British embassies tell citizens: “Don’t ask us how to make jam”

by Sean McLachlan on

Embassies are there to help. If you’ve lost your passport, they’ll replace it for you. If you’ve been mugged, they’ll visit you at the hospital. If there’s a revolution going on, they’ll airlift you out.

But they won’t tell you where to buy the best shoes, give your kid a lift to the airport, show you how to pack your bag, and they will never, ever, tell you the right proportion of sugar and fruit that is needed to make good jam.

These are just a few of a long list of stupid requests British embassies have received from their citizens traveling abroad, and the ambassadorial staff is getting a wee bit ticked off. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is now issuing clear instructions on what embassies will and won’t do. They’re busy helping out the guy who had his suitcase stolen or the drunken lout who got his penis set on fire by an angry woman he was harassing. They don’t have the time, inclination, or ability to predict the weather, manipulate the exchange rate, or pay taxi fare.

Yes, those are all actual requests.

Why you shouldn’t drive into a puddle

by Jamie Rhein on

Certainly there isn’t any better proof about why driving into a puddle isn’t the best idea–unless you are pretty sure what kind of puddle it is–than this.



I came across this gem while doing research for the sink hole travel post. This mishap did not happen in the United States which would be just one more example of a stupid American story.

If you’re wondering just what happens to your car if you drive through a big puddle and don’t have to swim, read the answer to the question: “If you drive a car through a big puddle, can it ruin your engine?” at Askcars.com.

Are Americans really that dumb?

by Jerry Guo on

Yes I know how easy it is to bash everything that is American these days. But I thought of something while browsing through the just announced 2007 Darwin Awards. For the uninitiated, these are “honorary” prizes given to those who’ve “eliminated themselves from the gene pool” through really stupid stunts. 2007’s winner was a 58-year-old man who gave himself a 3-liter Sherry enema–and of course, died from an alcohol overdose.

These awards are indeed very funny, if not a bit morbid. They also made me think about just how cartoonishly comical Americans can be. Out of the five top entries from this year, four were from the states. The other one was from Germany.

Now, is this just because the Darwin Awards are US-centric–or that the majority of Western media, from where the competition gets its news, is focused on the US? Or is this the perfect example of just how stupid Americans are getting?

Traveler’s Phrase Book T-shirt

by Justin Glow on

This company is selling an overpriced t-shirt designed to be worn by travelers who are in a country whose inhabitants don’t speak their native tongue. The idea is that instead of attempting to communicate with someone who knows where the bathroom is, for instance, you annoyingly point to the international symbol for bathroom on your shirt. Other symbols include hospital, airplane, bedding (for hotel), telephone, restaurant, money exchange, and Internet cafe (or post office, whatever those things are).

This can surely make life on the road in a foreign country easier — but is that what we want? It seems a bit disrespectful and caveman-like (no offense, Geico guys) to walk around in a foreign country pointing to things on your shirt when you want something instead of taking a few minutes of your time to learn these common phrases in your host’s language. [via]

The Smartest (and Least Smart) Cities in the U.S.

by Willy Volk on

By analyzing Census data on educational achievement, Bizjournals developed a methodology wherein it ranked adults in nearly 16,000 cities, towns, villages, boroughs and unincorporated areas throughout the U.S. In the end, the methodology provided insight into the distribution of gray matter in America. Which big city proved to be brainiest? Seattle came out tops, with San Francisco and Austin followed close behind.

In terms of mid-sized communities, Arlington, Virginia, took first place. Ann Arbor, Michigan beat out the pack in the small cities category.

Of course, any time you rank the strongest, you necessarily have to rank the weakest. Which cities came in at the bottom?

For large communities, Miami edged out the competition. For medium communities, Santa Ana, California emerged the victor. For small communities, East Los Angeles took the top spot.

It’s important to note that whether a city is considered more or less smart should not affect your enjoyment of the place. Just because the city, as a whole, has less educational achievement doesn’t mean it’s dangerous, or boring, or not worthy of a visit. I just returned from Miami, for example, and I had an absolute blast! Moreover, Santa Ana has a rich history and lots of things to do.

If a community offers activities that you’re interested in, go for it! Don’t worry about statistics!

Get smarter:
* The Smart Traveler’s Passport
* World’s Most Expensive Cities
* The World’s Most Polite and Rude Cities