Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Lao Wai]

Hey,

That was the comment I heard an older American man make while I was at a market today. I'm posting about this because it really annoys me. I've heard this question asked in Canada, Korea, and now, Hong Kong. In Canada I can sort of understand, considering some businesses advertise that they take U.S. currency. But everywhere else? Why can these people not just change their dollars into local currency like everyone else? And although even hearing people ask the question annoys me, I can't believe it when the attitude comes out once the clerk says that no, they infact, don't accept American dollars.

And by the way, I'm not anti-American. I love Americans! Heck, my aunt, uncle and cousins are American. (Incidentally, my uncle also asked this question all of the time when visiting us in Canada). Is this some kind of left-over attitude from once upon a time when people would fall all over themselves to get their hands on U.S. dollars?

[Ya-ta Boy]

I don't know, walking down the street in Athens I got asked numerous times if I had American dollars. There was a time when just about anyone would take dollars (not now, the dollars is in the dumps). I think you need to look closer at why an innocent question would irritate you.

[mnhnhyouh]

In Cambodia local currency is generally used only for small transactions. There are no coins, and the local currency takes the place of them. The rest is all in U.S. dollars. This means the U.S. government must take on the expense of printing Cambodias money! Well except for the odd photocopied notes.

h

[Lao Wai]

Ah! My mistake. Okay, then it's more common than I thought. The reason it bothered me is because I thought it was kind of arrogant to expect people to take a currency that is not the currency of that country. Just like it bothers me when I hear people get all in a huff because local people in a foreign country can't speak English.

Anyway, that was it. Not some deep-rooted hatred of Americans.

[blaseblasphemener]

Not a word of a lie, I was twice asked in a Canadian store I worked at by Americans if OUR PRICES WERE IN AMERICAN DOLLARS.

[braino]

[riley]

Nah, I forgive you Lao Wai. My aunt before she came to Korea believed that she wouldn't need to exchange money. She figured that the merchants here would take US dollars. The funny part is that I've always thought of her as being intelligent and would know better.

In that guy's defense, he might be a US soldier and I have seen places in Itaewon that will take dollars. So, he might have thought it was common everywhere.

[Wangja]

[Natalia]

I have heard this asked plenty of times in Europe.

Followed by disbelief (and often anger) when the answer is, "No. We have our own currency." (Followed by the reply, "But I only have dollars!!") Imagine the reaction to an Italian trying to pay for something in the US with Euro.

I have also seen tourists pull out their dollars many, many times, assuming the whole world will accept them.

Now I have nothing against Americans, and in my experience some of the best and friendliest travellers in the world are Americans.

But some of the worst travellers in the world are also American.

[laogaiguk]

US dollars can be used in many places (Africa, South America and Asia, maybe more), and can be quite highly valued, possibly giving a bit of bargaining power (it used to be like that in China, where most Chinese people couldn't exchange money). It is still somewhat arrogant not to have some local currency while also having US dollars.

[blaseblasphemener]

[GuinnessGuru]

I understand how you felt Lao,
I think it is more the attitude of the person asking the question that bothers me though. I have come across it many times and quite often the person asking really doesn't understand that their money may not be acceptable so fair enough ignorance can be an excuse now and then. I am certainly not anti-American but I must say it seems to happen more often with dollars than lets say Yen for example, in Ireland certainly, and we have about the same number of Japanese vistors as American.
I was once at a Ski-resort, a very small one up the mountains in Japan, and a guy was going crazy because the lady at the Coffee shop half-way down the slope would not take his ten dollars, he nearly blew a fuse , he was such an arrogant Bxxstxxd hi girlfriend left him there.
I just cannot imagine anyone going to a Ski resort with only foreign currency, but he did it.
Anyway thats my tuppence worth, no offence intended to the millions of wonderful knowledgeable American travellers worldwide.

[braino]

[Bibbitybop]

They accept US dollars on the US military bases, so yes, they accept US dollars here.

[sock]

My dear mother, who is a bit naive (read: ignorant) about the wide, wide world, asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I couldn't think of anything off hand, so she asked me if she could send me a check! Then I asked her if I should send her a Korean check--she then responded hesitantly that she didn't think her bank would take a check from Korea. But she still didn't understand why a Korean bank wouldn't take her personal check (written from a very small, local credit union, not even a bank!). Ahh, my dear, dear mom, she'll never change and it will frustrate me forever.

Yeah, attitudes like the OP mentioned have irritated me, too. But mainly because it makes for easy assumptions about the ignorance/stupidity, lack of understanding, and arrogance of Americans. We're not all like that--but I agree, too many of us are.