US ambassador to Switzerland sparks flap over Swiss ski 'chaos'

The Local (Switzerland) ^ | 05 Jan 2015 10:43 GMT+01:00

[moovova]

She’s disappointed that she wasn’t treated as royalty and ushered directly to the head of the line.

ALSO...where is the mandatory “That’s a man, baby!” photo?

[cbvanb]

I think it’s a man.

[bert]

It’s called the lift line game.

You advance by inches. Critical is an imperceptibly small movement of ones ski tip forward perhaps as little as one inch, to get ever so slightly ahead of the person adjacent’s shi tip.

By skillful small maneuvers one can gain perhaps f places in the line.

Some such as faint of heart women might never get to the front

[agere_contra]

because it is wrong to criticize their ski industry but not wrong for them to say things like that about ours.

If you don't want your ski industry criticized, maybe don't send an Ambassador (an *Ambassador*!) to criticize theirs first?

[AU72]

Obama nominated Suzi because she could speak Swiss.

[csvset]

[agere_contra]

The Ambassador represents the state. Diplomatically speaking: the US just started moaning to the Swiss about rude skiers.

It's not the chaos in the Swiss ski lines that's the problem.

It's the mental and moral confusion about what an Ambassador is.

[smokingfrog]

She said from her experience Switzerland is “very well organized” but she wanted to know why ski lifts are organized differently in Switzerland than in America.

[NonValueAdded]

Confidential to the Ambassador: because they are Europeans.

Don’t expect the polite merging of lines, the Disney style of ride queuing.

[PilotDave]

Gee, ski resorts are crowded during Christmas and New Years break. Who could have possibly seen that coming?

[dfwgator]

Ugly American.

[sasquatch]

Agreed; been that way since the 80’s that I know of.

[super7man]

I think we need some equal time to snub the Germans. The problem is not the Swiss, in my experience it is the Germans on vacation the create the mob scene wherever there should be a line, whether at the ski resort or at the train station.

Just my observation.

[centurion316]

It’s not a Swiss thing, it’s a Euro Thing. If you are in line and they can push you out of the way and get ahead of you they will. Austria, Germany, Switzerland, all the same, aggressive ski lift lines.

The Germans ski at all of those places. You can tell when the Germans are on the mountain. An ice pronged ski pole right in the middle of their brand new ski top was my solution.

[KosmicKitty]

I still am amazed at people who post things to Facebook and then are surprised when the things they have posted cause some negative blow back.

No one needs to know, or even cares, about what you are, doing, thinking, watching, eating, smoking, loving, etc. every moment of your life.

(and another example of the stupid, crass, childishness of this administration’s members)

KK <— The anti-Facebook woman

[agincourt1415]

I really miss Austria, gorgeous skiing, everywhere, but most places once you are on top the mountain, its rope tows, and the crowd is more spread out on the slopes. Wide open glacier skiing. St Johann comes to mind.

I was single, in the Air Force, and it was fun, plus the Snow Bunnies! The outdoor jaccuzi at night looking out at the mountains.

Don't get me talking!

[AU72]

still am amazed at people who post things to Facebook

A word to the wise, employers do look up prospective employees on Facebook. So if you don't want everybody to know you like to go out and get wasted every weekend, don't post it.

[KosmicKitty]

I think it’s a man.

With ugly earrings!!

[pierrem15]

The expectation that everyone will form a queue is an anglophone phenomenon. The mess at lift lines is repeated everywhere there is a crowd waiting for something: even the ‘orderly’ Germans don’t know how to form a queue.

[KosmicKitty]

Even better - just don’t do Facebook.

You can live without it.