Americans

The city I work in is only an hour away from the Canada/US border, so we get a lot of business from Americans.  They're usually good for a chuckle, especially the ones who are visiting Canada for the first time.  Nice people, for the most part, but often amusingly out of their element.

One question I'm asked at an alarmingly high rate by American guests is whether or not our prices are in US dollars.  When they ask, I'll smile and say yes, sometimes with a jovial "We are in Canada" added if I think they're the type of person who can take a little good-natured ribbing.  I find it funny, and it doesn't make me angry at them, but I'm in awe of how often it happens.  Only Americans would go to a foreign country and think that the prices charged at businesses would be in US currency.  Usually, they at least ask if our prices are in US dollars, but there are the people who say, "Your prices are in US dollars, right?"  In their minds, of course local Canadian businesses charge people in US dollars!  What else would they use?

There are other things that Americans do that make me laugh.  I recently had a guy ask if I could give him a discount since it was his first time in Canada.  Sorry, no.  Nice try, though.  Asking about metric conversions is understandable, so I don't begrudge them that.  I think it's dumb that the nation as a whole hasn't gone metric, but I don't hold it against the individual citizens.  Of course they don't know how fast 110 km/h is.

One time, when I was working at the Birch Lodge, a nice American woman checked in and said, "I was surprised that you guys have the same restaurants that we do, like McDonalds and Burger King."  Seriously? You were surprised to find a McDonalds 65 miles outside of the States?  McDonalds has been in freakin' Russia since it was still the USSR.  I ate McDonalds in the Philippines a couple of times.  I wouldn't be surprised if they opened a franchise on the moon soon.

Lately, whenever American guests find out that I'm a Mormon, they start talking about "your guy" Mitt Romney.  I'm quick to tell them that he's not my guy, and that I'm liberal.

Okay, I'm gonna go on a little tangent here that has nothing to do with Americans.  A guy once came in and asked me where the best place to go drinking was.  I shrugged and said that I don't drink.  "What?" he said. "Why not?  Are you a Mormon?"  He said it as if they idea of anyone being a Mormon was absolutely hilarious.  When I told answered yes, he said, "Oh.  Sorry."  And then walked away.

So, anyway.  'Merica!