Then the mall would be almost empty would it not, there is one family there everyday but I don’t think American nor aliens would want them.
have you had your Java yet??? nasty comments
Tell them to move to Vanderhoof, they’d fit right in! :-D
Took my Japanese mini-truck to Prince George last Sunday, passed 3 people in Vanderhoof.
One guy in a big F350 Dually sneered as I passed him, I wanted to scream
What are YOU sneering at? I’d shoot myself out of fucking shame if one of these ever passed me on the highway!
Tourists here all have the same question: It’s nice here but where do we eat?
The owner of the newest, nicest place in town finally just gave up and went back to Vancouver. Tenant after tenant failed in the last 6 years, he came up to give it one more year and gave up in disgust. Left 3 bad Chinese places to go. Friday one was so crowded it took 2 hours to get a taste of all 5 things on the ‘smorg’, one was closed for 2 weeks while the owners took a holiday and the other’s next to the beer store and you have to wade thru the winos puking, pissing and panhandling and the cans they’re sorting…
LMAO…funny stuff, herbie. 
I have to giggle a little at the way we speak of the tourists when they come in. Some of the rudest people I have ever met live in our own backyard. I have been down in the states also and have been embarrassed on a few occasions when we had encountered some Canadians trying to mock Southern locals with their accent. They smiled and were polite about their attempt but these were the old down home southern folk who love their traditions and it was so disrespectful but that was just one example.“They” complained about the food, complained about the heat, it was New Orleans, after all. Complained, complained and complained some more. Wait til you travel abroad and see how “we” arrogantly mock the foreigners culture. All in all, we have nothing to brag about when we travel either as I am sure we have left some bad reviews when the dust has settled. Give it up, at least it is something that we look forward to every year, they leave a little change here and my fella and I have had some really friendly chats with them over coffee.
Gotta tell you about Bob’s Sporting Goods… this was probably about 1964 and there I was checking out the model cars and planes. It was up on Hastings St in Burnaby and I was lucky, it was back in the era Mom would give you a 15c and let you take the bus by yourself once you were 8 or 9… if you walked back, yu got an extra 7c to spend!
An American came in asked old Bob, "I wanna bah a piece of ass. Is this where ya bah a pice of ass?"
Bob goes all red, the stores mostly kids at that time of day. Sez “excuse me?”
“I wanna bah a pice of ass!” the Yank says even louder.
Bob leans over the counter and in a hoarse whisper (by then we’re ALL straining to hear) "Well you should go over to the bar across the street, or maybe the pool hall four doors down. There maybe some of those kind of ladies in there"
The Yank bellows "Haw! Haw! Y’all don’t unnastan mah accent! Haw! Haw! I wanna bah apice of ass foh mah coolah! We all goin’ on a picinic!"
Must have been 1964 or 65, Mustangs were new, Ratfinks were the rage and comic books were only 12c…
I’m not surprised that some tourists would rather get US dollars back than Canadian, it’s not abnormal at all for a town like Rupert that’s close to the border and expects tourists each summer to deal in both the local and US currency. However, the hassle that having a US float capable of making change for the tourists is a little much, and as someone else said, even though US dollars might be a bit of a universal currency, you shouldn’t travel abroad and not expect to deal in the local kind.
I think for me, the problem is not the fact that people want US currency back, it’s their unreasonable attitudes when they get the Canadian. I worked in a frantically busy gift store on the Victoria waterfront where we took American cash but only handed out Canadian change, and most of the time people reacted like you were asking them to take their change in pumpkin seeds or trying to rob them of their fantastically-valuable Yankee dollars. If people were more polite about requesting it, I didn’t mind trying to give them their change in US if the bills were there in the till. When jerks made snide comments being “saddled” with “play money” I just refused to make the effort to extend them any consideration. Why pander to a**holes?
One of the funniest stories I’ve heard regarding the money thing was a buddy from work grabbing a coffee before work at Tim Horton’s. There’s two Aussie’s beside him looking at a toonie trying to figure out what kind of animals those were. Buddy tell’s them they are polar bears. Then asks them if they saw the picture of the ‘old cow’ on the other side. LMFAO
I guess you can see this type of thing as an opportunity to bitch and moan, or an opportunity to stand out from the rest of the businesses. I believe it was Mig a bunch of posts back that suggested that the first business that posts a big sign that they are giving US change back will be the one that get’s all the action.
Sure it’s easier to complain and make excuses, but it seems like a golden opportunity for the right person to take advantage of.
There should be a posting by the Cruise ship Line, over the P.A. system warning would be shoppers to be prepared to recieve Canadian money as change for all subsequent purchases while in Canada. The solution it seems would be for the Cruise Ship lines to be able to exchange U.S. money on board ship, prior too and after leaving Canadian soil as an onboard perk.
I’ve had both really horrible, and really great experiences with people off the ships. I work both as a waitress and a store clerk here in town and you never really know how the day is going to be. I’ve had more than my fair share of stupid, ignorant and just downright ahole americans, and I’ve also had some really pleasant conversations with some.
The Mexican comment is pretty valid though, I even had one ‘gentleman’ throwing a fit about the fact that I would not admit that I was Mexican rather than first nations, even after I showed him my status card… That was an interesting day.
Drives me nuts when Americans try to demand American change. It’s illegal in Canada to give out anything but CND currency and no matter how many times I tell people this I still get the occasional ahole who will actually fling the money back at me, or just up and leave.
One thing I have to admit though, is Americans tip their waitresses better than most Rupertites 
After reading all these posts I have to shake my head. MiG, as ill-spoken as some of your comments are, for the most part they are spot on. I would love to have someone show me the legislation that stops anyone from using an American float in Canadian stores, now THAT’s an urban myth. It’s one of many excuses for people to avoid accountability for refusing to adapt or grasp entrepreneurialism when faced with 2600 consumers arriving on your community weekly and not being able to profit by them in any form. Sure, point fingers, sit in your empty stores and wait for the “next white hope” because if you do the only thing you’ll be selling is the land and not the business you or your family built, and the crusielines will sail away.
After working onboard cruiseships for 6 years yes there are more boorish Americans than is the norm, but on ships out of Vancouver not only were the Canadians ignorant and boorish but also were far cheaper. Many of the Americans were well-travelled, educated and willing to be polite and conversant, it is sad and somewhat hypocritical to focus on the scant few who maintain the stereotype; in this community especially, if we focussed on a select few members who perpetuate negative cultural stereotypes it would get us nowhere but conflict. 
Oh, for all you exchange rate cowboys out there…
THEY EXCHANGE MONEY ON THE SHIP, IF YOU DON’T WANT THE BUSINESS, AT LEAST TELL THE TOURISTS THEY CAN GET IT EXCHANGED ON THE SHIP.
The drive-by insult definitely enhances your arguments.
In Canada, you can conduct business using any currency you wish. You can use Terrace Bucks, Canadian Tire money, or rocks.
Yes, the Canadian dollar is legal tender here, but that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to use some other form of payment. Legal tender means that the Canadian dollar can’t be reasonably refused to settle a debt. It doesn’t mean that other currencies can’t be used. If that were true, it would illegal to accept US dollars.
If the parties agree to settlement of debts before a transaction, it doesn’t matter what you use as currency. Chickens, US dollars, etc. The “we accept US dollars, but don’t give out American change” signs are part of this agreement between the parties.
But hey, don’t believe me? Go to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and pay with US dollars and ask for US change. Most shops will have give it to you. Heck, I’ve paid for drinks on domestic Air Canada flights with US dollars and received US dollars as change.
Apparently not … according to Norwegian Cruise Lines:
“Personal cheques or currencies other than the US $ cannot be accepted on board. The only exception being our European cruises where deposits in euros are accepted… Additionally, we recommend that you carry a small amount of local currency if possible when visiting foreign ports. Depending on the destination, the US $ is sometimes also accepted outside US territory.”
I think they mean to pay your bill, there Creaking Door.
In fine HTMF tradition, a quote from a relevant webpage will be taken as “proof.” Funny stuff.
ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPa … Q#currency
“You may cash travelers checks at the Reception Desk. Currency exchange, at prevailing rates, is available on some cruises. Travelers checks and most major credit cards are accepted in the ports we visit. Proper ID is required when cashing travelers checks. We recommend you carry a small amount of local currency when visiting foreign ports, although credit cards are commonly accepted in shops and restaurants.”
I’ve taken a different cruise line in the Caribbean, and it definitely had the currency exchange guy on board. We didn’t bother, though, since everyone took US dollars anyway.
I have been helping out on Thursday for a tour company for a few years now and I have to say that I find the Amercians I have come in contact with are a heck of a lot nicer then most Rupertites.
I mean a little common courtesy goes a long way, I find that while I am working if a tourist does not like the idea of getting Canadian money back as change I tell them nicely that unfournatly we have no American change in the store however if you like I could direct you to the nearest bank where you could get the money exchanged before you return to the ship. Sure you get the occassional tourist who still does not like that idea but I mean it really is not hard to refund the money and say sorry for the inconvenience, but I mean even the occassional ticked off tourist has more polite manners then most in ppl in PR. I find the locals a heck of a lot ruder.
Fair enough. > ncl.eu/welcome/welcome.php > “Questions and Answers” > “ON BOARD” > “Is cash needed aboard? How can good service be honoured”
“When you check in for your cruise, you open an on-board account, which all purchases made on the ship are charged to.” Farther down: “Personal cheques or currencies other than the US $ cannot be accepted on board.”
That sounds pretty definitive to me. It seems to be a cashless economy of sorts for the duration of the voyage. A bit surprising …
I can understand some tourists, who are probably taking the trip because they are tired and worn out, being a bit irritated by getting C$ change that they cannot buy anything with on board or credit to their account until they get to a larger port with a “bureau d’exchange”.
There seems to be an on board solution though: "… our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mileâ€
Like I said, I’ve never been on Norwegian Cruise Line, but the other ones I’ve been on have been similar. They give you a card that you use to pay for things on the ship. You only pay your bill on the last day. The idea is that you don’t really know how much you’ve spent!