[ Told by the C.O. of HMAS Nirimba at a mess dinner in 1976 ].

In a nearly empty London bar on a filthy winters day, there were
several patrons quietly drinking when in comes your stereotypical
American visitor, obviously unimpressed by the country, its
weather and everything else about it.

He says loudly:
What a lousy country. The bars are shut half the time, its cold,
wet and windy, the beer tastes like piss and is served at the same
temperature, the streets are packed and you cant even get a cab.

Several people quietly leave.

He looks at a gentleman quietly sipping a pink gin and says:
Hey, limey: how can you bear to live in such a miserable place?

He is ignored, more people leave. After much more of this only
the gentleman with the pink gin, the barman and the American are
left.

He says:
Hey, limey: Im talking to you. Ive been to damn near every
country in the world and this is the lousiest. I dunno how
you can bear to live here. This country is just the arsehole
of the world.

The gentleman with the pink gin pauses, takes another sip and,
turning, delicately enquires of the American:
Oh, yes. Just passing through, are you?