Why don't Americans travel

[Infinite Jest]

There's plenty to see in america.
[snip]
Sure, it's not the difference between Japan and France by any means. But what most europeans don't seem to get.. is that flights here are expensive as shit.

I fully agree with your first point (speaking as someone who's been on both coasts, and several places in the middle, and I still feel I've barely seen anything)

I'm not so sure about the cost argument, though. It costs Aussies or Kiwis twice as much to get to Europe as it costs you guys - and your dollar is higher so it really costs us even more in real terms. But we manage it.

I'm not even sure that the 'we only get two weeks vacation' argument really holds. It's easy for you guys to change jobs, so why not save up, then go travelling in-between jobs? Or move to another country for a while (Again, this is what the Aussies and Kiwis do).

 

[realm]

I'm American...i've been to Dominican Republic, Puertro Rico, and Mexico, i also travelled all over the east coast of the US...i think that barely anyone travels in the US though. most people I know have never even left Miami. by the way i lived here my whole life, about 20 years now and i think America is a fucking cultural wasteland. you need to really dig deep to find any real culture in this country, but it is there for the ones who are willing to look long and hard for it.

 

[sydkiwi]

Why would anyone want Americans to travel to their country?

QFT!!!!

and we'd be happy for americans to travel to our country if they left the "America is the centre of the universe" mentality at home.

Toned their voices down at least 10 decibles

Oh and if you do travel outside of the usa remember people generally like Canadians better.

 

[dexis]

911

 

[syymphonatic]

blah blah blah blah sterotypes blah blah blah misconceptions blah blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda.



i think we covered everything here, no?

 

[Belisarius]

<<i'm being patriotic to the real america, you see >>

Seuss...what are you made of? :D :D

 

[dr seuss]

equal parts foolishness and gigglesmithery :D

 

[guineaPig]

^gigglesmithery. i like that.
i've picked up two knew knew words this week!
"gigglesmithery" and "faggoty"

 

[AmorRoark]

I
I'm not even sure that the 'we only get two weeks vacation' argument really holds. It's easy for you guys to change jobs, so why not save up, then go travelling in-between jobs? Or move to another country for a while (Again, this is what the Aussies and Kiwis do).

What? Easy to change jobs? Maybe for your run-of-the-mill a few cents up from minimum wage job (who, by the way, cannot afford airfare to Baltimore let alone Frankfurt). Otherwise, the job market in America is very very scarce right now. Especially jobs in tech, computer and financial fields. I can count on more than 2 hands the number of friends I have with a college degree and still hovering around min. wage.

 

[guineaPig]

^that REMINDS me. min wage went up and i think our accountant is trying to slide by and hope i dont notice and pay me the same as before...
i'll raise hell i tell ya!

 

[AmorRoark]

^ I'll be right there with you, raising hell, come July 1!

 

[guineaPig]

i'll just go home and google it and find my most recent pay stub...i think i know where i put that...

 

[StagnantReaction]

of course americans travel. dont be silly. their mommys and daddys generally pay for their travel expenses and those who dont have silk lined pockets just stay in the ghetto smoking crack and going on ricki lake or judge judy.

quoted for brilliance.

 

[junglejuice]

Yeah, we don't travel at all.

That's why I've only been to...

Canada
Bahamas
Guatemala
Belize
Spain
Andorra
Germany
France
Netherlands
Belgium
England
Scotland
Ireland
Wales
Luxembourg
Lichtenstein
Switzerland
Austria
Italy
Monaco
Greece
Turkey
Morocco
USA

%)

 

[_a_A_C_c_]

What? Easy to change jobs? Maybe for your run-of-the-mill a few cents up from minimum wage job (who, by the way, cannot afford airfare to Baltimore let alone Frankfurt). Otherwise, the job market in America is very very scarce right now. Especially jobs in tech, computer and financial fields. I can count on more than 2 hands the number of friends I have with a college degree and still hovering around min. wage.

it depends on what computer jobs people are looking for. there is still a rather large number of programmer type positions open.

the problem with the job market is that right now there are more people holding bachelor degrees than ever before. it used to be you need a BA or a BS to separate yourself from everyone else, now you need an advance degree.

also, there is a big problem with downsizing. circuit city just laid off a couple thousand salaried workers and replaced them with hourly workers at a lower pay rate.

 

[youarewhatyouis]

of course americans travel. dont be silly. their mommys and daddys generally pay for their travel expenses and those who dont have silk lined pockets just stay in the ghetto smoking crack and going on ricki lake or judge judy.

You know what my mom tells me everytime she sees a shot of London or Paris on the TV???

"I want to visit Europe one day..... but that will probably never happen." Then she sighs and hangs her head to the ground, and the depression sets in.

And then me and my brother and sister try to cheer her up "Oh mom, thats not true, you have plenty of life to live (she's 45), you'll make it there one day! Cmon, mom dont be sad!"

But deep down, we all know she's right, unless we win the lottery or some shit, she'll never be able to go. My family makes 30k a year (and I'm not ashamed).... how the fuck are we all going to fly to Europe?




God bless people like Vegan. I love his profile!

toulouse->san diego->toulouse->barcelona->bangkok

Ho-hum. Not a care in a world. He never has to convince his mother that she'll leave the country before she dies. Ho-hum. France to the USA. France to Spain. Spain to Thailand. Paying bills is boring, live your life. ho-hum.

Such a thin line between bohemian and homeless junkie. So...... fucking...... thin.

 

[AmorRoark]

it depends on what computer jobs people are looking for. there is still a rather large number of programmer type positions open.

I think another depending factor is what city you happen to be living in. For example, DC programmer positions are increasingly competative.

 

[Belisarius]

<<the problem with the job market is that right now there are more people holding bachelor degrees than ever before. it used to be you need a BA or a BS to separate yourself from everyone else, now you need an advance degree. >>

So true.

 

[Finder]

I think another depending factor is what city you happen to be living in. For example, DC programmer positions are increasingly competative.

Unless something has changed very recently there are generally loads of IT work in the DC Metro Area.

 

[Infinite Jest]

What? Easy to change jobs? Maybe for your run-of-the-mill a few cents up from minimum wage job (who, by the way, cannot afford airfare to Baltimore let alone Frankfurt). Otherwise, the job market in America is very very scarce right now.

Yeah, good point. Sorry. Easy to leave a job, but maybe not easy to find a new one. I guess that argument doesn't hold (at least at the moment). But then, Americans didn't travel much in 1999 - pre 9/11, and with a booming economy.

JJ: you are the exception, though. Someone upthread argued that Americans *do* travel a lot, because the percentage of Americans with passports is more than 10%, it's more like 25%. Well, OK. But the percentage of New Zealanders who are overseas, at any one time, is around 25% of our population. [btw, I'm not posting in this thread out of a desire to bash USAians - the Americans who do travel seriously are possibly the best travellers of any I've met; and I've always experienced good hospitality when I've visited the USA. But I do think it's interesting that a relatively low percentage of Americans travel, and I don't think that 9/11, high travel costs, or the current poor economy can really explain why this happens].