5 ms·

Something not mentioned in the article is the attitude of American staff at airports. American airport staff just seem excessively rude by comparison to any oth

Something not mentioned in the article is the attitude of American staff at airports. American airport staff just seem excessively rude by comparison to any other airport or even service staff outside of airports. There is a sense that displaying power and control is much more important that showing a sense of welcome and humanity to anyone entering/exiting the US.

sjwright 10y ago
I don't have any consistent experience with airport staff generally, but when it comes to immigration workers, I've found most countries to be staffed by pleasant, cheerful people, including in the USA. The one curious exception has been the UK, where I've had a solid run of miserable sods who don't seem to appreciate that anyone would want to visit their country.
ajmurmann 10y ago
Yes that's definitely true. I remember flying from Germany a free years ago and being completely startled by the friendliness of the staff who treated you like normal people. That's quite amazing since friendlies anywhere else in Germany is far behind the US. Clerks at super market checkout lines often won't even look at you, yet airport staff behaves like normal humans.
envy2 10y ago
This. To me, one of the biggest examples is the border police. In Europe manage to do their jobs and be friendly—the guy stamping passports at AMS last month even gave me a restaurant recommendation! Meanwhile, returning to the US, I'm interrogated like a criminal about where I was and what I was doing despite being a US citizen with the clear right to re-enter my own country. And don't even get me started on the TSA and their insistence on screaming at me to take my phone out of my pocket (as if there are people in the damned elite lane that somehow don't know this already).
- jrnichols 10y ago
  "I'm interrogated like a criminal about where I was and what I was doing despite being a US citizen" This is one where your mileage may vary, but my most unfriendly experiences have been in Canada. Both Toronto and Vancouver. Other countries haven't been spectacular, mostly just sleepy immigration workers. I'd say that the folks in Germany (FRA) were the most cheerful and friendly so far.
dreamcompiler 10y ago
Employees of American-flagged airlines tend to be a bit grumpy (with some notable exceptions like Southwest). They've had to put up with layoffs, consolidations, pay cuts, overwork, pensions disappearing, etc. for decades now. This doesn't excuse their attitude, but I understand their frustration.

sjwright 10y ago

I don't have any consistent experience with airport staff generally, but when it comes to immigration workers, I've found most countries to be staffed by pleasant, cheerful people, including in the USA. The one curious exception has been the UK, where I've had a solid run of miserable sods who don't seem to appreciate that anyone would want to visit their country.

ajmurmann 10y ago

Yes that's definitely true. I remember flying from Germany a free years ago and being completely startled by the friendliness of the staff who treated you like normal people. That's quite amazing since friendlies anywhere else in Germany is far behind the US. Clerks at super market checkout lines often won't even look at you, yet airport staff behaves like normal humans.

envy2 10y ago

This. To me, one of the biggest examples is the border police. In Europe manage to do their jobs and be friendly—the guy stamping passports at AMS last month even gave me a restaurant recommendation! Meanwhile, returning to the US, I'm interrogated like a criminal about where I was and what I was doing despite being a US citizen with the clear right to re-enter my own country. And don't even get me started on the TSA and their insistence on screaming at me to take my phone out of my pocket (as if there are people in the damned elite lane that somehow don't know this already).

jrnichols 10y ago
"I'm interrogated like a criminal about where I was and what I was doing despite being a US citizen" This is one where your mileage may vary, but my most unfriendly experiences have been in Canada. Both Toronto and Vancouver. Other countries haven't been spectacular, mostly just sleepy immigration workers. I'd say that the folks in Germany (FRA) were the most cheerful and friendly so far.

dreamcompiler 10y ago

Employees of American-flagged airlines tend to be a bit grumpy (with some notable exceptions like Southwest). They've had to put up with layoffs, consolidations, pay cuts, overwork, pensions disappearing, etc. for decades now. This doesn't excuse their attitude, but I understand their frustration.