Company lets U.S. travelers 'Go Canadian

[Brundle_Fly]

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/12/07/canada.tshirts.ap/index.html
CNN.com - Company lets U.S. travelers 'Go Canadian' - Dec 7, 2004

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) -- An American T-shirt company has a solution for their fellow citizens who want to vacation in Europe without having to answer questions about U.S. politics -- pose as Canadians.

For $24.95, T-shirtKing.com offers the "Go Canadian" package, full of just the kind of things an American traveler needs to leave their country and its politics behind.

There's a Canadian flag T-shirt, a Canadian flag lapel pin and a Canadian patch for luggage or a backpack. There's also a quick reference guide -- "How to Speak Canadian, Eh?" -- on answering questions about Canada.

soo sad.

[BiggJawn]

1. What a great idea, Eh?

Don't wanna look like one of them hosers, eh?

[Brundle_Fly]

2. It's a sad day when being an american

is to lie about who you are.

[Darth_Kitten]

5. I don't want a freeper posing as canadian......

because he has to go out of the the country on business or something. :mad:
Canadians aren't "America Lite". :(

[Child_Of_Isis]

14. I think freepers hate Canada. n/t

[Seldona]

3. I will have to get one for my freeper

sister and brother in law.

They are headed to Europe this summer, and are seriously worried about the reception they will recieve.

Although my sister wants to go to Paris, my brother in law will not step foot in France.

Unbelievable.

[Darth_Kitten]

6. Then why are they going to Europe?

Maybe let them get a taste of the attitudes on their own? :shrug:

[Seldona]

7. Well I know my sister has wanted to go since she was a kid.

As for her husband, he is most likely being dragged along.

And yea they should, and most likely will, see the attitude.

Especially my loud mouth brother in law.

That is what has me worried.

He won't back down for anything.

[jakpalmer]

9. If your brother in law comes with an open mind

He could be pleasantly surprised with the attitude toward tourists in Paris, even American tourists.

I hope he does...

[flygal]

10. My freeper in-laws come over to visit us and it is humiliating!

They speak English to everybody - don't even try to use German, they complain about everything!! They act so inconvenienced that not everyone speaks English! I want to tell them to stay home this year!!

[Child_Of_Isis]

15. If they are freepers,

let them be treated as such.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. 31: Please don't let them go! #2: There is *no* "attitude" in Europe

The only attitude I've ever encountered in Europe is the same as any attitudes I've ever encountered here. The anti-Americanism is a myth. However, if *you* (referring to your bro-in-law) have an attitude, rest assured you'll see the face of anti-Americanism. Go to New York and insult someone and see how fast you see an attitude. No different there.

But please, don't let him go. I have to visit there with some regularity. I like the people there, have many friends there and want to keep it that way. I know there are some French who post here, and I defer to them on this, but my own experience in France is that the idiots who won't eat anything but Freedom Fries just don't go to France ... and I would love to see it stay that way. I don't want to see the French become conditioned to mistrust the American individual they might encounter in their country.

National attitudes about certain countries often do not coincide with one person's attitude toward another person. If we comport ourselves as citizens of the world, we'll usually be treated as such.

Tell your sis and bro-in-law to go to ..... I dunno ..... Hollywood, maybe, for their vacation.

But not to Europe.

[SomthingsGotaGive]

29. Are you serious?

No European will buy this shit.

Canadians have been traveling Europe for decades showing people the true Canadian spirit.

No wolf dressed in lambs clothing will fool the worldly Europeans.

Besides Europeans aren't the ones with the freedom fries.

[Deja Q]

4. Always a new way to exploit.

Sad.

[JNelson6563]

8. O' Canada!

How I love thee! I may make you my home in the near future!

Julie

[moondust]

11. Don't take your guns along either.

They're a dead giveaway.

[0007]

12. Great idea, 'eh?

I already have two from Canada and one from Nigeria. No wants to know anything about Nigeria.

[Danmel]

13. It is safer to be Canadian

When we were in Canada this summer a woman who worked at the Capilano Suspension Bridge just north of Vancouver told us that she had gone abroad earlier in the summer and people thought she was American and were very nasty to her. So she bought a Canadian flag pin and everyone was nice to her. Sad how the world views us now. We used to be admired, now we are reviled.

BTW if you ever get to Vancouver, definitely check out the bridge and the treetop adventure- it is way cool


http://www.capbridge.com

[Stinky The Clown]

17. I've been on that bridge - such a beautiful part of the world, Vancouver

I'd have to say that Vancouver is the most delightful major city in North America. And yeah, that bridge is worth seeing. Amazing!

I do business in the Toronto area and, for a time in the 1990's, was in the habit of spending one week a month there. Out of that came my personal stash of Canadian regalia. I've rarely had to pose as a Canadian, but if I have to, I can manage to get by. I was last in Europe this past summer (Paris) and saw no need to pose as a Canadian. I felt no overt anti-Americanism. I have not been there since the election debacle, so I don't know if things have changed. I can't imagine they did - at least not much.

I know there are French who post here. Is that the case or am I being self-delusional?

[trogdor]

25. I would hope they treat blue state Americans better.

...that would be like MOST of the inter-border traffic, eh. We'll be in Kingston, ON, this weekend; let you know how that works out.

[lastliberalintexas]

30. Why only blue state Americans?

You do realize that phrase, "blue state Americans", *includes* Bush voters, right? You do realize that almost 45% of the Northeast voted for Bush, right? Why should a Nazi Bushie from Vermont be treated better in Europe than a Kerry supporter from Utah? They shouldn't. I know that's not what you meant, btw. But it is what you said.

It's about time that we liberals learned to distinguish amongst the different kinds of Americans ourselves. There are fascist Bush voters, and then there are the rest of us. It doesn't matter where we live, because there are both kinds everywhere. And it's the *Bush voters* who deserve the scorn no matter where they live, not those of us unfortunate enough to live in Nazi Land.


Sorry for the mini-rant. But I'm tired of the blue state references, when there isn't a single state that went for Kerry by 100%. It's about time we refine the language and direct the criticism where it is deserved- at the BUSH VOTERS.

[Minstrel Boy]

18. If freepers are going to be impersonating Canadians abroad

I'm afraid it won't be safe to be Canadian much longer.

[tuvor]

19. Obvious forgeries.

O'Canada? Like some Irish guy? C'mon...

[Swede]

20. Just great,now us Canadians won't be safe,

when word of this spreads.

[SweetLeftFoot]

21. My Canadian mates

Are very unhappy with this development. Anyway, whenever I hear somebody with a North American accent I always ask them "Where you from in Canada" ... it always amuses to see the shock and anger of those freeper Yanks who simply cannot believe you don't KNOW they come from URMERIKA.

[American Tragedy]

22. I can honestly say that I ran into no problems whatsoever in Germany

and I made no special efforts to conceal my nationality.

If I had wanted to pretend to be from elsewhere, it wouldn't have been hard. I consistently spoke German, and as I expected, most people seemed to have trouble distinguishing different anglophone accents. In fact, practically none of them were apparently able to tell that I was from North America, much less the United States - if they did, they never said so. A few Germans asked if I was English, one wondered if I was Irish, and a couple even thought I was Dutch.

[Megahurtz]

23. This is stupid

Canadians don't generally go around wearing Canadian shirts and patches etc. and you can't turn an American accent into a Canadian one.

Just another way for a U.S. corporation to make big bucks by exploitation. It just makes Americans look even more idiotic.

[Canadian_moderate]

24. I agree

I'm Canadian and I don't go out of my way to look Canadian. I've never been treated poorly in Europe. Only rude loud-mouths with a chip on their shoulders get treated like crap.

Kind of reminds me of when I was in Amsterdam and some American joked that he should get the free canal boat tour because "his people" liberated the Netherlands and Europe. I'm sure Europeans were grateful for that, but comments like that are simply rude and annoying to people who are just trying to make a living.

[Minstrel Boy]

26. Damn. Not only was he rude, but he was wrong.

It was Canadians who liberated the Netherlands! :)

[Canadian_moderate]

27. Not totally accurate Minstrel Boy...

Americans and Brits also liberated parts of the Netherlands, mostly the southeastern parts near the German border.

The Dutch consider Canadians to be their main liberators, but they do not forget the sacrifices made by Americans and Brits either.

I'm fairly familiar with Dutch history since I was born there and lived there for a while.

[Darth_Kitten]

31. None of us forget the sacrifices......

it's that attitude "look what my country did for you" that is annoying and arrogant....

:)

[amazona]

28. i'm not worried about attitude

A friend of mine is truly a wild-eyed wingnut of the first water and he just emailed me from overseas that he was having a blast. I doubt there is any attitude from people tourists are likely to encounter, they just want the cash.