Being a Tourist....

[MattUMASSD]

Living in the Nation's Capital I see hundreds of tourist in my daily travels. Many of the tourists are absolutely clueless. They have several maps but have no clue where they are going. Also I have never understood the concept of buying a new wardrobe to go on vacation. So i made a list of things people should be mindul of when you are touring.

- Plan an itinerary before you come with sites you would like to see so you wont have to criss-cross the entire city or area you are visiting.

- Try to not to stick out by wearing regular clothes. Stay away from the palm tree print polos, and the white belts, and the huge cameras.

- Try to pick up on the regions customs like standing to the right on the escalator so others can walk down on the left.

- Dont get lost, be aware of your surroundings.

Feel free to add on to this list.

[rainbowbrightCS]

Don't keep telling people that you are visting, that is just asking for trouble.

[chicagoagd]

Try different types of food you wouldn't normally get, there's nothing more annoying than those who stick to "comfort" foods (even if the restaurant doesn't have it on their menu).

Don't announce in a loud voice that you're from out of town.

Always be aware when you get stuck in a crowd where people are brushing up against you, there are "muggers" who work in threes and you don't notice because the person in front of you is the "distraction".

If you are there for an extended stay, be observant and try to blend in clotheswise as much as possible.

If you are in a different country with a language difference, have a hotel business card to give to your taxi driver.

Be resilient, laidback, bite your tongue, and be patient. This will save your memories of your vacation and not confirm to people of that region their negative stereotypes of YOUR region.

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by MattUMASSD
Try to pick up on the regions customs like standing to the right on the escalator so others can walk down on the left.

<rant>

That would NEVER work where I live. People here don't know how to walk down the street, never mind picking a side of the escalator to stand on so that others can pass.

</rant>

I'd also add: Don't complain about how things were so much better/cleaner/cheaper where you live. If it's such a great place, why did you leave it to come on vacation?

[Munchkin03]

I grew up on a beach town on the Florida Panhandle, and I hate tourists. It's part of the reason I live elsewhere during the summer months...if I get cut off one more time by a Suburban from Louisiana, have to hear another loud-ass conversation about how the seafood here is so much better than the stuff you get at Long John Silver's in Atlanta or Little Rock (maybe because it's fresh, you eediot), or be confused with the help (hmm, wonder why), I will scream. I worked at a surf shop which catered to tourists, and it was the worst job of my entire life. A lot of people on vacation like to go shopping drunk, and like to spend a lot of money that they don't have (evidenced when the 6 credit cards they have on them are all rejected). I got the N-bomb dropped on me at least once a week, along with hearing how bad the traffic was (wonder why), how expensive the hotel was, and how they couldn't wait to get back to whatever backwater town they were from.

Ditto with what Sistermadly said: if you're going to complain about everything, why don't you stay at home? Most of us Americans, especially us Southerners, have a bad reputation in travel circles for being that insular. We need to do whatever we can to stop that stereotype.

[moe.ron]

One of my pet peeve toward Tourists, don't compare where you are with where you come from. The reason you are a tourist is to visit new and exciting area, not to compare the Berlin Wall with the Wall in Fredonia, NY.

[KSigkid]

- Hold onto the handlebar on the T (subway in Boston). Don't try to look tough, or you'll fall off, bump into everyone along the way, and possibly even knock someone over.

- Don't go to restaurants in groups of 20, and then complain when my group of 4 gets a table first. Common sense.

- Know the quickest way from point A to point B, cabbies WILL take you for a ride if they think you don't know where you're going.

[honeychile]

For those of y'all who live in "tourist towns", never forget that that poorly dressed, picture-taking, gum-chewing, map-reading traveling freak show are dropping a lot of money in your town, and thus keeping your taxes from being higher! No matter how tacky you think they are, their opinions of your city will be made by your attitude. If you're rude, then they're not going to be in a hurry to return - which means less money in civic dollars.

Tourists, no matter how trashy, are guests in your town. If someone asks you a question about directions or whatever, answer to the best of your ability. Save your jokes for when you're home with friends!

[MattUMASSD]

I work at a gap near the white house and I love how school groups come in and turn the store upside down to buy lipshine, or a pair of sucks on sale. Im happy tourists are here. Since 9/11 tourism has been down in DC, but if when I visit other places I try to educate myself on the areas transportation system and regional customs.

[enlightenment06]

DO NOT wear the big ol' Washington D.C. t-shirts they sell for tourists. Please spend your money here , but when you wear a big fat touristy Washington D.C. t-shirt you stick out like a green hat with an orange bill

[xo_kathy]

Heck, I'm in NYC where we are notoriously rude and the folks keep coming and my taxes are sky high!!!

Serously, though, I see what Matt is saying. It's like the "ugly American" thing - please, come, enjoy, but don't get mad at us if it isn't how you expected.

Here's my tip:

I understand that you are in NYC and it's huge and hard to navigate if you are not a regular. So, if you need to check your map, or stop and think about something, PLEASE move to the inside of the sidewalk, like, right next to a building. Do not stand in the middle of the sidewalk or at a corner where people are trying to cross the street. I know you are coming as a tourist, but remember that this is my home and I have to do all the errands on my lunch hour that you do on yours back in your town. How would you like it if I came and stopped up the traffic on your streets?

[MattUMASSD]

QUOTE]I know you are coming as a tourist, but remember that this is my home and I have to do all the errands on my lunch hour that you do on yours back in your town. How would you like it if I came and stopped up the traffic on your streets?[/QUOTE]

EXACTLY...

Funny thing is when tourists are riding on the escalaor and then they get off and stand right infront of the ecalator so there is back up of people. Once I politely nudged a tourist off so I wouldnt fall on my butt.

[GeekyPenguin]

OK, this is slightly different from what ya'll are describing (Milwaukee doesn't get a whole lot of tourism) but...

I've been on campus for the summer and there are a lot of tour groups of prospies and new freshmen tromping around. Most of them seem normal and sane - but some!!!!

"Wow Dad, that dorm is taller than our courthouse!" (All the dorms are, dumbbutt...have you not noticed you're in a city?!)

"I can't believe all the studios are at least $350/month! In our town, you can get a McMansion for $350/month!" (And could we fit your whole town in a dorm? YES!)

"Sweetie, I don't know if you should come here...there are an awful lot of (stage whisper)BLACK PEOPLE(/whisper) in this town." (Well, gee, you're going to college in downtown Milwaukee and you expected it to be lily white?)

My campus is roughly from 9th to 17th Streets, and has 3 cross streets running through it. Not very large, not very difficult. You do NOT need to unfold the gigantic poster size Marquette map to get from 16th and Wisconsin to 16th and Wells. Really, you don't. It's not hard.

Don't point and gawk at all the "tall" buildings. Don't be surprised at the crosses in the classrooms and the church in the middle of campus -- they weren't kidding when they said it was a Jesuit university. Also, those men in the funny collars are priests, you don't need to point at them either!

[sigtau305]

Originally posted by KSigkid


- Know the quickest way from point A to point B, cabbies WILL take you for a ride if they think you don't know where you're going.

happen to me when I was in D.C. two years ago when I left the hotel to get to the greyhound station. the Driver took me to the amtrak station even though I clearly told him to take me to the bus station.


here's another:

never carry a large sum of money in your wallet/purse. take only what you need. and never flash your cash out in the opening. that leads to trouble.

[Lil' Hannah]

Originally posted by enlightenment06
DO NOT wear the big ol' Washington D.C. t-shirts they sell for tourists.

or the FBI sweatshirts!