MiniD
I was thinking the same thing. It's tough to understand things like this when it's never been personally experienced.
When I'm out alone, I usually get treated more like anyone else and I've even picked up a tiny bit of a pseudo-British accent that when combined with using more typical British vocabulary, is enough for people to ask me what part of the UK I'm from. I don't do that to gain advantage or make fun of anyone, but I've been taught ever since my Academy days that making a little effort to fit in is usually appreciated, so using British terms instead of US equivalents is something I've consciously tried to do. I hope it makes it easier for people in England to understand what I'm talking about, and it avoids embarassments like going into a restaurant and asking for a napkin for my wife
Plus in some parts of Europe, passing for British is a bit safer than being recognized as American. It's tougher and I'm not having much success, but I'm even trying to buy more British-looking clothing. Being a total styling idiot to begin with though, I'm probably making it worse.
