There is nothing more wondrous than travel. That said, there are a lot of times when traveling is a royal
pain—and in most cases, the unfortunate event involves a run-in with one of these worst offenders. In the
context of air travel alone, there's a colorful cast of characters: the grumpy airline attendant, the guy who
takes his socks off mid-flight, and the folks who think showing up to the airport in their pajamas is an
innocuous sartorial choice (hint: it's not). But chances are, while you're busy pointing fingers, you're guilty
of committing a few sins yourself. So, in the spirit of making the world of travel a little less irksome, here
are some ways you (yes, you!) are guilty of being an annoying traveler.
Welcome message from author
Some of the annoying things many travelers do include using their smartphones too much, being loud and
obnoxious, not cleaning up after themselves, not educating themselves, and many more. Luckily for every
annoying habit, you should learn some polite habits that can be practiced so you aren't annoying anyone at
all and you're setting a good example while making your travel experience more enjoyable and
respectable.
Transcript
PowerPoint PresentationAnnoying Traveler Overview There is nothing more wondrous than travel. That said, there are a lot of times when traveling is a royal pain—and in most cases, the unfortunate event involves a run-in with one of these worst offenders. In the context of air travel alone, there's a colorful cast of characters: the grumpy airline attendant, the guy who takes his socks off mid-flight, and the folks who think showing up to the airport in their pajamas is an innocuous sartorial choice (hint: it's not). But chances are, while you're busy pointing fingers, you're guilty of committing a few sins yourself. So, in the spirit of making the world of travel a little less irksome, here are some ways you (yes, you!) are guilty of being an annoying traveler. Put your small carry on purse on someone else’s overhead bin Let them worry about theirs. You need every inch of that leg room in front of your seat. Trying to exclusively converse in a foreign language after studying it on Duolingo for a day If you've ever tried to order a meal in Paris after a day or two of "brushing up" on your high school French via Duolingo, you know first-hand how kindly the locals take to you "speaking" their language. Best case scenario: you successfully utter a few words that bring you exponentially more satisfaction than the person on the receiving end. Worst case scenario: you end up offending someone's mother (true story!) countries you've been to We hate to break it to you, but no one cares about the number of countries you've visited. The spirit of travel is defined by curiosity and awe— not arrogance or conceit. And when you brag about all the cool travel experiences you've had, it doesn't make people want to ask you all about it; it makes them want to punch you in the face. Being an obnoxious selfie-taker By all means, do it for the 'Gram. Just don't spoil the holiday-going experience for others—or worse, risk your or anyone else's personal safety—just for the sake of acquiring a photo that, let's face it, looks identical to the 10,000 other selfies stored on your phone. Showing up to the airport looking like a slob are tight, and cabin air pressure can cause limbs to swell to hulk-like proportions. That being said, there is no excuse to show up to the airport wearing the same slovenly-looking sweat pant and T-shirt combo you fell asleep in last night. Do better, people: if you must, buy a pair of jeggings. Comparing everything to home We're sure your city is nice. We bet it has many great things going for it. But there's a time and place to boast about your hometown, and it's not when you're standing on the Great Wall of China, taking in Impressionist masterpieces at the Louvre, or soaking up views of Rio de Janeiro from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Traveling is an opportunity to broaden your horizons—take advantage! Refusing to try different foods Mac and cheese is delicious, on that we can all agree. But when you're on holiday in Italy, for example, and given the option to eat something as indulgent as linguini alle vongole, we will judge you HARD if you ask the chef to recreate America's favorite meal-in-a-box. One of the best ways to learn about a destination is through its food, so step outside your comfort zone and expand your palette, folks! especially when you're trying to fly on a dime. But that does not make it OK to somehow fold, roll, and origami every item in your closet so that it somehow fits in your carry-on and backpack—only to have it explode the moment a TSA agent unzips it for inspection, holding up everyone else in the line. If you need to bring 10 pairs of shoes on your next vacation, do everyone a favor and check a bag. Taking your socks off on an airplane Contrary to what you might think, no, your feet do not smell like daisies, especially after you've trudged around the airport in the same sneakers you've had since your high school track and field days. So please, for the love of god, keep your toes where they belong: snug inside your stench-suppressing cotton socks and, ideally, confined to your footwear. Talking back to flight attendants Imagine all the daily indignities the average waitress endures. Now multiply that by 10 and you have a day in the life of a flight attendant. The responsibilities of the "waitresses of the sky" include but are not limited to stowing heavy luggage, ensuring you're adhering to proper safety measures, taking drink orders, and calming crying babies, all at 35,000 feet. So please, next time you feel the urge to be snappy or refuse to switch your phone into airplane mode, just don't. That is all. Not leaving your hotel room If you've already made it halfway across the world, do yourself a favor and explore beyond your hotel room once you've arrived. The real excitement lies in venturing into the unknown, and nine out of 10 times, the food is better at that hole-in-the-wall spot down the street. (Only exception: if you've balled out on an over-the-water bungalow in the Maldives or some other lavish, once-in-a-lifetime stay.) the last thing any holiday-bound traveler deserves is to come down with the chest cold you've been recovering from for the past 3 weeks. Offending the locals customs is a beautiful thing. It's a rare opportunity to open your eyes to the world and reflect on your own beliefs and convictions. What it is NOT: an opportunity to mock, ridicule, or poke fun at people whose ways of being are different from your own. We are all different, and there is beauty in difference. Don't ever forget it. Not Tipping Americans have often been characterized as being bad tippers. It's hard to take a whole culture of a country and put them into one category because you have a lot of people who are good tippers and a lot of people who are bad. While traveling there are a lot of people to tip whether it be the bellman, wait staff, valet, or others. Being a good tipper will allow you to do your part because many people depend on tips to make a living. There's also a chance you'll receive better service once they realize you are generous and not going to skimp out. Traveling In A Large Group There's nothing wrong with traveling with a group of friends or family members, but some people find large tourist groups to be annoying. Just think about how a large group can get in everybody's way and slow people down. You wouldn't want to drive behind a large tour bus if you were headed to work or school and then have it pull over and let everybody off while you had to wait. It's easy to dodge around one or two tourists but having to get by a group of 20 to 40 isn't as easy. There really isn't anything wrong with being in one of these groups but you might want to think twice. Other things • At night, turn the lights on in your dorm room and completely forget to turn them back off. Someone else will probably turn it off eventually. • Be loud and obnoxious with your large group wherever you are. Even if it’s at a sacred place. People need to know that you’re having a grand time. • At any kind of show, do not forget to put your phone or camera up to record or to snap chat for a good amount of time. Nothing is better than a blocked view. • Besides your cigarette butts, leave your empty bottles and other trash at the beach for the locals to clean up. Toss out your leftover food on the sand. It’s fine. The stray dogs will find it. • Push people as you cut the line in the long queue. It doesn’t matter where– at the airport, a long queue to a tourist spot, the bathroom. Your time is much more precious than the others. • Disregard what you’ve read about the mistreatment of the animals and support the tourism anyway. Ride the elephant for your profile picture. Ride a malnourished horse to the crater of the volcano. Go pet a drugged up tiger so you look badass in your Instagram. • Disregard a culture at your convenience. For instance, if it’s blazing hot, wear your most comfortable skin-baring attire at a temple. If it’s not your culture, you’re exempted from their beliefs. Also, taking naked pictures in front of famous landmarks is not offensive to the locals. People will praise you not only for your self-confidence, but for your fun, quirky idea. get up asap and grab your luggage on the overhead bin. Secure your spot and block the aisle with your suitcase. It’s not that you’re in a hurry. But again, you need to let people know just how much more important your time is than theirs. Conclusion Some of the annoying things many travelers do include using their smartphones too much, being loud and obnoxious, not cleaning up after themselves, not educating themselves, and many more. Luckily for every annoying habit, you should learn some polite habits that can be practiced so you aren't annoying anyone at all and you're setting a good example while making your travel experience more enjoyable and