The joy of travel is in the discovery. However, in these days of Tripadvisor, Instagram and Google maps, the magic of the unexpected has been diminished somewhat; we seem to want to find exactly what we are looking for, rather than simply bask in the newness of it all.
There is a certain kind of traveler that takes this concept to the extreme, and would probably be happier just staying at home. You'll find them in English pubs up and down the Spanish Costas, red as lobsters, tucking into egg and chips and complaining about the lack of Marmite or baked beans, or some other obscure product from the U.K.
Then there are the Instagram hordes who saw a heavily filtered picture of an iconic attraction and join a huge crowd of people with selfie sticks, jostling to get that exact same shot. Hardly the breathtaking and romantic experience you had in mind, was it? When reality fails to match expectations, based on the promise of home comforts or unrealistic Instagram images, people get disappointed and make ridiculous complaints.
These vacation complaints, made to real travel agents and tour companies and based on a Thomas Cook/ABTA survey, are so absurd that it's hard to believe that they are real. Spanish people speaking Spanish in Spain? The brochure didn't tell us it would be like that! Why is the sand yellow? I expected white sand!
I guess the lesson to take from all the disappoint and ridiculousness is this: Travel without expectations, and accept that the world doesn't exist simply to cater to your comforts and photography needs. Go with an open mind to discover, experience and learn!
Scroll down below to see the list for yourself, and tell your travel stories in the comments!
This post may include affiliate links.
But are we getting more picky about our holidays? How are people's travel habits changing? Let's take a look at the ways that technology and modern life have affected the ways we choose to spend our time off.
We travel more frequently but for shorter durations: "The Office for National Statistics in the UK conducted a survey called the International Passenger Survey in 1996 and 2016 to uncover the biggest changes in the travel habits between the 1990s and now – that’s a 20-year study," Drifter Planet writes.
"The results show that Brits are now going on more holidays than before. In 2016 they went on more than 45 million holidays abroad, compared to only 27 million in 1996, an overall rise of 68%. But despite this, holidays are becoming shorter, proving to be one of the biggest changes we’ve seen over the years marking a huge decline of two week holidays. A week-long break is now much more popular than ever before and there’s been an increase in holidays lasting up to 10 nights."
With budget airlines making the citybreak a more affordable option, it's no surprise that people are exploring their own continent more, rather than save it all for one big summer trip. It keeps you fresh to get frequent little escapes from work and daily life, rather than waiting almost a whole year for the summer to come around again!
Active holidays are on the rise: As people are becoming more health conscious, so are wellness holidays becoming more popular. Instead of letting it all go with booze and food while away, people are seeking to recharge, repair, and have more of a fitness-oriented break. Things like Ayurveda, Yoga, reiki, body detox, spa and meditation holidays have all seen a huge spike in interest, while classics like hiking, camping and cycling are as popular as they ever were.
Conversely, the old 18-35, contiki tour classics are on the wane, which many people would see as a good thing. While there are still plenty of resort options if you want to get wasted, sunburned and laid, it doesn't quite seem to have the same appeal to the younger generation as it did for us oldies. Maybe kids these days are just more sensible, introverted, health and image conscious to get into wild drunken brawls on the streets of Benidorm or Ayia Napa.
Social media's effects: Back in the old days, you'd arrive at your destination with maybe a guide book, a map and some interesting new banknotes. These days, we've seen photos of everything, read all the restaurant reviews, know which attractions we want to photo ourselves, as well as the funky 'hidden' bars and hangouts. We all find these things in the same place: Google. 'Top 10 things you must see in Porto' leads tourists to the same few places in the city, all busy instagramming away and trying to keep the crowds out of their image.
If somewhere happens to be particularly popular on Instagram, it will be packed with people trying to get that 'money shot,' rather than simply enjoying the aura of the place. The tumbling, colorful buildings of Cinque Terre; the strikingly blue streets of Chefchaouen, the sun setting over the pyramids of Giza... we've all seen these iconic images in gorgeous photos, and we want to take those exact same photos. Perhaps it has always been that way, but Instagram has definitely 'influenced' the way we travel.
Ginger Nuts likely the nickname the shop keepers had for these tourists.
When I lived in Africa we had an American tourist that came to the front desk of the hotel and demanded that we "turn the tape off" because he couldn't sleep. After some questioning, we realized that he thought the sounds of nighttime Africa were a recording. He refused to believe us that this was just the sound of nature. We had to take him outside and let him listen. He still was not convinced. He lodged a complaint with management.
my friend who rents a cabin in the woods received a formal complaint saying that "the birds were chirping too loud and we could not sleep" and demanded a partial refund
I would have told him to find the offending birds and get them to cough up a partial refund...
We have that problem in London! My husband contents himself with muttering "shut up you feathery ****ers" and putting his pillow over his head.
Paula Dempsey good
When I was married our living room and bedroom windows looked out over a smallish pond in a park. Nothing like the lovely sounds of duck/goose sex and coyotes interrupting said coitus for a meal at 4am to encourage sleep.
@paula Tell your husband I feel his pain. We lived in central Washington State for several years..a place that runs rampant with quail 7 months out of the year. Nothing is more irritating than a quail perched on the rooftop of the neighboring building as he screams out his announcement that the sun is rising at 4am. Those little rats with wings are louder than roosters....
Yea had that problem...bird bombs !
It's actually pretty common. Recently in the french countryside, newcomers from Paris complained to the mayor of their village that nature was to loud and smelly. There is no cure for stupidity I'm afraid...
Well there is but sadly it's not legal ;)
Love the sound of the African Bushveld! You hear the twitters and tweets of frogs, crickets, night birds; the sound of the hyenas, wild dogs, and then of course the cats. Proudly South African
And yet I play nature sounds in order to help me sleep.
A motel manager in the mountains in Tasmania Australia told me that he had guests who told him to turn off the waterfall at night because they couldn’t sleep from the sound of it.
South African... Used to be a hotel receptionist too, in a coastal hotel. I had an American complain about a cock roach in his room - turns out it was a cricket. And then there was the lovely couple who wanted to know when the whales came in to be fed. They were under the impression that the giant wild blue whales were tame, trained creatures. As if the Atlantic was a bloody water park! XD
Well then, who feeds them? 🤣
That's fantastic!
I occasionally receive visitors to my house (unfortunately). I live way out of town, in the woods. My favorite complaint so far is: "What was that?!?!”... "Coyote. Don't worry they aren't close."... "Isn't that dangerous?"... "Is what dangerous?".... "Letting wild animals wander around like that?"... "🙄If that makes you nervous, I hesitate to tell you about the really big cats, the wolf and the bear. Oops, too late: now you know. Good night." Sweet dreams, idiot!
As a person who worked six years at the travel agent I hereby confirm that people can be not only this stupid, but much, much worse.. so unfortunately I know these statements are true.. We once had a guest that booked the accommodation for September and demanded that we send them in March (6 months before the trip) the weather report and the exact sea temperature for the dates they booked as they "didn't want to travel all those miles just to spend their holidays indoors or swim in a cold sea." And one asked if the beach were in proximity of the sea.. and so on and so on..
I once booked a beach vacation in the Sahara and had to walk 500 miles each day to get to the water.
But I would walk 500 miles And I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles To fall down at your door
Wow, you must be in excellent shape.
long time ago, the sahara was an ocean, so wrong timing or time fly. so next time ask your travel agency to update her information. LOL
You just got there late, 7 million years ago it was the Tethys Sea but just 10,000 ago it was full of rivers, lakes, and fertile plains. That's when all the cool kids were hanging out there.
Beach in the promity of the sea? Maybe, but was the snorkeling spot easily reachable from the water? And would the wood be accessible from that area with all the annoying trees?
How do you manage to keep a straight face or keep your sarcasm in check?. I think I would be sacked the first day doing your job.
When someone asks you such mind-boggling questions, it really does boggle your mind. You experience a second of brain numbness, while you try to decide if you really heard what you think you just heard. Before that second ends, your brain makes the incredible decision to handle the situation with courtesy and finesse - because, surely, there is no way that you actually heard what you think you just heard.
Thanks for giving me my daily dose of deep laughter.
When my family and I that are from the US had the fortunate experience to travel to beautiful Germany. We were repeatedly embarrassed by people from the states. On one of those occasions we were staying at the Café Post on the Rhine, when a party from the states where complaining that could not get a breakfast like in the US. Where are the omelets and pancakes? My thought was then that's where you should have stayed. Also one of the men in the party broke a dowel on the stairway with his suitcase. When the owner approached him with the dowel in hand and asked if he broke it, he laughed. The Café Post Guest House is family owned and they take such pride in its upkeep and cleanliness. My Mom who speaks German said to the owner that the guy was a real a**hole and apologized on behalf of the jerk. When traveling the world please show the best of ourselves not the worst.
I'm English, and other brits abroad are not something I'm particularly proud of either.
There are idiots everywhere and polite people everywhere. The same Spanish people who complain about the British being rude/drunk/racist/etc can behave as complete assholes when they travel abroad themselves. I worked as a group leader for several years and I felt like being abducted by an alien spacecraft many times. I learnt that you can be either polite or an arrogant idiot, but that depends on the kind of education you received at home, not your nationality. I've met very "basic" people in little villages, poor and sometimes barely literate, who where extremely polite and helpful; and well off people who could speak two or three languages and had travelled all over the world but behaved like uneducated, obnoxiously entitled red necks. Your passport doesn't define you. Your education does.
Maria Hermida, I don't think that your education makes any difference, it's your upbringing and how your parents, your village, taught you to behave.
I'm French. I can relate also. I'm pissed off so many times about frenchies abroad.
Thanks for saying that. I thought it was us Americans who were the awfulest.
There's assholes of any nationality abroad. There's (dumb and rude) Brazilians everywhere... we even joke that we're a plague. Most polite Brazilians don't want others to know where we're from so we don't get associated with the obnoxious crowd. Some aren't really rude per se, but they basically pack together, create a community and live in a bubbly, trying as hard they can to avoid any local culture - mainly the people who went to other countries to try to earn more money/get more benefits, not because they like the country and wanted to live there.
American tourists do have a rather bad reputation here in Germany, but it’s very nice to know that there are people like you :)
I'm American and loved Germany when I visited. Clean and friendly. I too am ashamed when I see fellow Americans being assholes.
Elizabeth: as long as you do not behave like those idiots everything should be fine. Lots of Europeans speak English, so you don't have to fear a language barrier.
To be honest I would love to travel the EU but I'm actually too scared to go as the only other language I speak (and very badly) is a little Spanish. I'm too embarrassed to go abroad because I know the reputation of American travels and I don't speak the languages of the countries I want to visit. I do not want to to be a bad guest 🥺☹️
Elizabeth - The reputation of Americans is to hide in their own bubble and think they are the center of the world. Don't hide in that bubble. Go to your library and rent a phrasebook to try and learn a few phrases/words, you will learn more when you visit. Trying is another skill Americans lack, so just attempting a few words will show how much you do care. I am also, unfortunately, an American and have travelled quite a bit. I've learned the above because people in other countries are surprised I am my nationality because I didn't do the negatives mentioned above. Don't be scared to experience and learn because the people around you are stupid.
I think there are stupid tourists from every country. Germans can be idiots too. I've heard the food and language complaint often enough.
Sad enough that a lot of hotels offer German food to the tourists because it's too hard to eat something else when you're on vacation. Not to mention trying new food... Too adventurous you know. So when I'm abroad I usually avoid speaking German and use English instead.
Thats a really good idea Janine.
And conversely, I once had a German couple turn up in the Swiss-owned Irish-style pub I worked in in Switzerland and order "German beer" (we all love precise orders), complain that we didn't have any, and leave because if we didn't have any German beer we weren't a proper Irish pub... I mean, it's an Irish pub in Switzerland, what do you expect?
Wait, no German beer meant you weren't a proper Irish pub? That sentence hurts my brain.
Around the time Braveheart (one of the worst films ever made) came out I was working in tourism in Inverness. I lost count of the number of Americans who complained because the “Scotch” people (?!?!) they met were too hard to understand and there were too many cars and buildings in town. I think they expected the Highlands to have not developed since the 13th century and that we should have all been speaking with the cartoonish Scottish accent of an American actor raised in Australia. I’ve now lived in Australia for over a decade and Americans are confused when I don’t sound like crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin and that I have never and will never come across any wildlife in my daily life because despite what they see on TV this is one of the most urbanised places on the planet. Sorry if this seems like it’s picking on Americans but in general they can be a bit clueless about the world outside.
@djinn I feel like some tourists who come to Scotland get personally offended if we don’t have cartoonish brogues like “groundskeeper Willy” from the Simpsons.
Unfortunately, a lot of the more badass Americans who are kind, considerate, logical, don't have entitlement issues, buy into cultural stereo types, and are actually kinda darling, don't have the extra funds to travel. All us fun weirdos are too busy making ends meet and living humble lives to get to go on holidays. Those are the types of people that SHOULD be traveling because they would certainly be more grateful of the opportunity to experience new and exciting people and places. It's the rich, stupid assholes..who are stupid assholes in America too...who have the nerve to complain that the rest of world isn't accommodating enough to their own stupidity and entitlement. Trust me, when the cool ones save up enough to come visit, you'll appricate the difference.
What happened?? I remember my beginnings in the travel industry in the 80s, Europe was full of young US backpackers, taking Inter-rail, and their Sabbatical in travel, work, cultural and other quite sexy exchange. There were tourists of all ages, on cruises, in hotels, camping. The most amazing tour I assisted to was in Rome, in the Colosseum, and it was given by an American Professor to a mixed group of history geeks. Where are the nice Americans we used to love? Why don't they come and visit any longer?
When my daughter was in the USA she was asked if she was English repeatedly. She's 100% Australian, we just don't speak like Irwin & Hogan.
This reminds me of the woman who wrote a note to the park rangers at Yellowstone to train the bears to come out at the same time each day so she could see them. https://www.outsideonline.com/2011846/yellowstone-visitor-upset-bears-didnt-show
"Every voyager is an ambassador of his country" I think Goethe said that....
That's so true, but also very unfair. I have no problem showing a good image, but I am me, I am not all the people of my country. For example, if I refuse to drink alcohol, it's not because in my country people don't drink alcohol (in fact, they do, and A LOT), it's just because I don't like the alcohol you're offering me. Tsk tsk tsk....
The quote is over 200 years old when travelling was a privilege of a few rich. The meaning for today is when abroad, try to avoid the cliches of the loud italian, the grumpy French, the superior attitude of the Germans or the drunk Englishman :-)
Yep, I know what it meant back then and what it means now. But trust me, people are surprisingly quick to make assumptions about a whole nation based on one single individual example. I live abroad.
Same people who still believe in Trump, who thinks the earth is flat or that vaccines are a giant hoax...
You don't think Trump is real? He's not the Easter Bunny....
My first thought, I was like "Trump is just a myth? Thank the fucking lord!"
And yet these people are allowed to reproduce....
People should be required to take a test before having children.
They should take a series of tests, and the first one should be an IQ test.
I don't think this is an issue about their IQ but more about their rudeness and entitlement.
Or running for a political office.
They are. The test is: can you fit this in there until you make funny noises?
It is a basic human right to reproduce. Maybe you're just venting an emotional response, but I'm taking your comments as serious ones. Remember Hitler was democratically elected, and sterilization, and of course even greater horrors were inflicted on citizens. Please rethink what you're saying. This should never be possible in our society. (Yes I know people have been sterilized without their informed consent, a permanent stain on our society.) Please remember our Constitution, and our Bill of Rghts. Please simply reflect on what's right and wrong. People who think that the amazingly idiotic notions displayed here are reasonable, (and who I would bet my wages are Trump supporters), will most likely never learn, but the rest of us can do better.
This comment has been deleted.
I am really struggling to believe that these people are THAT stupid. I either hope these are jokes or completely fake. My IQ has dropped 10 points from reading these.
Believe me, they are.. I worked at a travel agent for 6 years and these aren't even the worst complaints I had seen
@LuckyL - here are some examples that I can still remember: "The kitchen floor tiles were black and white, set diagonally which made me dizzy each time I entered it so I want a full refund" - the entire kitchen and the tiles were visible in the photos of the accommodation presentation on our site.......... "The ceiling light was not put in the exact centre of the ceiling - it was distracting and ruined my vacation"....... "If I do not open the window, it's hot and if I open it the wind blows in" guest complaining about not being able to sleep at night due to high temperatures - note - the apartment was equipped with air-condition but they did not want to use it.............. "The walls were different shade of green than the one shown in the photos" they demanded a partial refund on basis of this......... "Does the lighthouse has sea view?" serious question asked by the guests who wanted to book accommodation in a lighthouse on the island.......... "We could hear vampires at night
part2: "We could hear vampires at night and we were scared" I kid you not, we received this complaint. We supposed they had heard some wild animal howling, but why calling it a vampire is still a mistery to me........ "The rooms in the rental were too big - we live in a small flat and our kids were scared sleeping in a bigger room than the one they're used to" official complaint by the guests for the regular-sized place........... "The frying pan was too large, there were two us of, not twenty" - it was a regular size pan, where you can fry 4-5 eggs......... "you should have warned me that in /country they booked accommodation/ it is not allowed to park your car in the middle of the street - i got a fine and it's your fault" this guest just parked her car IN THE MIDDLE of the street (luckily not a one with heavy trafic) and went shopping - came back to find her car towed and received a fine.
Tell us more!
please, give us examples!! :)
This comment has been deleted.
Oh..they're that stupid. Anyone who works retail can tell you that.
I wish they were fake, too. But unfortunately they aren't.
Ah the stupid... making normal people feel like einsteins all over the planet.
I had complains from tourists there are too many sheep and horses up in the clearly fenced up part of the valley that also clearly have signs warning about animals on the road. And no we are not removing 50+ sheep, two horses and a uknown number of wildlife so you can camp there for 1 night. It was hell after the first Frozen film sicne it was inspired by Norway meant Norway was just like the Frozen movie and cant wait for the 2nd to come... Yes I had a few americans ask where you could ride reindeers.
They drive through a rural area and they’re surprised to see animals. I’m from Canada and I’ve experienced that very thing.
My parents once took a trip to Paris. My father was speaking with a shop clerk who spoke perfect English and was very pleasant. Another American walked in who was the classic Ugly American, demanding to be waited on immediately. The shop clerk pretended to not understand her. The woman then turned to my father and said, “If they want our money, they should speak our language!” My father simply shrugged and said, “No English.”
Your dad is fucking savage
I live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan....It's August and 90 in the shade...I had a car pull over with skis on the roof rack..."How far to Canada?"....Umm...you've been in Canada for about 400 miles..."Where's the snow?".......It's August, there is no snow...."Well, where are the mountains?"....About 400 miles to the West, but you won't find much snow there either......LOL
I'm in Saskatoon as well!
More than 400 miles as well. It’s fun to bug them, though, isn’t it? I once told a particularly obnoxious specimen to watch out for bears....in downtown Vancouver.
I live on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. There is a national wildlife refuge within a couple of miles of us where I often volunteer. Common heard comments and questions: (1) what time do the birds come out? [We are on a major migratory route and see many unusual species of birds] (2) Why is the water at different levels at different times throughout the day? [Ever heard of tides?] (3) Why is there so much sand? Couldn't they move some of it out of the way? (4) We've been here for hours and only seen some seagulls and other common birds. They really should ensure the better birds are available anytime the refuge is open. [Tell it to the birds!] I could go on for days...people really are as stupid and as clueless as shown here and worse.
I wouldn't tell them the water keeps coming back. Natural selection, you know. ;-)
Some of those are legit though. It's not weird for people to wonder about when the local birds are active, and which ones are "in season" there, and the same with the tide levels on that particular day because the visitor wouldn't know as well as the local staff.
"Anderson, don’t talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the entire street." tumblr_ml2...b525ff.gif
Seriously!!!! the really scary thing is that these people are allowed to vote and have children. God help us all.
Ed Land yes
People like this should not be allowed to travel before they educate themselves, period.
I travel to see the world, different people, different countries, different habits, food... Some of these people seem to want to travel a long (or short) time and arrive in their home country they are used to. Why bother travelling then??
YOU travel to see other cultures, but many people travel to be able to say they've been there, because their friends have all visited that place/country and they have to keep up with the Joneses. They only travel to take pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower, the Alhambra, the Big Ben, San Marcos, etc, to post the photos in Instagram. They are not interested in the country/food/art/people at all.
This entire thread is enormously depressing! Something has gone terribly wrong with our educational system, which our country (the U.S.) has allowed to deteriorate into a state of utter mediocrity - leaving far too many people poorly informed and incapable of THINKING for themselves. Furthermore, our human species appears to be breeding itself ever more in favor of the lower end of the intellectual spectrum, resulting in dullards increasingly outnumbering smarter people. The examples of stupidity described in this post are hard to believe actually exist, but sadly the evidence is there for all to see, like it or not.
Eric Talbot no
I’ve seen Americans in Japan whining because there’s only Japanese food around and demanding to go to McDonald’s. *makes barfing noises*
Hey, hey. On the defense of going to a major chain restaurant in another country: best thing to freaking do, at least once while in that country. The menus are completely different and it's like when you start learning a new language ... you take what you know (menu/native language) and use it to learn the new (other menu/foreign language). It's pretty awesome. I bet those Americans had a shock once finally reaching a McDonalds though ... hehe Ebi Burgers.
When I worked part time at an auto-camp reception near the sea, a guest complained about the independent individual doughnut sellers on the beach. You know, the ones who walk around with their doughnut filled boxes and occasionally shout "(I sell) dooooooooughnuuuuuts!!!"
Admit it, they are annoying.
The tourists or the doughnuts sellers? ^_- Joke. Honestly, I don't mind them.
The donut guys are my best friends!!
Having traveled to every continent except Antartica in my lifetime-yup, people are this stupid and then some. The most stupid complaints to me are complaining about the locals' race "OMG there are so many black people here? In Brazil? In Africa? OMG I feel so uncomfortable agh!" Or language issues. Like do people not realize that the entire world doesn't speak their native language? because there are hundreds of languages spoken all over the world? The apparent answer is no. And I'm not saying you have to become and expert but my god at least learn a few little phrases like yes or no or at least know what the local language is (met a family that was SHOCKED that "OMG Japanese is the official language of Japan? GASP!")
My God how I hate racism, the perfect combination of stupidity and evil.
Scary, isn’t it 😕
You know, these people are classic examples of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and the size of the brain.
I once worked on a cruise ship and we were at sea. A man asked the purser when the mail would be delivered that day.
Long before the Uber Drone :))
Sally Rohrer what
We once stayed at a Logis de France at the Atlantic coast that was famous for their seafood, in 1999. A German customer complained that they didn't offer salt free plates. Although the owner apologised and created a vegetarian plate on the fly, this guy still sent a formal complaint - by the fax machine of the same hotel - to Logis de France's HQ in Paris. We got pretty close with the owners (it was a family business) and we have sent the same day a fax with our version of events and a lot of praise for the excellent food to the same LdF HQ. Someone from LdF called me (I guess to see if we were real people), and the complaint was dismissed. The owners have ever since added a salt free dish to their menu, but this has never been ordered since.
None of these are at all unusual. I live in a Welsh seaside town, and I swear the summer vistors think we residents are Westworld-esque robots. And that we're put back in boxes when they leave.
So much stupid in the world. So much.
Park workers in Banff have been asked questions such as "Where do you keep the animals at night?" Then there are those tourists who tell their kids to pose with a bear, or a bull elk at the height of rutting season...
Elk are massive creatures with even massiver pointy bits at that time of year. This isn't Bambi, haha. Go pick a fight with a moose while you are at it, haha.
"Went to the wadden sea to watch the tides, and guess what, there was no water there, and the dumb girl at the tourist information just told us to come back in 6 hours! And worst of it, she gave us that tacky little calendar that said that tomorrow the water would be back HALF AN HOUR LATER!! And these morons did not want to change that for me! ME!!!"
After reading all this I wonder how these people even got on their plane. You can't be that stupid...
You’re nicer than I am. I’m frankly amazed that many people have managed to reach adulthood without stepping in front of a bus.
All of these are what Trump would say, you know because he speaks his mind...
He spoke his mind all the way to the White House. There are several instances of Trump Derangement Syndrome here. When have you ever heard of him being this kind of tourist? Never? Then why bring him up?
I was in Florida on a beach, who had nets in the water, but a baby-shark slipped through and caused me a mild panic attack as i was swimming pretty far out from the beach. Didn't calm me down when I realized most people already were out of the water since the lifeguards were yelling SHARK! Jeez, I thought it was part of the whole american-beach-fun-stuff... (yeah I'm scandinavian...) Not complaining! Felt like a movie! Yaaay!!
Please explain to us why you don't think that was stupid.
I've been working many years with travellers( from almost any part of the world), and in the past 10 years i have to underline the worsening of cultural level and growth of rudeness and ignorance.i could write lot of books So i'm not astonished, all of the above can unfortunately be real. One of my personal experiene was a woman travelling in South Africa and Namibia complaining cause lot of people was....black! And she wasn't confortable. Regardless to the unbereable racism.... seriously???
When traveling I watch the locals for what's appropriate, keep my hands to myself and just have a good time. Its not that hard to not be a idiot while traveling.
When we traveled to Cuba on a People To People tour, our Cuban guide was phenomenal but he implored us as all of us retrieved our luggage not to be “that person”. Sure enough there were two who became “those people”. They are living examples of courtesy and kindness versus education can be diametrically opposed. BTW Cuba is beautiful and Cubans are some of the nicest people we have ever met.
This shit is why an IQ test should be required to get a passport.
Stupid people make me laugh, thank you dum dums
I see some potential Darwin Award winners in there..
Well, complaining seems to be a new way of life. Coming from people who have a lot of luck in life and should be more aware of it. Traveling is a lesson of humility and this is not available for everyone.
There should be a minimum IQ requirement to breed. If you don't measure up, you should be neutered. My eyes rolled so many times while reading this, I think I caught a glimpse of my brain.
Stupidity is invincible._
WOW!! Just, wow!
unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are ready to make supid complaints just to get a refund...
I had to stop reading, it was making me too angry.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
And that gives you an excuse to be snotty to strangers?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Angry? You must not get out much. These are hilarious.
I wasn't being entirely serious but no I don't get out much. I have severe health problems which prevent me from leaving the house.
Once, I saw a bad review for a host/accommodation because the weather was bad during their stay.
In the USA when I was 11 years old a grown man said to me “hey, you’re English, have you met the queen?” I thought he was kidding, and politely replied “no, have you met the president?” And he gave me a filthy look as if I was completely stupid and said “of course not!!!!”
It doesn't matter where you're from, or where you're going, but if you're taking a vacation, don't be a cunt when you get there. There's nothing worse than a self-entitled moron demanding that reality be altered to their will because they didn't expect Spanish people to speak Spanish, or they ask why Australians don't celebrate Christmas in June since it's winter there, or, like my brother, they ask a non-English person's name, then ask for said person to translate their name into English.
Okay I'm sorry. But was anyone else bothered by the direction of the quotation marks?
I worked at a travel agent where there was an enquiry to book a trip to the Serengeti... they wanted to know the exact date the animals started migrating!
Actually it is your duty to help us dispose of the body with no questions asked later.
When i was staying at a hotel, i saw someone bringing a bucket of sand into the hotel from the beach. They told her to put down the bucket, and she said no because “she wanted to topless sunbath in her room with the sand so it feels like the beach, because all the parents cover their childrens eyes. How rude of them”. Couldnt help but lauh because i was an immature 10 year old.
I have traveled locally and internationally. I have encountered these types of people all over. Travel and exposure to other cultures is so important to help us develop the social skills needed to be a fully functioning member of society. Note: People love to share photos and stories about their travels at church. Many of them reveal how clueless or entitled they were when they were traveling.
There are tons of people that make legitimate complaints...none of these are them. I had a nightmare experience with an Extended Stay in TN. 1) Front desk clerk calls me saying she needs a credit card number to charge a holding fee or that I needed to stop by an ATM to bring the equivalent cash.. There wasn't supposed to be any holding fee according to the booking site I went through. I flat out refused and threatened to call corporate.
2) the room that was booked for us hadn't been cleaned from the previous occupant. There was food all over the counters, someone else's hair in the tub, and stains all over the sheets. I made them move me to another room. This one was clean but half the size of the first. You actually had to climb over the queen bed to get to the entrance for the bathroom.
3) As I headed downstairs for a badly needed cigarette, I was passed by a guy that reeked of marijuana. I ignored it because it's none of my business. Then, as I went back up to my room, I see the same guy at the front desk..he gets in the elevator with me and the front desk receptionist. They get off at the second floor and he throws an arm around her, gives her a smooch and they go into his room.
4) The next morning, the same front desk clerk tries to charge me double the price of the original booking saying that, because I changed rooms..the original contract was voided. I told her to contact her manager. She refused. Then I told her I'd gladly wait for the manager to arrive to explain how she tried to get cash out of me for the hold, that she's letting her reefer smoking boyfriend stay at the hotel and the state of the original room I was booked into. She not only reduced the price back down to the original booking price, she begged me not to leave a bad review. Sorry..but I had to leave a bad review. I needed to let other people know to avoid the hotel from hell.
My favorite part of this is the comebacks god I love them
Morons. 'Nough said....
I have experience with this kind of things in my country. I was with my friends in a mall, chilling and chatting, when some old white people, yelled at us to speak in English. My friend yelled at them back with "You visited here, you speak our language!"
Ryza Tigno no
The shame of being a member of the same species is causing my DNA to cringe :(
Reading this post made my head hurt..are people seriously this stupid? 😣
as guiding tour operator, one tourist told me that it was stupid not to write the name of the company on the light publicity board......LOL, he refer me to a beautiful rainbow!!!!!!
For many northern european tourists, south countries, like Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, etc, are considered kind of amusement parks. I found a couple in Algarve (south Portugal) thinking they were in Spain (it was the 90's and Euro was not a thing yet).
We are spoiled rotten.
People are dumb.
This can't possibly be true?!
I, er... *sigh* reaction-5...3324e6.jpg
Not only stupid tourists in Spain, I read some city guests at a rural hotel had sued them because of getting wakened in the early mornings by the village roosters hahahaha
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein
Now I feel really smart
Sfflxg. Ck scaxaaf
OMG
wow these people are S T U P I D
just as a side note, I am Canadian as are my parents. They were in France on a coach tour and met a couple who also wore Canadian Flag badges on their jackets. Mom discovered they were actually American but wore the Canada pins as they said they would get better service if the French thought they were Canadian as opposed to American.
That's quite common, actually. I feel bad for nice Americans who have to suffer through stereotypes.
I bet these are all true. I've worked in customer service for 15 years and I've heard even stupider complaints. Sad, but true. And, yes, I've lost all faith in humanity at this point.
I'm Mexican and with my parents have travel to the most beautiful parts of the world. And I try to be polite to everybody because they are a part of the country I visit. But in Tanzania, wow, some Chine people were very rude with the Tanzanian people. I didn't like it one bit.
Dumber and dumber
These people are total idiots!!!!!
LOL DID YOU REALLY THINK THEY COULD BE REAL OR NOT STOLEN....?
Tripp Lea -
Yep. That’s typical of some stupid humans.
Unfortunately these people that travel outside the country are typically well to do and have a disconnect from reality. You know, the people with all the money and power that pick our politicians and leaders.
What A New Gem for Non-Stop LOL-ing!!! And to start advertising Stay-Cation to these Humans!
when I went half thru posts my thoughts were - "this needs a Shitknife"
You mean a 'poop knife'?
Is it possible to be totally imbecile as this ones?
STAY THE FUCK HOME THEN!
Get over it! You're having a beautiful baby
shameful planet
Now I'm always trying to find bored pandas link to the full list, hoping, that there's more content ^^
Seriously some people should just never leave their homes... or leave their mother's wombs prematurely so the rest of the world who is smart and understands geography won't be bothered by their existence
Sorry but I am convinced most of these are made up
@AuntMessy She's thick? You called me a child abuser!
That’s what you always say. Eventually you’ll have to admit that you’re just thick.
all of these statement are just a joke... we are stupid if we take it seriously
I THINK THAT EITHER ONE PERSON WROTE ALL THIS STUFF AND IS PRETENDING TO BE REALLY STUPID OR WE HAVE A LOT OF OVERPRIVLIGED STUPID PEOPLE.
If you want to know what God thinks of money, look at who he gives it to.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Hello, I think this is the best hot girls Dating site in Australia! Already millions of people meet and communicate here www.if69.club
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Fake. The whole article is fake. I'm tired of the attraction to negativity online.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I think this is some bullshit.
Michael Norris what
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Oh, c'mon people. Yes, people are incredibly stupid, but......These are satire. It's so obvious.
I once had an American visiting Toronto demand to know where the forest was and how was he going to see a moose with all the streetcars around. He added that if he’d known Toronto had high rises, he’d never have visited.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I hope most of these are not real and just someone trolling, but then I have seen some questionable people as well.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
That is just British messy People. Typical Britan is no thinking, there is no brain under hair.
Natasha Krupchenko +
When I lived in Africa we had an American tourist that came to the front desk of the hotel and demanded that we "turn the tape off" because he couldn't sleep. After some questioning, we realized that he thought the sounds of nighttime Africa were a recording. He refused to believe us that this was just the sound of nature. We had to take him outside and let him listen. He still was not convinced. He lodged a complaint with management.
my friend who rents a cabin in the woods received a formal complaint saying that "the birds were chirping too loud and we could not sleep" and demanded a partial refund
I would have told him to find the offending birds and get them to cough up a partial refund...
We have that problem in London! My husband contents himself with muttering "shut up you feathery ****ers" and putting his pillow over his head.
Paula Dempsey good