I always like to read Destinations & Diversions in Friday’s edition of USA Today. This caught my eye yesterday. A survey of 1500 European hotel managers recently conducted for Expedia.com says that Americans are the best tippers by far. Also good, Russians and Japanese.
Worst tippers:
-Germans
-French
-Israelis
Politeness: best
-Japanese
-Brits
-Americans
Politeness: least
-Russians
-Israelis
-French
Best Dressed:
-Italians
-French
-Spanish
Worst Dressed:
-Americans by far (just telling you what the article said)
-Brits
-Germans
Sorry to say I agree that Americans are the worst dressed. Seems anything goes anymore, from baseball caps not being removed in public when they should,to inappropriate attire in restaurants and public places. When did we become such a sloppy nation? Maybe etiquette 101 needs to be re-added to elementary education.
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Hi Elaine,
What an interesting collection of best and worst.
I have to agree with you on the American dress. When I traveled for business internationally three decades back, I would oftentimes be embarassed to be around the typical American Tourist (in stark contrast in dress and manners than the host country people).
Nice to hear we’re good tippers anyway! Being a waitress for 4 years in my younger days, I learned to appreciate a good tip!
Got a laugh out of that …doesn’t surprise me that Germans are not very high on the tippers list. When I give my usual tip, they’re surprised, always very pleased, and German friends tell me that I way “over-tip”… so I figure that as an American tipping in Germany, I must be quite the waiter/waitress’ dream!
I kinda feel like “it’s not the clothes that makes the man” or worman. As long as the clothing is clean I’m more interested in the person. I remember riding on the public transportation in Europe and being dismayed at the body oder, but then that has to do with how I was raised. And it didn’t matter if I was in England, France, Germany or Italy, the smell was ALWAYS way to ripe for my tastes.
Nice post.
Gandalfe’s post surprises me. That’s very interesting! I’ve never been to Europe, but I can’t imagine any people not being offended by someone else’s unpleasant body odor. Guess deodorants aren’t a big seller there. lol
As for dressing up…. I don’t do it much myself anymore because most places accomodate such casual dress, but I do admire others when their appearance is pleasant and respectable.
Interesting, I think there all pretty much spot on.
About dress standards I think the problem is that casual is in, formal is out. Take clubs for instance, not that I go anymore but when I did, (1977 – 1982) to get into the good nightclubs one had to be dressed very well. Todays club dress standards are super casual. Italians are very keen on fashion and dress standards, no surprises here. I see you mention etiquette, that’s so appropriate. Etiquette is a wide ranging term and in the context of its various meanings we perhaps need it covered in education streams. By wide ranging I refer to, manners, civility, courtesy, dignity, formality, rules of conduct, social codes AND appropriate dress standards. Great post!
Nooner – and it’s even worse today!
Kimmy – I read not too long ago that the United States is the most generous country in the world. We always come to the aid of those in need and less fortunate.
Karen – yes I’m sure they love ya
Grandalfe – I agree clothes should be clean and well kept of course. But also wearing appropriate clothing is very important in my mind. How many people have not been hired for a job because they showed up for the interview looking sloppy or dressed inappropriately? I think Americans have taken casual attire to a whole new level.
Janet – I’m not even talking about dressing up per se. I’m talking about wearing appropriate clothing for wherever one might be. Too many people don’t.
Ottavio – yes casual has been taken to a whole new level hasn’t it? I like your comment on etiquette, very well said.
Hi Elaine, interesting article and comments. About attire, let’s talk about baggy pants hanging around the navel. Well, not overly appealing to me, but, to a lot of folks that is the only way to go. Sloppy, perhaps, in my view, yes. Of course, a lot of multi-millionaire singers are very sloppy in their attire with their baggy pants and their caps on backward and on and on. Or are they? I personally had rather focus on cleanliness rather than garb. If a person is clean, let him/her wear what they care to, or in Brittany’s case, what they don’t care to!!
Walt
Hi Elaine,
I am reading all this with a big grin and a lot of different ideas!!. I guess perhaps we are more about impressing people by being good then trying to impress them with what we are wearing.
On the other hand, I agree that often proper dress would be so nice to see now and again. Nonetheless, the fragrant aromas that emit from some “well dressed” people are often breathtaking sending me to the nearest window or furthest seat.
I can remember traveling to Alaska back in the sixties wearing a suit, silk blouse, pearl earrings and heels. Then the next plane to Fairbanks broke and there was an 8 hour delay in Seattle airport amongst so many people from the “bush” wearing lord only knows what and carrying guns and bows and arrows and rifles, all needing a change of clothes and a bath. I felt out of place for sure, but my dress was what was accepted and how we all traveled in those days. I cannot describe what I found when arriving in the middle of the night in Fairbanks, but it convinced me that I should go home with my seat mate and his father. Talk about taking chances. However, it was better than staying in that airport with the locals (who were oogling me) until morning when my friends were to arrive from an Indian/Eskimo village a hundred thirty miles west of Fairbanks, on the yukon river.
That leg of the trip was made in jeans, somehow the other clothes did not go in the bush plane. I have been a jeans traveler since. At this point in life I am the little old lady in jeans and sneakers!!!
aj
I can remember not to long ago when getting on a plane, how well dressed everyone was.Men had on at least a suit jacket,many with ties and the women,they were dressed in their finest.Look at the people now getting on and off planes. big difference I must say. How did that all start? Just wondering.
Welcome back.Elaine!
Robert
I think these kinds of things are too subjective to draw good conclusions from.
Hi Elaine,
Hope you had a good Labor Day weekend. Did you?
Being an American holiday enjoyer I’m in relaxed clothes of a golf shirt and khakis at the end of a lovely day off from work … lol.
Interesting how the majority of comments zero’d right in to the clothes part, and not as much to the tipping and politeness part of the Expedia.com survey.
My daughter came home to visit this weekend from her bachorlette pad in New Hampshire, and clothes have been on my mind much of today. That is because there has been a distant sound in my house much of the day of the washing machine whirling and the dryer spinning. With each occasional visit we have the pleasure of welcoming both her … and what seems to be a few loads of laundry … home. HaHaHa.
I hope there is enough hot water left so I can take a shower. Though I take mine daily in the morning (at at this writing is the early evening here in New England), after reading a few comments here touching upon body odors, I find myself subconciously wanting a good soak and scrub in the tub once again .. lol.
~Nooner~
Elaine,
I enjoyed your blog about the survey. What surprised me the most was that the Russians were great tippers, but had the extreme contrast of being one of the least polite, and I thought that was really interesting.
My opinion is that what we wear often says something about what we think of ourselves. (I am excluding those that are too poor to dress a certain way in this observation.) My thoughts go along the lines of yours, that some of what is worn is inappropriate, for certain places, and a let down in standards, where you should have them. Style and function each have their place. It is sad to me that some of the styles are so slovenly, and intentionally have the look of gang wear, or like you are terribly poor. It is rather ironic that such clothes are still very expensive for particular “name brands”, just like the more traditional expensive wear. Even sadder that you can get robbed or killed, for what you are wearing, whatever style it is, because of a label. What people wear isn’t what makes me like them or not, but it is interesting to factor in how what people wear does say something about them, because they choose to wear a certain thing.
There is that saying “You can’t judge a book by its cover”…but the problem is…we do rely on the cover to help decide whether or not we want to purchase a book, unless we are aquainted with the author and already know what that author’s books are like. Ask advertizers how important a cover is. Even people that say they don’t judge other people are making a judgement on the people that they think are judging. We all make judgements of one kind or another.
Hi Elaine.. I changed the link on my space to this address so people can come and check this blog out. I love wordpress too.. but mostly mine is just copies of my msn space. Nicely done here. I like it!
Take care.. Carol
Phew!!! I’m glad I don’t have my baseball hat on today.
I need to remind myself more to come visit your blog. With your shared tidbits of info I always have something to take home with me.
You and your loved ones be well, Greg
Walt – ah yes, baggy pants down to the butt and underwear hanging out is not a pretty sight in my eyes either
AJ – funny story, you and your travels, you should write a book, especially with your last trip to China.
Robert – I remember too when flying people use to dress up. Nowadays flying has changed so much, cramped spaces, dirty planes, grumpy people. I’ve joined the masses of dressing for comfort when it comes to flying.
Laoch – good point.
Nooner – yes very interesting indeed! On the positive side we are generous and polite so let’s not forget that
Beth – I agree with you…like it or not we are judged by our appearance. About getting shot for designer brands– heard on the local news that 2 men were shot for their sunglasses!
Caroldee – thanks! Good to see you again.
Greg – lol I don’t mind baseball hats, call me old fashioned though I do think they should be removed in a decent restaurant. Thanks for stopping by.
Lol, tips? what are they?
Yeah, I’m still here sweet, hope all is well with you and yours…
Rich Xxx
What ever happened to “Miss Manners”? She always had something to say about all things etiquette. Has everyone stopped reading “Dear Abby”?
I like the idea about adding etiquette 101 back into the curriculum. Just don’t tell the parents about it. They might think their personal rearing of their children is being unduly criticized.
Very informative…
From my meager experience as a server, I found Mexican-descent persons tip better than most Americans. Assuming you give good service.
But good posts..I hadn’t been by in ages…
Elaine,
I read your post on Rhea’s blog about the AARP and just came by to check out “what’s on your mind.” I’ve always thought the Aussies were the most polite. But the Japanese would run a close second.
As far as the AARP event, I don’t think I’m ready for that crowd yet either—the baby boomer generation covers nearly 20 years and I’m on the lower end of the scale so I’m planning an event for the boomer women who “just wanna have fun!”