Need Safety Tips

[Quebec Gen]

Hi Guys,
I'm a 23 yrs old female going on a 3 weeks roadtrip accross the Southwest in June. My problem is I heard there are a lot of Canadian haters back there (especially in Texas) and I would like to know which areas I should avoid and what should I do to avoid danger. Also, I have to mention that my mother thongue is french (I'm from Quebec) so I might have a little accent (not too bad though:) and evidently I'll drive a car with a Quebec plate :((. I thought of buying a plate cover that would hide at least "Quebec" and the french motto that follows and to have a plate that says something like "I love USA" at the front:o)) I know it sounds funny but what would you recommend? Everybody told me it was safe, but a Quebecer got killed a few weeks ago by a Texan just because he was from Quebec. It's gonna be a camping and car sleeping kind of trip. I'm leaving next week so a fast advice would be great:-)) Oh and by the way I didn't want to offence any Texan by this message, these are just things I heard from other people.

Thanks a lot,
Gen:-))

[imported_Bob]

Gen, I can assure you the VAST majority of Americans do not "hate" Canadians! I suppose you can run into ignorant people anywhere, in any country, but I do not believe you will encounter anyone in Texas or anywhere else in the USA that will be unfriendly to you. Bob

[Quebec Gen]

Thanks Bob for cheering me up! Frankly, I was a little worried about all the stories that I heard lately. It looks like people are trying to scare me from doing my roadtrip...Bah they're just jealous I guess(wink!:) You look like a very nice guy, helping everybody around! I hope I'll meet nice people like you along the way, not that it's my first goal (as a female travelling alone it's not the greatest idea), but if it happens, it would just be fine!

Thanks again!
Gen:-)

I agree with Bob -- You really don't have anything to worry about. Just the normal precautions you would take when traveling anywhere! I am so sorry the image of Americans that other countries see is so bad. And as a native Texan (now living in New England)I'm very embarrassed and saddened to hear about the Quebec man that was killed in Texas.

But I think your trip will show you that Americans on the whole are a friendly, decent people. Most will, in fact be interested to meet someone new from your part of the world. A smile always goes a long way in the States, as does courtesy -- and with those two ideas in mind you should meet some wonderful people and find that we're nicer than we might appear. You'll have a wonderful time, and I'm glad you're going to see the real U.S.

You are going to have a wonderful trip, that is such a remarkable part of the country (and the continent!!)...don't worry about the "haters". If we all did that, this forum wouldn't exist!

There are so many accents in this country...people you meet will probably be interested in where you're from.

Seems like there are a lot of people who are hesitant to take a trip because of stories they've heard or news articles they've read about crimes in different areas. I'm reminded of my first trip to New York City.

To all those - remember that bad news tends to have more of an impact (that's why it's on the front page of most every newspaper). Now get out there and enjoy the road!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Gen,

I have always enjoyed and appreciated your on-going Montreal posts. I do love that city -- great city to drive in -- some streets are a little narrow though!

I agree with all of the other posters -- You are going to have a blast. With our work with RTA, we often drive into some of the most notorius neighborhoods in America and chat with folks about the wonders of roadtripping. Even in those places that seem to get more than their fair share of "negative ink" we have always been treated with open courtesy and friendship. ...We have seen some rather "interesting" things happen in those places and should you also want to go exploring -- keep your wits about you!

Go have an adventure!

Mark

Hmm....a 23 year old female with a french accent? I think hate crimes would be the least of your problems, you'd probably have a hard enough time fighting off the guys that want to help you. Just to reiterate what everyone else says, there's really not much to worry about. There's good people and bad people everywhere, but you rarely hear about the good people. And not all stereotypes about Texans are true, well, except for the one about everyone carries a gun. HA! HA! actually, I don't know about that one either, but there was one mom on this board who did. Just take the same precautions you would as if you were in Canada


Anyway, don't worry, in the end, Texas probably isn't anymore dangerous than Quebec. To tell you the truth, I don't know of anyone who really has strong feeling about Canada in any way, this is the first I've heard about a hate crime against a canadian. Actually, when I went to Quebec, I was a little worried about the french. They've got a reputation for being rude you know ;) j/k

[Quebec Gen]

Hi,
thank you all for your encouragement, if you need any advice for a Quebec/Ontario or New England trip, don't be shy!:-) Oh and by-the-way for those who thinks french people are rude:o), nous sommes les gens les plus gentils de la Terre!!:-)) Come and see for yourself!:-))

Have a nice evening,
Gen:-))