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American: "How come you Canadians always sew your flag on your backpack?"
Canadian: "So people know that we're not Americans."
American: "What's wrong with being an American?"
Canadian: "Why don't you sew your flag on your backpack?"
I've worn a tshirt with an American flag on it while I've been living here in the UK and never had any problems.
I've worn a tshirt with an American flag on it while I've been living here in the UK and never had any problems.
During the Beatles era, millions of Americans wore Union Jack T-shirts, and had no problems.
A T-shirt is not a declaration of nationality. Most of the T-shirts worn by people in Africa and Asia and South America are exported Goodwill rejects from US donation bundles, they have American slogans on them, and the people wearing them don't even speak English. I saw an old man begging in the streets somewhere in the third world, wearing a Tshirt that said "World's Gratest Mom" on it, and it was probably the only shirt he owned, and he has no clue what it says. American T-shirts (and baseball caps) are ubiquitous worldwide.
I've worn a tshirt with an American flag on it while I've been living here in the UK and never had any problems.
I wore an official local government issued firefighters Tshirt during a visit to Muslim Indonesia about 6 months after 9/11 (big "fireman" in floursent green on the back, munincipal emblem on the front). It was obviously american. The hidden meaning, probably not directly understood by the locals, was very much intentional by me. I brought it along for a reason.
When I go to Egypt in the fall I plan to wear some sort of US military related Tshirt.
American: "How come you Canadians always sew your flag on your backpack?"
Canadian: "So people know that we're not Americans."
American: "What's wrong with being an American?"
Canadian: "Why don't you sew your flag on your backpack?"
This American: "Because I never thought of doing it, it seems kind of pointless, like putting a bumper sticker on a car...which I have never done since I put one on my Dad's car when I was about 8"
When I go to Egypt in the fall I plan to wear some sort of US military related Tshirt.
In quite a few African countries (and perhaps elsewhere), it is illegal for any civilian of any nationality to wear any clothing that appears to be military in nature, including but not limited to clothing that is the same color as the national military uniforms, or military surplus clothing from any country. Laws vary from country to country, but never a good idea to attract the attention of a 16 year old recruit with a gun doing highway sentry duty with a vague sense of the criminal code. Wearing camo is particularly egregious, and could simply get you shot at.
I did not find that out until later, after traveling through (without incident) wearing surplus Syrian green army fatigues with cargo pockets. But if overly conspicuous, you could be inconvenienced.
In any case, if you intentionally make it a point to inflame or aggravate the townspeople, or rub their noses in it, do not expect sympathy for any impolite consequences.
In some African countries (and perhaps elsewhere), it is illegal for any civilian of any nationality to wear any clothing that appears to be military in nature, including but not limited to clothing that is the same color as the national military uniforms, or military surplus clothing from any country.
I did not find that out until later, after traveling through (without incident) wearing Syrian surplus army fatigues with cargo pockets. But if overly conspicuous, you could be inconvenienced.
In any case, if you intentionally make it a point to inflame or aggravate the townspeople, or rub their noses in it, do not expect sympathy for any impolite consequences.
I assure you I have no shortage of experience in foreign countries (by the way, I will be in Brazil in 2 days). Inflaming or aggravating (or getting otherwise unwanted attention) townspeople in a muslim country would be wearing tank tops, bathing suits, etc. Or images of Mohammad. Stuff like that.
Wearing a military uniform if you are not in the military is technically illegal in the US as well. That's understood. But I never claimed I would wear a uniform.
Egypt - they treat tourist safety (and tourist dollars) seriously, to the extent of arming tourist caravans, buses, and river boats with machine gun clad soldiers that will gladly cut down a fellow countryman to protect the money train of tourism. I doubt I will have problems. And I am very well aware of what will inflame the local residents - both in custom, attitude, and dress, I assure you. It's not my first time to Egypt.
Egypt - they treat tourist safety (and tourist dollars) seriously, to the extent of arming tourist caravans, buses, and river boats with machine gun clad soldiers that will gladly cut down a fellow countryman to protect the money train of tourism. I doubt I will have problems.
Egypt's been calm lately. Only one jihad-inspired attack in the last two months and that was against an apostate (a Muslim who convertes to another religion). Fortunately, that man survived the attempted beheading.
Egypt's been calm lately. Only one jihad-inspired attack in the last two months and that was against an apostate (a Muslim who convertes to another religion). Fortunately, that man survived the attempted beheading.
There have been terrorists attacks in the past indeed, targeting tourists. Hence the heavy armed tourist police. Egypt being a strict military/police state has it's advantagies to a tourist. The government of Egypt does not take radical islamic terrorism lightly - those accused of such usually end up in a damp egyptian cell with electodes hooked up to their private areas, or the egyptian police "getting medieval on them" with pliers. Crime is suprisingly absent in Egypt. Having police with machine guns at each corner tends to help in that regard.
A note on my previous comments on a military T-shirt, it wasn't like I was going to wear a Tshirt with "Death to Allah" on the front and a picture of a predator drone. The point was - don't be afraid of indicating what country you are from. Don't surrendor to terrorism or the mistaken concept that people from another country will look down on you if you say you are from the US. I think there was a discussion in this forum on this subject in the past - the consensus, from experienced travelers, is that they did not get negative treatment when traveling abroad as an American. Those account that claimed they did were simply antecdotal.
And also, a note on any American that would be so clueless and self-loathing to sew a Canadian flag on their clothes to disguise the fact that they are from the US. Usually those are the same dummies that would wear extreme shorts and a bikini top in a mosque and wonder why the locals would throw stones at her, or wonder why the local guys would feel her up on the train. Clueless idiots.
I will tell you the effect of wearing a firemans shirt in Indonesia. Local children pointed, smiled, and waved, and repeated "fire" - That probably being one of the few english words they knew. It also prompted discussion with the locals, when they found out I was American they actually apologized for 9/11, told me it didn't represent there religion, and we had a good discussion where they found out in suprise and delight that the US also had many Muslims living in the country.
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