Suppose you're in class, and the guy next to you lights up a cigar... - by Aja
Myoldnamebroke on 7/4/2006 at 04:06
Well, clearly it's not the shrimp but its BURNING HYDROCARBONS that are smoking out the lecture theatre. If it was being cooked properly they'd be no problem.
As for your other point, AMERICANS SUE, BRITS QUEUE.
You see? All the Americans say they'd go do this like totally American thing to do! Those wacky Yanks! But we can live up to our national stereotypes just as well! We'd probably offer the bloke a cup of tea to enjoy instead of a cigar! :laff:
Ultraviolet on 7/4/2006 at 04:15
I still don't know what you mean by "queue" as a verb in this context. Do you mean that you would form a line leading to this person for some reason?
I know this probably comes off as a troll, but honestly, I don't understand what you're saying.
Myoldnamebroke on 7/4/2006 at 04:20
Yes. That's what I'm saying.
Phydeaux on 7/4/2006 at 04:21
Quote Posted by Strangeblue
Bullshit. I'm calling a bullshit on the "American" response.
Yep. Or maybe just a poor attempt at humor (sorry, humour). My response would be something like "What the fuck are you doing?!?", and then tell (not ask) him to put it out. If only so nobody'd call the authorities on him and get him in trouble for doing such a stupid thing. Not that it's really a remotely like senario anyway. No matter how much a dick a person is (even in America), people just don't light up inside a school.
Nicker on 7/4/2006 at 04:24
Quote Posted by Ultraviolet
Do you mean that you would form a line leading to this person for some reason?
Exactly, so they can take turns giving the culprit a particularly nasty stare or make ironic (thus incomprehensible to Americans) comments.
Low Moral Fiber on 7/4/2006 at 04:26
Obviously the American response would be to shoot the guy smoking the cigar and probably most of the rest of the class too.
topi:cool:
Nic-o-tin-fiend on 7/4/2006 at 04:28
I would light one up with him. It isn't like they would put you in jail if you did. Secondly, you really couldn't sue him. Unless you can offer up evidence that the second hand smoke from one cigar caused you to need medical treatment of some sort.
Aja on 7/4/2006 at 04:29
Nobody ever actually lit up in school, it was just a hypothetical situation he used to illustrate a point irrelavent to this thread (read: I don't remember the point).
For all I know the prof only taught a couple years in America and got the litigation response a few times. Or he could be lying, but he doesn't really seem like the type who needs to in order to ellicit a response: he's told some funny stories, but more than a few met with weak reactions and he just shrugged it off. In fact, he's one of the best instructors I've had in my two years at this university.
Quote Posted by Low Moral Fiber
Obviously the American response would be to shoot the guy smoking the cigar and probably most of the rest of the class too.
Actually, a few Canadians apparently gave that response when asked what they thought the Americans would say.
Scots Taffer on 7/4/2006 at 04:40
Quote Posted by Nicker
Exactly, so they can take turns giving the culprit a particularly nasty stare or make ironic (thus incomprehensible to Americans) comments.
Most British people are too polite. They'd mutter amongst themselves and maybe shake their heads or avert their head in a displeased manner, but it takes the one person with enough balls to say something before they all follow on like sheep.
Ultraviolet on 7/4/2006 at 04:46
Quote Posted by Nic-o-tin-fiend
I would light one up with him. It isn't like they would put you in jail if you did. Secondly, you really couldn't sue him. Unless you can offer up evidence that the second hand smoke from one cigar caused you to need medical treatment of some sort.
1. You could be cited if not arrested, at least in the US, where there are some very specific laws. 2. Reckless endangerment much?
As for expectations of American behavior, I work for a call center, and a guy from Texas was training us. He had been to the company's HQ in India (Yeah, THEY outsourced to US?), and when they found out he was Texan, they looked him up and down and asked things like "Do you ride horse to work? Do you carry six gun? Do you drive big white car with horns on hood?" They fully believed those were likelihoods until they got to know the guy. Anyway, that guy was one of the more interesting people I've met. Very personable. Even though he meets certain stereotypes -- for his vacation, he went to HIS RANCH to WORK ON HIS FENCE POSTS (yes, that counts as a vacation somehow) -- he is himself defiant of most stereotypes.
Stereotypes that incidentally apply aren't necessarily indications of anything.
