Limp 'rists
Tourist #1: [On the train. American, judging by the volume.] Danes sure dress different, huh?
Tourist #2: Specially the women. I feel like I want to squeeze everybody's tits together.
Tourist #1: The dudes be wearing some weird shit, man. Look at that dude's shirt.
Tourist #2: The fuck does it say on it?
Tourist #1: Probably something in Dutch, dumbass
Tourist #2: You never see people here in, like, normal clothes.
Tourist #1: [Gesturing toward me, hockey-stick distance away] This dude's got a hat on. Some Danes dress OK.
Me: Um, bescuse me? I'm actually American. And everyone on this train can understand everything you're saying.
I wanted to continue: 'And that guy's shirt? It's in German. And it says that the only thing more culturally tactful than a George Bush karaoke party is two Americans thinking out loud on public transport. Have a nice dag, knuckleheads'.
What's the old saying? 'Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of power'? I know I could have been nicer, and probably should have, but man, it felt fucking bacon to be on the giving rather than receiving end of tourist-shame for once.
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(The other big shock was seeing old people again - proper old people like we had when I was a kid - little old ladies in rainmates and beige raincoats - that kind of thing. I never saw any old people in Boulder. )