Post your "American Moments" here.

[Doktor Howl]

There are actually quite a few Americans here.  I haven't seen them in linguistic action so far, but it's only a matter of time.

Good thing most of the Genevese speak English.

Language + chipper = American tourist.

[Cain]

Watching them deal with the traffic is fun, too.  Geneva has some very narrow streets, plenty of trams and buses, and car hire/taxis are incredibly expensive.  And they drive here like Italians, the locals.

[Doktor Howl]

Watching them deal with the traffic is fun, too.  Geneva has some very narrow streets, plenty of trams and buses, and car hire/taxis are incredibly expensive.  And they drive here like Italians, the locals.

I won't even drive in New York or Boston, let alone Europe.  Taxi, bus, train or hoofing it are the only options I bother with.

[Cain]

The bus/tram system here is nothing short of amazing (I've only had to wait more than five minutes once, and travel cards usually come as part of the deal with your hotel, plus they go everywhere), but it seems most of the Americans I've met are a little uncomfortable with not having their own car.

Then again, the sort of person who comes here is probably used to comfortable, private travel regardless of where they came from (damn bankers, hedge fund analysts, diplomats etc) so there may be some selection bias going on there.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

The neighbor bitch called the cops on the kids from the street last night for shooting off bottle rockets having/attending a good time. 

This was the moment.  The rest could have happened anywhere.

But you know why mine were the only ones she saw right???

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

The bus/tram system here is nothing short of amazing (I've only had to wait more than five minutes once, and travel cards usually come as part of the deal with your hotel, plus they go everywhere), but it seems most of the Americans I've met are a little uncomfortable with not having their own car.

Then again, the sort of person who comes here is probably used to comfortable, private travel regardless of where they came from (damn bankers, hedge fund analysts, diplomats etc) so there may be some selection bias going on there.

  Not many of us innercity bus savvy types taking the grand tour 

[Fredfredly ⊂(◉‿◉)つ]

I almost did the bad american touristy thing of taking pics of the shantytown outside jo.berg when we drove by but i didnt

[NWC]

I often deny myself delicious Belgian fries(or other fatty foods) if I'm with people that speak English because I don't want to fulfill the American stereotype. If I'm with my girlfriend, with whom I usually speak English, I insist that we speak French if we're doing something American-y, either something lazy or piggish or whatever. I refuse to succumb to the stereotype!

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

Yesterday I drove past several large free streetcorner TVs because we already have enough giant TVs in our house, but I stopped to pick up a little one because I thought my 10-year-old might want to hook up his X-Box in his room.

OK, so. This thing that goes on with TVs. Is this commonplace in other countries? Our streets are littered with perfectly functional televisions just because they are tube instead of LCD, aren't wide-screen, and don't have HDTV tuners. Big ones; I've seen some 42" TVs with a sign that says "WORKS!" sitting on curbsides.

This happens here a lot.

[Triple Zero]

Even though I finished all my work at 11:30,
I still have to hang out here until 5 PM.   

That's more of a first world problem, not a blatant act of America on your part (or the witnessing thereof).

Posting about it during work hours is, though

[Rumckle]

Yesterday I drove past several large free streetcorner TVs because we already have enough giant TVs in our house, but I stopped to pick up a little one because I thought my 10-year-old might want to hook up his X-Box in his room.

OK, so. This thing that goes on with TVs. Is this commonplace in other countries? Our streets are littered with perfectly functional televisions just because they are tube instead of LCD, aren't wide-screen, and don't have HDTV tuners. Big ones; I've seen some 42" TVs with a sign that says "WORKS!" sitting on curbsides.

Not so much with TVs here, but couches are commonly seen, and the occasional washing machine/dryer.

Living close to a university those couches are usually gone within a day.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Yesterday I drove past several large free streetcorner TVs because we already have enough giant TVs in our house, but I stopped to pick up a little one because I thought my 10-year-old might want to hook up his X-Box in his room.

OK, so. This thing that goes on with TVs. Is this commonplace in other countries? Our streets are littered with perfectly functional televisions just because they are tube instead of LCD, aren't wide-screen, and don't have HDTV tuners. Big ones; I've seen some 42" TVs with a sign that says "WORKS!" sitting on curbsides.

This happens here a lot.

I appreciate your implication that Florida is another country. 

[Jenne]

Uh, I constantly find myself slipping into Spanish when I try to speak French.  It's pretty embarrasing, actually.  Dunno if it's "American", but it's typically Anglo-Saxon.

Conversely, this happens in reverse to me when I travel in Mexico--much MORE embarassing, as I LIVE in San Difuckingego.

So I totally getcha.

Also: hope you're back, Man.

[Jenne]

The fact that you speak more than one language disqualifies you from being an American.

The fact that you speak at least 3 languages (English, French, Spanish) bars you from entry.

Americans are forbidden to speak more Spanish than exists on the Taco Bell menu, and any French at all.  When we try, it comes out as, say, "parlayz vews frankass, monsewer?" or "hayblay aspannyol, senior?".

Does not NEITHER! 

[tyrannosaurus vex]

I was complaining earlier about having too much food in the house and not knowing what to pick.