It absolutely used to be. Whether it still is, I can only assume.

But decades ago, there was a joke: "How can you tell if a tourist is American or Canadian? The Canadian only has ONE Canadian flag on their gear." US folks did their best job of overdoing everything, and would plaster their stuff with maple leaves.

For many years, another sign of a Canadian was having an item from the Mountain Equipment Co-Op. Almost everyone travelling had a jacket, a backpack, or a container with the beloved MEC logo. Then MEC got turned into a shitty for-profit company held by American vulture capitalists, and now it means nothing.

So...yeah. At least historically, and probably now as well.

My American wife has been living in Australia for over a decade and since trump's second term has started telling anyone who asks that she's from South Canada.

Yes, my ex's family did this.

They were the kind of upper middle class who thinks they're upper class types and considered it basic awareness when traveling internationally.

I could see it being a popular trope in the circle, just another chance to say, "Oh you didn't know? You sweet summer child."

They didn't seem to have a great grasp on how many people were just too polite to point out how obviously full of it they were

If someone asks where you’re from, why not just say something witty like, “From the states. But don’t let that fool you; I’m actually a very nice person.” If you really want to be friendly and cordial with the people of a country you’re visiting, maybe don’t start by lying to their faces.

I remember meeting some masquerading Americans during the Iraq war. These were backpackers in SE Asia.

You only show your passport at the border or maybe when you get a car or a hotel room. That leaves a lot of time to pretend being Canadian everywhere else.

That being said, I just saw a comedy bit where this was recommended to Americans. I think it's more meme than happening IRL today.

Yes, I have several friends who did it even 20 years ago

They weren't fully trying to represent legally that they were Canadian or hate the country. But backpacking / doing hostels across Europe they generally did get treated better and didn't have to get into arguments about US policy and things. Especially once the Iraq war and stuff got into full swing

I've had Americans here in Spain ask me to speak English as they don't speak Spanish.

I was speaking to them in English. I am English

Just cements the proof they often respond without thinking

This was definitely a thing back in the early 2000's, after the US went on its global rampage against brown folks. It wasn't safe to let people know you were from the US. It also had the unintended consequence of making Canadians look bad, due to the association with rude assholes putting Canadian flags all over their gear.

Canadians don't wear Canadian flags, it's almost always an American.

Used to be you could spot us by MEC or Roots gear, but they're both enshittified now.

Traveled Europe in the 90's with a backpack. It was pretty common then. I met loads of Americans claiming to be Canadian. As a travelled Canadian myself it was fairly obvious to me but some insisted it was worthwhile. It certainly fell off over the years I traveled however.

Very few US Americans seem to visit Europe these days. Even at the big tourist attractions you don’t hear or see them much. Some Canadian flags are visible - my personal conclusion is that US Americans are (finally) trying to blend in more: dressing better, keeping their voices down. Their usual loud bravado is gone. To distinguish between a Canadian and US American doesn’t require asking for their passports: just ask a question in French, most Canadians will understand at least a bit of French.

If confronted at a bar I'd consider it for basically all the reasons you mentioned. When I send updates to my friends in France or Ireland or China I find myself apologizing for wherever embarrassing things we've done most recently.

When I was stationed in [the former West] Germany in the 80s one of the guys in my platoon was an avid & considerate traveler. He never claimed to be Canadian but

• he had a Canadian flag patch on his traveling pack
• listened to the Dayglo Abortions and knew all the words to Proud to be a Canadian

He didn't want to lumped in with "Ugly American" a-holes. And he wasn't. Probably more due his considerate behavior than flag patch but who knows.

Other proof of his excellence: he took me to my first Fields of the Nephilim, Sisters of Mercy, and Nitzer Ebb shows.

Yeah I met an american in austria who told me he'd use the canadian excuse quite often, just to be sure.

I'm embarrassed to be an Australian and always say I am from New Zealand when travelling.

The idea is fairly old. I think the first time I heard it was the latter part of the Bush era? Someone told me secondhand about how having a Canadian flag on the backpack makes some airports friendlier. that's also around when I started traveling internationally for work so it could have been around even earlier than that. I never knew any Americans who actually did it. I did work with a lot of Southerners and we all had distinctively American accents, so I don't think we could have pulled it off. Maybe a Minnesotan could pass.

I've always said that I would if I traveled, but I never travel, so...

Yeah, I work with Americans in NZ, they don't get away with it here if they have a Southern, NY or Cali accent unless they are in a very rural area, but they find it necessary when going to southeast Asia

I'm a New Yorker. Only American on a technicality.

Yes. I did it. Mainly in response to invasive questions from dodgy people. I had a fake name, a back story about where my family lived, etc.

After 9/11 and then the global war of terror, it was a prudent thing to have on dial. Never wrote clothes or put Canadian stuff on my bags.

I do the opposite and pretend to be an American with a generic accent. Even Americans can't tell.

Only heard about this anecdotally, but it's plausible that it would work. People who aren't from North America often have trouble distinguishing at least some American accents (generally the more northern ones) from Canadian accents. Like, you won't get away with it if you're from Texas or Louisiana or some such, but if you talk like Dan Rather or David Sedaris you can pass for Canadian in most places that aren't Canada.