English Police vs American Tourist: Freedom of speech

[HAL9000]

You thought wrong. This fat bastard would have been hauled in. These UK officers were much nicer than he would have gotten from the majority of our law enforcement around the country. ESPECIALLY if he used the N-word against a black officer. He probably would have gotten pepper sprayed and/or tased for that offense given his described demeanor during the encounter.

Is that purely because he was insulting or because there was a race element? I'm very confused about American freedom of speech laws, what can you not say then?

 

[corwin]

I'm very confused

Enough said...

 

[Perknose]

I've run across people that are that stupid, but I've never run across one that could afford any type of travel. I also doubt the veracity of the story, it comes across as fiction.

I lived and travelled extensively in Europe, and I ran across PLENTY of fat, loud, obnoxious American tourists who made me cringe with their ignorant, boorish behavior -- nothing quite like on the level of this story -- but cringe worthy nevertheless.

But people behaving badly in other countries is certainly not limited to Americans -- stories of Japanese buisnessmen going gonzo hog wild having momentarily escaped the strict behavior codes of their country and of English soccer hooligans going violently nuts before/during/after matches on the continent come to mind.

LOL As an American myself..you other Americans in this thread are fucking dumb or dense or something. "OMG this story is fiction..i cant figure out the fucking point...that word is lame" Grow up for fucks sake.

Not quite this, but there does seem to be a ton of dishonest faux outrage in many poster's reactions, as if our citizen's shit never stinks and therefore any story that presents any one of us in a bad light must perforce be untrue.

Of course, angry, emotional dislike of the OP just might be an underlying motivation for many responding here. :hmm:

 

[HAL9000]

I lived and travelled extensively in Europe, and I ran across PLENTY of fat, loud, obnoxious American tourists who made me cringe with their ignorant, boorish behavior -- nothing quite like on the level of this story -- but cringe worthy nevertheless.

But people behaving badly in other countries is certainly not limited to Americans -- stories of Japanese buisnessmen going gonzo hog wild having momentarily escaped the strict behavior codes of their country and of English soccer hooligans going violently nuts before/during/after matches on the continent come to mind.



Not quite this, but there does seem to be a ton of dishonest faux outrage in many poster's reactions, as if our citizen's shit never stinks and therefore any story that presents any one of us in a bad light must perforce be untrue.

Of course, angry, emotional dislike of the OP just might be an underlying motivation for many responding here. :hmm:

As per usual I agree with everything in your post.

Our football hooligans are the worst when they go abroad, I have to say I was guilty of that in Houston a few years ago, I saw a Man U vs Something All Starts game, and in the UK you can't drink at football matches, you can there so I got smashed, I remember shouting "Revoke American Independence" Which didn't go down too well...

 

[corwin]

I lived and travelled extensively in Europe, and I ran across PLENTY of fat, loud, obnoxious American tourists who made me cringe with their ignorant, boorish behavior -- nothing quite like on the level of this story -- but cringe worthy nevertheless.

Without a doubt this does happen, the story just seems to take a LOT of creative license which was the point being made...

Of course, angry, emotional dislike of the OP just might be an underlying motivation for many responding here.

Definitely likely true, maybe because of a general attitude and things like...

I remember shouting "Revoke American Independence" Which didn't go down too well...

 

[PimpJuice]

Of course we dislike the OP. I bet the OP doesn't even like himself.

 

[0roo0roo]

burn the koran, go to jail in the uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-13119241
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/25/girl-arrested-allegedly-burning-quran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUCRamTAJEY

 

[Howard]

i fucking hate this thread and everybody in it for wasting my time

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

No evidence to the contrary either.

Here's what makes it seem like fiction to me: it's TOTALLY one sided. The tourist and his wife are the absolute stereotype of the ugly American. "Fuck" is every third word out of his mouth. Now, I have known people who talk that way, but they're relatively rare. The Brits are represented as completely level-headed and totally civil. That in itself is more believable to me, but since I've only known a handful of them personally, I might be depending on my own personal stereotype.

Oh and the American is evil, yet the cops don't have the time or man power to arrest him because of the MONTHS OF RIOTING?
This piece is nothing more than an attempt to slam Americans.

 

[waggy]

lol great story. Working in retail for years it really wouldn't surprise me if that was true.

 

[zerogear]

Most likely true as I've seen those types of people when I was living in Japan (probably not as fat, as they probably wouldn't fit through the doors ). A lot of US travelers bring their entire culture in a bag with them when they travel. And anything that is not the same as US is considered stupid.

 

[HAL9000]

Of course we dislike the OP. I bet the OP doesn't even like himself.

You and Moonbeam bet wrong on that one.

burn the koran, go to jail in the uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-13119241
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/25/girl-arrested-allegedly-burning-quran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUCRamTAJEY

Yep.

lol great story. Working in retail for years it really wouldn't surprise me if that was true.

Ha, So true.

 

[HAL9000]

Most likely true as I've seen those types of people when I was living in Japan (probably not as fat, as they probably wouldn't fit through the doors ). A lot of US travelers bring their entire culture in a bag with them when they travel. And anything that is not the same as US is considered stupid.

Very true, I can't think of another nation that does it as much as the US

 

[corwin]

Very true, I can't think of another nation that does it as much as the US

A stereotype based on your extensive worldly travels I'm sure

Should have just stopped with "I can't think":whiste:

 

[Theb]

Is that purely because he was insulting or because there was a race element? I'm very confused about American freedom of speech laws, what can you not say then?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech_in_the_United_States < actually a pretty good read and would probably answer all of your questions.

It wouldn't protect the behavior in the OP. If the fictitious American in the OP wanted to stand on the sidewalk holding a sign that said "KFC short-changed me and they employ black security guards." He would probably be protected until KFC produced the video proving he hadn't been short-changed. At that point he could be sued for libel.

 

[OutHouse]

Most likely true as I've seen those types of people when I was living in Japan (probably not as fat, as they probably wouldn't fit through the doors ). A lot of US travelers bring their entire culture in a bag with them when they travel. And anything that is not the same as US is considered stupid.

and i have run across snooty brits here in the US. bad people are everywhere and in every culture/country.

 

[zerogear]

and i have run across snooty brits here in the US. bad people are everywhere and in every culture/country.

I didn't say it was exclusively US people. But there are a lot more people like that that are from US than from other countries (perhaps because of pure volume).

 

[Perknose]

and i have run across snooty brits here in the US. bad people are everywhere and in every culture/country.

Give us an example. Tell us specifically what happened so that we may judge the horror of your experience for ourselves.

 

[OutHouse]

Give us an example. Tell us specifically what happened so that we may judge the horror of your experience for ourselves.

are you serious?

 

[corwin]

Give us an example.

How about a drunken twit...uh, Brit...at a soccer game yelling out "Revoke American Independence"?:whiste:...or should it be further embellished like the OP?:biggrin:

 

[Oyeve]

Ive been to the UK many times as well as Germany, France and pretty much a lot of places in Europe and can say that by far, USA tourist are the most rudest racist group to ever visit europe. Hell, we make fun of canada for no reason at all. I had so many arguments with rude racist americans when I was in europe all the time. They always made fun of the customs, accents food, you name it americans would make fun of it. Sometimes I am not too proud to be one.

As for the OP, I would have clopped him over the head with a nightstick. Freedom of speech my ass, freedom of wood to the head.

 

[PokerGuy]

Roughly the same thing in the same situation would have happened in the US. Racist remarks used like that are hate crimes.

No, they are not. Not in the US. Unless there was a threat of some sort, calling someone a name is not a crime in the US. The US still has a little tiny bit of freedom of speech left, the UK obviously has abandoned it long ago.

Another prime example of UK stupidity, where calling someone something they find offensive is a crime.

 

[KlokWyze]

Ive been to the UK many times as well as Germany, France and pretty much a lot of places in Europe and can say that by far, USA tourist are the most rudest racist group to ever visit europe. Hell, we make fun of canada for no reason at all. I had so many arguments with rude racist americans when I was in europe all the time. They always made fun of the customs, accents food, you name it americans would make fun of it. Sometimes I am not too proud to be one.

As for the OP, I would have clopped him over the head with a nightstick. Freedom of speech my ass, freedom of wood to the head.

This seems incredibly illogical. I've never even seen anyone in my life call someone a nig*** to another's face in public to a stranger. This would be an exceptionally rare event that would be reacted to with general disgust. And that shit IS against the law if you are threatening, harassing, etc.

I always see these hypothetical situations presented by English heads (via internet only of course) as a way to deface Americans (or vindicate their prejudice), like we are all belligerent over weight racists who have no class. All cultures have stupid assholes. No culture's stupid assholes are better or worse than other culture's stupid assholes.

 

[Perknose]

are you serious?

Yes. You said, "i have run across snooty brits here in the US." So, yeah, give us a well-described example of a British citizen visiting the US who was, zomg, "snooty" to you.

If true, you had to have a vivid personal incident in mind. You can omit any tears you shed, but, yeah, pony up with a real life example, please -- when, where, who, why, background, the whole deal.

Otherwise, I'm calling you out as just another casual blowhard BS artist lazily trading on tired and cliched generalizations on the internet, Chief.

Prove me wrong or eat . . . bangers and mash.

 

[KlokWyze]

Yes. You said, "i have run across snooty brits here in the US." So, yeah, give us a well-described example of a British citizen visiting the US who was, zomg, "snooty" to you.

If true, you had to have a vivid personal incident in mind. You can omit any tears you shed, but, yeah, pony up with a real life example, please -- when, where, who, why, background, the whole deal.

Otherwise, I'm calling you out as just another casual blowhard BS artist lazily trading on tired and cliched generalizations on the internet, Chief.

Prove me wrong or eat . . . bangers and mash.

Are you ACTUALLY inferring that no snooty brits exist?