May 29, 2007

Way to go

An extract from an op-ed article in DNA published on May 24:

The French are the worst tourists in Europe, says a recent survey released by European hotels. Before we declaim loudly about famous Parisian rudeness, the balloon must be deflated — Indians are the second-worst. We are followed by China, marginally better behaved than us.

Indians are disliked because they are loud, untidy and poorly behaved. Lessons need to be taken from the Japanese who are the best tourists. They are polite and tidy. The Americans come second for being very courteous and the Swiss third for being, well, Swiss — quiet and considerate. The British are the fifth worst in the world because they are the rudest.


Incidentally, this is the second instance of this kind of ‘Indian trait’ I've heard/read in the last month. Few weeks back, one of my friends who has come on his vacation from UK happened to share with me a similar example. The university he studies there in UK offers a free overdraft facility to its students in association with a local bank. The overdraft (short term loan) can go up to GBP 2,000. The facility has been extended to smoothen the cash flows of the students who typically work as trainees there to fund their education related expenses. Apparently, this facility had to be withdrawn after reported cases of Asians (mainly Indians) utilizing the entire GBP 2,000 overdraft and flee back home. At today’s exchange rate, the booty is approx. Rs.160,000/-.

Though the two incidents are entirely different, there is a common link that reflects on the underlying psyche.

Obviously, it is really disheartening to know these things. Indeed, one may chosse to ignore such ‘irrelevant’ and ‘baseless’ surveys and information. But as they say, there is no smoke without fire!

Apologies for the anti-national skew in the post.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Many thing are true... As i am Hotelier and every day i meet's hundreads of guest's. And its very true Indians are the worst in their behaviour, even people from china.
Best in all are Americans& German's.

U No Hoo said...

I am perplexed with this fact more so because of the mannerisms and culture that we Indians are supposed to have! These experiences are extremely ironical.