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Ways You're an Annoying Traveler

Jan 21, 2022

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Travel

Richard Baxter

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. 

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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