Funny and not so funny comments you have heard tourists make.

Overheard in the courtyard of the George Inn in Borough High Street, some USA fans of Shakespeare exclaiming:

"Oh look, we can go to Stratford on the tube"

Last summer on the SouthBank I overheard two American tourists. the conversation went as follows:

"You know that builiding over there, it's modelled on the White House" while I was contemplating what on earth they were going on about, I could then hear them go through their guide book and one of them prclaimed "and it's called St Paul's".

Honestly - you can't make this stuff up!

As for London Bridge spanning Lake Havasu, I have heard however that due to the weather conditions over there, it's deteriorating. London Bridge is falling down....

Two Aussie tourists in Camberwell looking for Lew-Ger-B'Rew-Guer.

on a trip to Lincoln Cathedral overheard one American telling another that wasn't it great that they named the Cathedral after the first President of the US.

it wouldn't be so bad if it were all and sundry USAns going around saying these kind of things, but when you realise that only 30% of them have passports, you really have to worry about the rest of them!

This is to show that not only US visitors can leave us speechless. Quite a few years ago, Saturday afternoon, on White Hart Lane in Barnes I was stopped by three very confused young guys from Bolton who asked me "Where's the ground?"

Similar to Stratford & White Hart Lane, I once came across a slightly confused couple on Abbey Street asking where the Beatles zebra crossing is. Had to explain that the album cover was actually taken at the other end of London and they were looking for Abbey *Road*!

Felt a lot of sympathy though - I'm always getting lost in other cities!

JonR wrote:

it wouldn't be so bad if it were all and sundry USAns going around saying these kind of things, but when you realise that only 30% of them have passports, you really have to worry about the rest of them!

You're right to be worried. I was once in the Bronx Zoo when I heard a boy ask 'Mommy, what is it?' 'A rat' she replied, confidently. I turned round to see a very large armadillo.

JonR wrote:

on a trip to Lincoln Cathedral overheard one American telling another that wasn't it great that they named the Cathedral after the first President of the US.
it wouldn't be so bad if it were all and sundry USAns going around saying these kind of things, but when you realise that only 30% of them have passports, you really have to worry about the rest of them!

I would think that their history teacher would have none too pleased to hear that Honest Abe, ( the 16th. president) had been elevated to George Washington's rightful place as the first!

Too right, Tom. And to think they've only got 250 years of history to worry about, you'd think they'd all be experts on the subject.

beetroot wrote:

JonR wrote:

it wouldn't be so bad if it were all and sundry USAns going around saying these kind of things, but when you realise that only 30% of them have passports, you really have to worry about the rest of them!

You're right to be worried. I was once in the Bronx Zoo when I heard a boy ask 'Mommy, what is it?' 'A rat' she replied, confidently. I turned round to see a very large armadillo.

And only 1.7% of the inhabitants of Mississippi have a valid passport