were very late and booked a week at a hotel (Half Board) The hotel was adequate and staff were fine and the resort was OK but we kept seeing all these people with armbands on and hadn't a clue what they were!

We were asked if we wished to upgrade to AI and we chose not to!:rolleyes: We like going OUT of the hotel and trying local places, not sitiing in the same place all week just so we can drink as much as possible. I also REFUSE to be "tagged" ... I cannot understand how anyone can agree to this!!

There were 2 couples with about 6 kids between them and it was horrendous watching them. Because everything was in their price they used to be provided with picnic food to take out for the day. The fathers used to stagger in with 10 boxes piled up and go through them all throwing all the fruit in the bin (uneaten) and anything else they didn't think their kids would like. It made me feel sick watching them AND their kids were not made to finish one drink before getting another - they'd be running around and leaving half glasses everywhere and the parents just kept saying "go and get another. It's all free."

Pennylane

I meant to say - these families were just like animals at a trough. :eek: They pushed their way around the food queue and caused mayhem. They were reaching over people, dropping bits of food into other dishes of food and I even saw the smallest kids sucking vinegar out of the bottles and not being reprimanded. The parents didn't bat an eyelid and just left the cruet sets like that!! I went and told a waiter and they were removed.

This whole All Inclusive business is just encouraging people to be greedy and "pile it high" and absolutely teaching children nothing at all. It is horrendous and I will never, ever go All Inclusive.

Actually last time we were in Majorca it was big news about this very subject. I think I am correct in saying that only about 40 hotels in Majorca have permission to be All Inclusive although there are hundreds offering this. Local shopkeepers, bar owners and restaurants were all complaining that it was affecting their trade very badly. People were going for the All Inclusive and not leaving their hotels at all!! We went out every evening and many of these places were deserted.

margaretclare

About 5 years ago now we went on a 4-day break to Warners at Hayling Island. It was meant to be a 'silver surfers' get-together but in fact there were abut 200 wrinklies there (OK, we're wrinklies too!) But it was the same sort of attitude - 'eat it all, it's paid for'. At least they didn't throw it on the floor, but they were piling their plates up and going back for another plateful - you'd think they were camels who could store it all up for the whole year!!

My late first husband used to be a steward on migrant liners to Australia, what were called 'ten-pound Poms'. He worked in the dining-room and he said then that most people had no idea how to eat. They'd start at the top of the menu and work their way down to the bottom, instead of selecting from starters, main course etc, they'd eat the lot.

I detest kids running around with food or drinks in their hands. We stayed in the Leeming Bar Motel last August and the best-behaved kids there were in an Indian family, 2 little girls. The others were allowed to get down, run around, come back to table etc.

DH and I said that when our children were little (we have different children!!) they weren't allowed to get down from table unless they'd finished, and if they got down, they couldn't come back. I think maybe some of the problem is that many families don't even eat at a table, they eat on a sofa in front of a TV, so there is no opportunity for the children to learn any manners.