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People Reveal What Behavior Identifies You As A Tourist Immediately In The Area Where They Live (51 Posts)
When you visit a foreign country, you’re a guest. It’s polite to learn at least a bit about the local customs and a few basic phrases in their language before you pack your bags and jet off in a magical flying bus in search of sights to see. Genuine effort counts for a lot! However, no matter how perceptive and careful they might be, tourists are bound to accidentally reveal who they are sooner or later. It comes with the territory. Some of the things that we do are so ingrained, we hardly notice our behavior which might be considered rude elsewhere. And that’s how the locals know that we’re from out of the country.
We've collected some of the biggest tourist faux pas from a viral Quora thread asking what behavior immediately identifies a non-local, so scroll down and upvote the worst slip-ups that caught your eye. Have you ever done something similar when you were on vacation abroad? What sets tourists apart in your home country? Share your thoughts with all the other Pandas in the comments!
Bored Panda was interested to learn more about tourist etiquette, so we reached out to Professor Christine Vogt, the Director of the Center for Sustainable Tourism at Arizona State University. Professor Vogt explained that learning about local customs and language is a must when planning your trip and doing background research before your visit abroad. "More than likely that is what draws a person to visit a certain place. The more local knowledge a traveler has, the more a traveler can feel like a local and fit in," she said.
Read on for the full interview where Professor Vogt discusses the importance of learning local customs, whether the pandemic has made countries more open to tourists, and the best way to protect historic sites from tourists that like taking one or two 'souvenirs' back home with them.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
London, UK: Leaving a large tip. "Tipping in restaurants is generally expected, but much more modest than in the US, as wait staff earn a reasonable wage. In the US, service staff are expected to be polite to customers. In the UK, customers are expected to be polite to service staff."
Softsquatch 5 years ago
whoever told you london service staff earn a reasonable wage is lying. it might be better than the US but it's certainly not enough to live off.
Marcellus the Third 5 years ago
It's enough to live on in most places (even comfortably in many) --- but unfortunately no way enough to live in London!
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Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 5 years ago
The cost of living in London is exorbitant, so I am sure those waiters are extremely thankful for any tourist that leaves a generous tip.
Maciej Zajaczkowski 5 years ago
We should stop expecting like that all the time and just get on well with each other - quit the pointless formality and everyone will be much happier.
Erica Cochrane 5 years ago
i mean, we are always happy and surprised to get a tip. we are more surprised when the customers are nice to us.
Billy The Kid 5 years ago (edited)
when i am in the pub i always buy the barman a drink. I don't give money as not all bar tenders get to keep their tips
RELATED:
#2
Edinburgh, Scotland: Pronouncing the "G" at the end of Edinburgh.
"The '-burgh' at the end of a place name is pronounced '-burra,' as in 'Edinburra,' not 'Edinberg'."
Astrid Nineor 5 years ago
Pretty sure they can tell even if you say - burra :p Several Scots asked if I was from England, and one person in England asked if I was from Scotland :D Not bad for a viking.
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 5 years ago
Astrid, English is in no way a simple language and I tip my hat to you for your brilliant pronunciation. The Vikings played quite a significant role in the evolution of the English language. In the Orkney and Shetland islands, words and turns of phrase from Old Norse (Norn in the Scots language) still pervade the present day dialects. If you happen to travel to Shetland in the future you might just notice people's accents follow Nordic stress patterns.
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Joanne Haywood 5 years ago
It’s not only tourists that get place names wrong. There are quite a few places I don’t know how to say. My village though seems to confuse many. Golcar which is pronounced Go-car.
Liam Walsh 5 years ago
Trottiscliffe.... pronounced Trozzlee. It is in Kent.
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ProfessionalTimeWaster 5 years ago
English has problems. Serious mismatch between spelling and pronunciation.
Mary Rose Kent 5 years ago
Because it was cobbled together from so many other languages
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Jenný Samúelsdóttir Herlufsen 5 years ago
Food for thought: in Icelandic Edinburghs' name is Edinborg, "-borg" meaning city and the -G is pronounced. Sometimes frustration with pronunciations is uncalled for due to linguistic difference.
Clever Dog 5 years ago (edited)
The title of this post is 51 Things Tourists Do That Immediately Signal They’re Non-Locals you don't have to be local to pronounce Edinburgh correctly, just not America. I don't know anybody from any part of the UK that would say it wrong
Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago (edited)
This is where it gets confusing. Some places burgh is pronounced berg and some places as mentioned are pronounced burra.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
Or you could just pay attention to the way people say it and say it that way. You know....it takes two seconds to get it right and not look like a rube.
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Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 5 years ago
I often wish that many English words were spelled like they are pronounced. If only it was that simple. The English language is constantly evolving and has been influenced by so many historical and cultural events and different languages that have helped shape the language-- entire books have been dedicated to the history of the English language.
Load More Replies... #3
Seattle, Washington: Looking tan.
"When someone walks into the coffee shop on the corner with a perfect tan, shorts, a t-shirt, and actually looks like they've seen light before, we all know they aren't from around here."
LittleMissLotus 5 years ago
Seattleite here. This so true. We can also tell you're a tourist you go pretty much anywhere near pike place market, 99% of seattleites never actually go there to shop lol
Ravens Mom 5 years ago
I get it. I live in Phoenix which is like living on the sun and when I travel people always say "You're so tan!". I get tan just walking from my car into the office or my house.
David Whittaker 5 years ago
If you see someone in the Great Pacific Northwest with an umbrella you know they're new
According to Professor Vogt from ASU, some of the local customs can include how to dress, eat, the etiquette of using a cellphone, among many other things.
"Local customs can include how a traveler dresses, eats, uses a cell phone, etc. When a traveler is out in a community such as walking in a downtown area or eating in a restaurant, these local customs can come into play. For example, in Buddhist countries, a woman who has not covered her shoulders or legs may not be allowed into temples or even a restaurant. Learn as many local customs as you can and a few key words to enhance your experience," Professor Vogt explained to Bored Panda that adhering to customs can enhance not only the experience of your trip but also help show the proper respect for traditions.
In other words, putting in the effort is a win-win. For you. For the locals, too.
#4
Dublin, Ireland
1. Most tourists go to pubs to get the full Irish experience (for good reasons). Now the thing about Irish pubs, besides the good beer, is that pubs are very good places for socialising. It happens quite often that someone overhears your discussion and might join in (politely) and then you have a pint together (or more).
Let me tell you about the word ‘craic’. It is pronounced /kræk/ (same as crack cocaine) and it means fun, good times, news and a couple of other things.
Now one of the questions you’ll hear most often in pubs is one friend asking the other: “How was the craic last night?” meaning: Did you have fun last night? To which the answer is usually: “Craic was mighty” or some variant of this.
Imagine the tourists’ faces and what goes through their head when they hear 2 Irish lads talking about how good the cocaine was.
Every single time I hear this exchange of words I look at other people’s faces and immediately spot the tourists. Works like a charm!
2. Also related to pubs, you can easily spot a tourist if he spills beer on the floor. No matter how drunk, no matter how crowded the pub is, a local will always be able to handle at least 3 pints at a time without spilling. He might fall down the stairs, but the beer won’t go to waste. Some exceptions: brits & germans.
3. Lastly, the weather.
Tourists are always surprised when it starts raining and they’re not properly dressed even though they took a look at the forecast in the morning and dressed accordingly (big mistake) AND IT WAS FECKIN’ SUNNY 5 MINUTES AGO! Irish will talk and complain about weather, but rarely act surprised. It gets worse in February, March when you can have 4 seasons in the same day.
Marianne Kraus 5 years ago
This is absolutely true, Irish people never spill a pint. And this is extraordinary, because a pint is always filled to the brim! A waiter will carry 10 pints on a tray and not spill a single drop.
Iggy 5 years ago
It can rain at any time in Ireland. Always expect it. And another way of spotting tourists in Dublin is they'll be the ones in proper rainwear. We don't bother.
Freya the Wanderer 5 years ago
Sounds as though Ireland is another place where one can say "If you don't like the weather now, wait five minutes."
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k1ddkanuck 5 years ago
My Dad's parents emigrated from Ireland, and I have a lot of Irish friends as Toronto is full of Irish. Particularly in the restaurant industry. Craic is one of my favorite Irish words. I use it all the time, and even Irish strangers will smile when I bust it out.
Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
I just fell in love with the word "feckin". Thank you for that!
Liam Walsh 5 years ago
It is a great word, not considered a swear word but far more everyday.
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Flash Henry 5 years ago
Grew up on the west coast of Ireland. No one ever bothered doing much in the way of hair or makeup because the wind and rain only stop for a few days in the middle of August.
IlovemydogShilo 5 years ago
A factory that my dad worked at in Letterkenny Ireland was taken over by an American company. The Americans who came over had to learn pretty quickly the Irish ways and the different words we use. In America the word "f***y" means the backside and to say someone has a cut f***y is a compliment (I think, this was back in 1984), But in Ireland "f***y" is another word for the vagina. The Americans had a staff party to get to know everyone. One American got a little fresh with a young female worker by saying "you've got a real cute f***y. " She thought he was referring to a different part of the body and took offence and decked him.
Franek Mierzwiński 5 years ago
Some years ago i read a funny description of London weather. >> It was very foggy and cold, one of these days Londoners think it is "good weather" only because it is not raining.<<
#5
San Francisco, California: Wearing a suit as business attire.
"Wearing a suit as business attire, even to job interviews, communicates that either 1. You are not from here or 2. You are selling something. Most tech employees, including many execs, wear anything ranging from business casual (khakis and a button-down shirt) to sandals and jeans, or even shorts, for day-to-day office activity."
tangy chip 5 years ago
yeah. that's my favorite part of vaction, job interviews!
Load More Replies... Thomas brennan 5 years ago
This is a massive generalisation - outside of tech most industries still expert business attire and within tech certain subsectors and job functions e.g. lower levels of venture capital and business development still expect people to be suited and booted. For an interview, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the expectation is that you come formally dressed. I think the author is looking at this from a developer's perspective where you can wear whatever you want as long as you hit your deadlines.
Katchen 5 years ago
Yeah, San Francisco has a financial district. Wear a suit to those interviews.
Load More Replies... E Menendez 5 years ago
Not true for interviews outside of tech. There is a lot of tech, but that isn't all there is ( and the tech is actually on the lower peninsula and San Jose not SF). Some of the casual trend has bled into the day to day, but that is true across the west.
Katchen 5 years ago
I’m in biotech in the Bay Area: the interviewee in every interview I have ever attended has worn at least a suit or a-much-less-casual-than-everyday-apparel outfit for every job, even lab positions.
Load More Replies... Gwinevere von Ludwig 5 years ago
My SF office (investment bank) definitely requires people to wear suits to interviews. Just saying that this is a very broad generalization that definitely does not apply to all industries.
Katie Lutesinger 5 years ago
I went to California a while ago and asked my hosts if it was okay if I wore thongs (or flip flops as they called them - I'm Australian) when we went out. They said "Yeah, it's LA." "But what if we go shopping?" "Yeah, it's LA." "But what if we end up going to a nice restaurant-?" "YES. IT'S LA." I did not wear covered shoes once the entire time I was there. Came home with huge tan-lines on my feet.
E Menendez 5 years ago
This is true a lot of cities in the U.S. - I just might not suggest walking in a major city with your feet exposed as they are very dirty.
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lara 5 years ago
Wearing a suit tells me that the person respects him or herself, people whom they meet, is concerned about details and knows that there is a difference among socializing, business, dating and slopping around.
Clemens Gaber 5 years ago
Wow, so you are really that indoctrinated that you assume people who are not wearing a suit do not respect others and themselves and are not concerned about details? That is very superficial and indicates a lack of view for details.
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#6
Barcelona, Spain: Referring to Barcelona as "Barca." "We cringe every time we hear that."
Shelp 5 years ago
It's always cringy to see outsiders pretending to know a place so well that they use the "local slang" and nicknames even though it's been roughly five days since they're here.
Nomadus Aureus 5 years ago
Either that or that's the name they've been introduced to. Whenever a tourist approaches me out of the blue, I have to stop and actively think about the "normal" names of places. The name of my street has changed 6 times in the last 50 years AND it has different names in the three historic languages of the country. So depending on the age and ethnicity of the person you ask, you will be given different names. However, everyone is familiar with its nickname which it got from a very distinct architectural feature, so I always give the official and nickname, when someone asks.
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Lerato Mogoatlhe 5 years ago
I'm a professional tourist - of course tourists stand out. There's nothing cringeworthy. How do you fare when you leave what's around your corner? We all stand out somehow when we are not at home.
Marcellus the Third 5 years ago
Jo'burg/Johannesburg seems to have the same on half the inhabitants (no sports involved).
Sanguinius 5 years ago
is it because they refer to the football team as barca and not the city
Pete Papadopoulos 5 years ago
In NYC, when someone pronounces "Houston" the same way as the city in Texas or calls 6th Ave. "Avenue of the Americas". No son, it's 6th
We were also curious to find out whether the Covid-19 pandemic had made countries warier of tourists or quite the opposite—more welcoming. According to Professor Vogt, the countries and places in the United States that have been hit hardest by the novel coronavirus or have public health as their priority "may have pulled all marketing to attract tourists" and have also made it harder to visit by adding restrictions. Among these are visa restrictions, mandatory testing for Covid, and self-funded quarantines.
However, this isn't the case everywhere. Some areas are desperate to recoup losses and improve financial streams they'd usually get from tourism. "Unfortunately, many places in the US continue to want a rebounding tourism industry and promote themselves as open for tourism. It is critical that these open destinations are also practicing the appropriate health and safety protocols," Professor Vogt said.
#7
Moscow, Russia: Whistling indoors.
"This casual gesture immediately identifies you as a non-local. This is because the Russians believe that by whistling you're blowing your wealth away."
ML 5 years ago
In Estonia we believe (not actually believe, but like most superstitious stuff) that whistling indoors will set your home on fire. And also this to be rude too.
I Liquored On 5 years ago
When I moved to Estonia it took ages for me to get used to that. I cant even whistle at my dog indoors without getting frowned at by my girlfriend
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Just JoLynn 5 years ago
I have two questions. First, when whistling outdoors is this still considered blowing your wealth away? Second, why are tourist whistling inside, and how common is this?
#8
Alberta, Canada: Feeding the wildlife.
"Don't feed our wildlife or treat them like they are pets. Respect them, and their space. Personally, I think we should just feed the tourists that do this to the problem bears. Kind of a win-win."
Chich 5 years ago
The worst of this (that a friend witnessed) was a tourist smearing honey on her kids face. She was then getting ready to let the bears lick it off so she could get a 'cute' picture. Fortunately someone stopped her. Where do these people come from?
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
No. That can't be. No one is that ignorant. Are they.
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troufaki13 5 years ago
In Greece some people fed the deer cheetos or something like that and unfortunately a couple of them died because of that. Wild animals should be admired from afar.
Viviane 5 years ago
I got very annoyed at a tourist trying offering taco chips to some bighorn sheep in a parking lot. I stepped on them. She got annoyed back and said, "I can do what I want" like a petulant child. I didn't think of getting her license plate number at the time, but these days I will do it and report the person who misbehaves.
Philly Bob Squires 5 years ago
I live in the Pocono Mountains of PA, USA and here in the woods we NEVER feed the wildlife! Sure, that little chipmunk you set out a few chips for may be cute but when that 500+ pound bear comes to your door... or the skunk that now hangs around the house...
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 5 years ago
lol yess. its actually illegal to feed wildlife in national parks like Banff and such.
Niffler_13 5 years ago
Happens all the time in the US, or people getting too close to wildlife, especially in Yellowstone. People don't realize how quickly a Bison can move and how dangerous they really are.
🇨🇦 Clementine 🇨🇦 5 years ago
Yeah I hate it when parents film their kids being chased by wild animals while the kids are screaming and the parents are just laughing. (I accidentally saw one of a kid being chased by a bison and the parent were laughing. Laughing! How does your kid being chased by a HUGE bison not look scary?!?)
Load More Replies... Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
I call fake- no one from Canada would even think about talking about wondering whether or not to feed tourists to the bears. Canadians are too polite. ;)
🇨🇦 Clementine 🇨🇦 5 years ago (edited)
Firstly, a local would not go within 30 feet of any wildlife - close enough to 'feed someone to a bear' (elk, deer and bighorn sheep for example can be really dangerous not just bears) also there are plenty of signs and warnings about 'do not approach wildlife', 'do not feed wildlife', ect. so it's 100% on you if you go too close to a wild animal.
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aj B 5 years ago
The only issue I see is the problem bears might become picky and their preferred diet is now human flesh. Then you have bigger problems with the bears.
🇨🇦 Clementine 🇨🇦 5 years ago
(Just in case you're being serious) The problem is now the wildlife have a taste for human food/garbage and will become increasingly demanding and might decide to come into urban areas and be a danger not only to humans, but pets too and other stuff too.
Load More Replies... #9
I’m from Hong Kong!!! Well, I lived here for many years, so I’m quite familiar with the local culture.
1. Tourists are usually the ones that marvels on how well you speak English. HK is a bilingual city, we used to be colonised by the British. Just because we are Asian does not mean we can’t speak good English.
2. Going on massive shopping sprees in the shopping malls. This mostly apply to tourists from mainland China, but also from some gwai lo (aka foreigners) as well. They would go into some Chanel store and come out with 15 bags of cosmetics etc. HK stuff are somewhat cheap compared to other countries, so it’s only natural that tourists will bulk buy.
3. Taking selfies and pictures in those run-down restaurants in crowded, stinky alleys. Those restaurants are usually cheap and the quality of their food isn’t the best, but they are what most locals eat when they don’t feel like having anything fancy for lunch. Tourists are the kind that take selfies of themselves in the crowded restaurant and snapping pictures of their food (which is just fried toast with honey, or maybe instant noodles with an egg on top). We just eat there, because we don’t find the food as special.
4. Trying to speak Mandarin. A lot of locals do know Mandarin, but it’s not our main language. Our main language is Cantonese, and some of the locals do get offended if tourists come and confuse our language with another.
5. Assuming that Mandarin and Cantonese are the same. Please, please don’t say that. We use the same characters, but the way we use them are very different. Mandarin is a really recent and simplified version of Cantonese, while Cantonese is arguably one of the most ancient languages in the world. And please don’t just say “nah, they are the same to me”, because they are so different to us.
Rose the Cook 5 years ago
I have never understood why Chinese people go to Hong Kong for shopping. Everything there is overpriced and they can get the same things at home cheaper if they shop selectively.
Human #1,232,867 5 years ago
China is full of fake and unsafe product. It so much a problem that HK government have reduce the amount of powder milk they can bring back to China to 2 boxes per person only.
Load More Replies... Foxxy (The Original) 5 years ago
Excuse my ignorance but what about Shanghainese? I am only asking coz a friend of ours speaks Shanghainese but I never hear about that language. I only ever hear Mandarin and Cantonese.
Blueplanet 5 years ago
Hi foxxy, Shanghainese here. Shanghainese is not a language but a dialect (I guess you could think of it as a very different accent? It is not an accent tho, since almost all words have different pronunciations). It is spoken by a lot of people in everyday conversations but not formally.
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Dorothy Cloud 4 years ago
Maybe all tourists, along with their money, should just stay home and natives will be happier.
Avery Day 5 years ago
" Just because we are Asian does not mean we can’t speak good English." Sad that one has to write this in the 21st century. A few years ago, Singapore has defeated UK in world debate championship. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/spore-students-win-world-debate-championship
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 5 years ago
mandarin and cantonese do sound different though. i don't know which one is harder to learn because my mom and dad spoke them when I was a child so I just picked it up.
M Kate McCulloch 5 years ago
there are five major dialects in Chinese, yes? or are they completely separate languages? Please enlighten...
స్టీఫెన్ ఆండ్రూ 5 years ago
I found people in Hong Kong didn't speak English as well as I expected them too. Many didn't speak English at all.
Avery Day 5 years ago
they can "do" some amount of English, but if you are looking for better English efficiency, the leading Asian country is Singapore. Malaysia a dubious second place (depends which part of Malaysia)
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Human #1,232,867 5 years ago
A lot of imported product don't make it to China but are easily available in Hong Kong.
Bored Panda also wanted to hear Professor Vogt's take on how to protect historic sites and artifacts from tourists with itchy hands. She said that some of the best ways to ensure that artifacts stay where they should be is to post the penalties for stealing, setting up signs discouraging thievery, and using cameras to catch those who break the rules.
She also suggested setting up a display of items that have been returned and pointed out that the Petrified Forest National Park in Eastern Arizona has just such a display. That's the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that we can get behind. And it makes us hopeful that even the rudest tourists can eventually have a change of heart and try to make amends.
#10
Singapore: Sticking or throwing out chewing gum in a public space.
"It is illegal for chewing gum to be sold in Singapore and Singaporeans are notoriously afraid of violating the rules."
David K 5 years ago
You can be charged super high fees for doing this in Singapore. Pity that nobody cares much about this disgusting habit in many other parts of the world.
k1ddkanuck 5 years ago
Toronto needs this. The TTC is covered in gum. All the time.
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Jack Burton 5 years ago
No tourist is doing that because its very clear that it is forbidden in singapore. They warn you at arrival. And you will not find any chewing gum anywhere.
Tami 5 years ago
Also spitting on the sidewalk. Guys do that all the time here and it's just soooo gross.
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 5 years ago
ok but is anyone gonna talk about the photo
Ryukei Panda 5 years ago
The picture reminds me of my trip in Berlin, Germany. I saw a lot of light poles covered in chewed gums, especially in very touristy areas. Not sure why though.
#11
Tehran, Iran: Not trying to haggle supermarket prices.
"Bargaining is so extreme in Iran that supermarkets have actually raised their prices by a lot to keep their old profit margins."
Random Panda 5 years ago
Man, I hate bargaining so much. If I ever visited one of those countries I'd have to leave all the shopping to my husband.
Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
Me too. It's almost as if I am saying to the merchant's face: "your item is not worth the price you are asking ". In the USA, politeness demands that if you think price is too high, you don't say it out loud. Especially if the shop owner is within earshot.
Load More Replies... Marcellus the Third 5 years ago
I think "inflation" is why they've raised their prices a lot, though.
Doughnut Drizzle 5 years ago
same for Pakistan, lets just say... things get loud when my aunt wants a shirt pretty badly....
New Prometheus 5 years ago
Bargaining is based on inequality and distrust. Just create prices that are ok for customers and avoid that mess, ok?
ulku tuna 5 years ago (edited)
I definitely agree with you, bargaining harms the society so much, it kills honesty and encourages people to charge more depending on the customer and this encourages fraud. If the customer is shy or "obviously not a local" they charge more. Unfortunately many people in the Middle East dont understand this because they think that they always benefit from bargaining which is not true.
Load More Replies... lara 5 years ago
I have always considered haggling or bargaining to be offensive. To me it says that I know better than the seller how much he or she should charge. I have no idea of their business costs or expenses are for me to tell them how much I am willing to pay is just rude. If they charge me "too much" I never go back, ever. I actually told an artist one time that he was not charging enough for a painting that he had painted and yes, he did paint it. I paid him more, I respected his work, I respected his art and I knew that he had to pay for the materials he used.
ulku tuna 5 years ago (edited)
As a person who is shy and have social anxiety I hate bargaining sooo much and mainly because of this reason I prefer supermarkets over local shops. It kills the honest behaviours of a society and leaves you feeling suspicious whenever you buy something from local shops. Stable and honest price tags are the best. Unfortunately I live in the middle eastern area. but I would kill myself if I had to bargain even at supermarkets. Some people are extremely confident about bargaining and claim that they always pay negotiation cost but I have never ever seen someone who always wins in this. Nobody can bargain good enough and always win, you bargain once and pay a reasonable price but then some other sales person sells something to you overpriced on another occasion. Some people are too stupid to realize this and this is another reason why this energy draining culture of bargaining continues to take place in our lives.
#12
Melbourne, Australia: Calling these "flip-flops."
"Okay foreigners, it's time to get this straight: THESE ARE TWO THONGS! And calm down England, we are not walking around commenting on revealing underwear all the time."
I Liquored On 5 years ago
Did you know they were invented by a Frenchman?
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Katie Lutesinger 5 years ago
I once visited Christchurch and was sternly told that the correct name was "jandles"! I came home to Australia still calling them that and was just as sternly told to stop being an idiot and call them thongs. Clearly I could not handle the jandles.
Arctic Fox Lover 5 years ago
Well, let's compare the differences: Do they flip and flop when you walk in them? Yeah? Huh, interesting. Do they look like thongs or sound like thongs when you walk in them? No? Then they're flip flops!
Robin DJW 5 years ago
I grew up in the 50's (USA). We called them thongs. I called them thongs until thongs became a mainstream thing.
Suzanne Haigh 4 years ago
Virtually everywhere else they are flip flops, it is you that is wrong
Words of wisdom to go by are to leave the place you visit better than when you came. It’s a great tip for life in general, too!
That can mean anything from picking up a piece of litter if you see any lying around to not stealing artifacts from historical sites to keep as souvenirs. Not stealing things sounds obvious, but far too many tourists do this and some discover that their lives suddenly become… ‘cursed,’ like the BBC reports.
If you’re ever confused about what (not) to do and you’ve forgotten to brush up on local customs, remember to err on the side of politeness. Be open to learning new things. Apologize if you’ve offended someone. Be a decent human being, not a belligerent brat, and you’ll find that the entire world’s your back yard.
#13
I live in a small town in Canada up in the mountains, I'm not going to say where, for privacy reasons although I doubt anyone will try to stalk me down but anyway.
We don't get many tourists here since it's not a very well known place, but lots of people from nearby cities and towns come in and visit and it's very clear who are tourist.
I live on a lake, where tons of visitors come per day to swim in. You can tell someone is a tourist when they are walking around in the shallows carelessly.
Locals would use the dock instead of entering the water by foot. Why? Leeches.
Leeches are disgusting things that live in the mud in the shallow waters. Some are small, some are big, they look like slugs. I'm not going to insert a picture of one because they honestly are so disgusting.
Not only do they look disgusting but they suck your blood, They can attach themselves to any part of your body and they are quite hard to remove. After the gross little thing sucks your blood you will then have a bleeding cut. Leeches suck your bad blood, and they are sometimes used for medical causes but ew.
Most Tourists have no idea leeches exist until one attaches to one of their body parts.
Fin Diffenderfer 5 years ago
They don't know what leeches are? I thought everyone knew what leeches are-
Autumn 5 years ago
Maybe they just don't know that they're present in Canada?
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Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
As they attach they emit an anticoagulant. Once they are removed, the injured area(s) will ooze blood for a few days.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
And their bites can easily end up infected depending on what kind of body of water they live in.
Load More Replies... New Prometheus 5 years ago
They just suck regular blood, there is no such thing as bad blood... That's medieval medicine.
k1ddkanuck 5 years ago
Hey now, those gross little things are super important. They are still used in medicine today, and have been used as such for thousands of years!
Susan Egan 5 years ago
Okay I would not know about the leeches. It would not enter my head that a lake in Canada would have leeches. I don't know why but there it is.
M Kate McCulloch 5 years ago
Just leave them til they are done and they will fall off without the bleeding cut. be patient.
John Shannon 5 years ago
When you first see a leech walking end over end it can creep you out.
#14
Chicago, Illinois: Visiting Navy Pier during the summer.
"The Navy Pier is the most visited place in Chicago every summer. But everyone there is a tourist. If a local wants to go to Navy Pier, they go in the fall."
"It's crowded, overpriced, and there is very little to actually do there; most Chicagoans only go with friends from out of town."
Kelly Von Tee 5 years ago
There's also the movie theatre. That's the only reason I've gone there whilst visiting.
Miranda Prince 5 years ago (edited)
Oh, so true. Navy Pier sucks. The shops are super touristy, the restaurants are nothing special, and the Ferris wheel costs like $20 a ride.
M Kate McCulloch 5 years ago
i went on my fifth or so visit to Chicago because I heard of the Tiffany Glass museum. 001-5fdb7e...704739.jpg 
Anna Repp 5 years ago
BS - I visited whenever my kid wanted to go and have fun. There's more than overpriced shops there - there's a ferris wheel and some rides, there are boat tours, including a sail ship. There's a children's museum etc. etc. It is overprices but saying that "locals only go in fall" is wrong.
Octavia Hansen 5 years ago
Same with Las Vegas . . . only tourists are on The Strip. Locals know better deals are only 1 or 2 streets away!
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
The only time we've ever gone there is if we're going to a trade show or if my husband's company rented a venue for a party.
#15
New York, New York: Going to Times Square.
"Locals would not be caught dead hanging out here."
troufaki13 5 years ago
Well, as a tourist I wouldn't go to a random neighborhood just to see houses. Just as someone who will come to Athens, they wouldn't come to where I live, there's nothing to see here, they all go to the Parthenon.
David K 5 years ago (edited)
Exactly...I live in Prague and wouldn´t expect any tourists to wander the part of the city where I live because it´s a purely residential zone.
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onitsuka 5 years ago (edited)
New Yorker here...go to Times Square. Do what you want to do and see what you want to see. Locals sit on their couches watching Netflix, so...yea. When people say "do what the locals do", it's primarily just referring to where to eat.
Nela Rothenbach 5 years ago
Would you kindly greet the city from me? I've been there in 2014 and miss it so much. Never before did I have this strange feeling of being home, not even in my native country.
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Kathleen Sweeny 5 years ago
Also—going anywhere near there on NYE. No one standing watching that ball drop is a New Yorker (unless they’re watching from the comfort of a nearby office building).
onitsuka 5 years ago
Honest answer...because there's nothing to do there. You go to take pics of the bright lights and soak in the glow. But after that, there's no reason to go back unless you wanted more pics. The shopping is meh and there are (normally) too many "characters" bothering you to take photos with them. Of the touristy areas, I personally prefer Rockefeller and Bryant Park, both of which I find more interesting and relaxing, especially during the holidays.
Load More Replies... Gwinevere von Ludwig 5 years ago
As a New Yorker, I'd also add: 1. Blocking the sidewalk and/or walking 3-4 people abreast (very slowly!) 2. standing on the left side of the escalator in subway stations 3. shopping at the Oculus near Ground Zero, or the Time Warner Center - both are hideously overpriced tourist traps
Dave P 5 years ago
Well when the Oculus first opened it was all New Yorkers like me trying to see it, and then none of us went back except to use the trains.
Load More Replies... ProfessionalTimeWaster 5 years ago
Locals in general never visit "tourist spot". I may have visited the beach in city maybe 5 times in 15 years and my out of town cousins may have visited around 20 times.
Troux 5 years ago (edited)
This picture looks like it was taken during the lockdown. There's normally about 9.5 billion people in Times Square, all of them focused upwards and into their cameras, while also walking. Another easy way to tell someone is not from NY: They have an I
F. H. 5 years ago
Really? It was pretty empty last time I was there... during the big blackout in 2002.
Load More Replies... Dave P 5 years ago
I have lived in NYC my whole life and never been to Time Square, been near it, but never went there. There are several places that are just Tourists only. Until the late 90's Time Square was all strip clubs and porno shops with prostitutes on the street, then it got cleaned up and became a shiny tourist trap.
Dave P 5 years ago
Also waiting for a traffic light to change when no cars or coming or enough time to dart across also outs you as a Tourist.
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Elbert Jones 1 year ago
I've been to Time Square. If I go again ;I want to spen a week walking around Brooklyn or the Bronkx.
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 5 years ago
i remember some mickey and minnie mouses were there and charged my family 5 dollars for taking a picture with them but since we were Canadian we didn't have any American cash lol so we only had 3 dollars in American money and gave it to them lololol
But above all else, don’t expect foreign countries to be exactly like your home town. We might travel to relax, expand our minds, or discover ourselves, but it’s not so that we can experience the exact same everyday life we do at home. If something’s different, accept it. Admire it. Then, adapt.
Soon enough, you’ll be just like the locals—poking fun at loud tourists with flip-flops, fanny-packs, and selfie-sticks who complain that they’re outside of their comfort zones.
#16
Cairo, Egypt: Wearing camouflage clothing.
"I don't know what it is but for some reason, a lot of tourists walk around like they're about to go on some super dangerous, ultra important journey through a jungle. They wear big hiking boots, thermal backpacks, etc. They also wear very camouflagey stuff."
Marcellus the Third 5 years ago
Forest camo in a desert or urban place make a lot of sense. Eh.
k1ddkanuck 5 years ago
Canadian soldiers were supposedly made fun of whenever we joined up with other forces fighting ISIS, because all we had was woodland camo, in the middle of a desert.
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John Shannon 5 years ago
Those aren't hiking boots. They're wellies. If you go hiking you'll get blisters in ten minutes.
Ann Abdelzaher 4 years ago
LOL, You can also tell the tourist by them wearing bright clothing and/or shorts and short sleeve shirts. The locals tend to wear browns, blacks, grey, muted blues, and white. They also wouldn't be caught dead in shorts! My husband is Egyptian and it took me 10 years to get colors into his wardrobe!
mom24boys 5 years ago
Tourists wear hiking boots because they are comfortable and supportive for all the walking one does while sight-seeing. For the same reason of comfort, camo pants are generally very comfortable, durable and have generous pockets that have closures (discourages pick pockets). The backpack (what's a thermal backpack?) is to carry a light jacket, water, snack & any purchases while they are out and about. All these things are practical.
Harløw-Banditø 5 years ago (edited)
People probably wear boots because they’re afraid of the snakes.
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
There are places where wearing camo will get you shot at... Unless it's pink. In which case, laughed at, I suspect.
#17
Mexico City: we know you’re a tourist when you start trying to respect road signs and stoplights. If there’s one thing I severely loathe about this city- it’s not the pollution, nor the crowded feeling you get once you get here, nor the un-ending yearn from locals to believe that any foreigner is automatically better qualified for the job- it’s the utter disrespect and indifference for your own life or those of others. Big 6-lane avenue? Let us ignore the bridge and cross underneath it while we zigzag between cars and their scared drivers. Stoplight just turned green? Better cross with my 3 kids behind me while cars honk at me. You want to cross the street now? Ignore the zebra crossing and run almost drunkenly through the street while cars are still circulating (this is almost a national tradition). Both-ways street? Let me park my big-ass truck here and not let anyone through. Bike-lane? I, as a cyclist, want to draw the symbol for infinity while getting in the way of other 8 lanes. Subway doors are opening? Better charge like a quarterback and maybe punch my way through before letting anyone from such wagon out. In the midst of this, you see confused tourists being pushed by the locals because we just can’t wait to cross even if the stoplight turned green 2 seconds after. You see people waiting at the zebra crossing wondering why people are crossing all over the avenue. If you see people trying to do things correctly in the vicinity of streets or public transport, they’re most likely tourists. Works the other way around. Once in Vienna I crossed a street following my mexican tradition of doing it wherever and whenever I please (and ignoring the zebra crossing), and a policeman gave me a warning! It was a tired, compassionate one, as in saying ‘you people just don’t know any better, so I’ll let it pass’. I was so embarrassed for me and for my country. I’m trying to be better now.
Katie Lutesinger 5 years ago
You should see the traffic in Paris. I still don't understand how the hell the flow around the Arc de Triomphe works and why there were no flaming car wrecks to be seen.
Nina 5 years ago
My mother visited Paris over 40 years ago. Same hellflow around the Arc. Nothing changed .. 😅
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Mike Ieva 5 years ago (edited)
Mexican here: this should be: Mexico city: first of all: clothes, we (almost) don't use shorts or short skirts in the city as most of the turists, even in a extremely hot day (30 C). Skin tone and hair color. The best way to spot a tourist in the city: not wearing a lot of gel in the hair, wearing a lot of sunscreen (to the point of being white walkers), the way they try the spicy salsas, the way the try ALL the food the firsts days and having toilet consequences the next day (la venganza de Moctezuma) having their expensive cameras in the neck in not safe places, calling amigo everyone, the way they drink the tequila like in the movies, taking pictures to the traffic in rush hours, looking for the pedestrian zone to cross the street, etc. Not only this crossing street thing...
Todd Cooper 5 years ago
I remember the traffic in Mexico City. Definitely some of the worst traffic I've seen in the world - it beats Paris, that's for sure.
Ray Heap 5 years ago
Lived in Mexico city and quite a few places around the globe, I would class traffic in DF as level 3, Malta would be level 5, borderline 6, Sicily hard six, most of south east Asia as 7 to 9, Tehran as a ten. But the worst drivers are in Switzerland. So many hard core rules and such eye watering fines (and I don´t mean it as figure of speech) that drivers are so concentrated on obeying every single and minute rule and fun sucking regulation that a CHian driver expects you, dear driver from another universe, to also blindly follow the rules otherwise you will feel like a loose ball bearing in clockwork.
Margot Piasecka 4 years ago
Sooooooo true - can confirm Malta and Switzerland 😂😂😂😂😂
Load More Replies... Susan Egan 5 years ago
We went to China several years ago and realised that it was smartest to just follow along with the other people, move when they moved, cross when they crossed. It made no sense to us. Lights were ignored, lanes ignored it was amazing. Of course everyone knew we were tourists and I think it may have been bad luck to flatten a visitor from another country.
lara 5 years ago
Oh, honey, stay out of Hungary and Georgia. Budapest has a "traffic circle" that has SIXTEEN roads coming into it. Drivers just speed up and lay on the horn when they go from one street to another or continue on their street. That was scary. In Georgia, drivers not only cut you off, they will get in front of you, stop their cars, and get out and beat the crap out of the other driver who cut them off or whatever.
#18
The motherland of Russia.
Disclaimer: Note that some of these bullet points are just generalizations based on my experience living here as a foreigner for 6 years. Some locals do/don't follow the rules, but the Russians know they are generally accurate.
1.) Handshake by the door entrance: Never shake a person's hand before entering the doorstep as doing so is cursing the house owner. Don't do it.
2.) Whistling in the public/or anywhere: By doing such a casual gesture immediately identifies you as a non-local. This is because the Russians believe that by whistling you're blowing your wealth away.
3.) Similar to many European countries, you stand on the right lane of the escalator by default. The left lane is reserved for those who are in a hurry. So don't be that idiot that stands in the middle of an escalator, people in big cities like Moscow don't tolerate that very well from my experience. Which leads me to the next point.
4.) Not knowing when to show aggression. The Russians are known to be direct and confrontational, they are not afraid to show their fangs when feel threatened. So if you're the timid little guy who grew up in Asia and tend to swallow up things, there you are~non local.
5.) Not saying приятного аппетита всем(Priatnava Appetita) as you enter a room full of people eating. It's a polite gesture of wishing people to enjoy their meal, some of you know it better as Bon Appetit. Not saying it doesn't make you a non-local, but by saying it certainly shows you have lived in this land for some years.
6.) Not saying будьте здоровы(boot-eh zdarovi). You say that when someone sneezes, it means bless you! Similar to above, saying this to a Russian when he/she sneezes, they'll embrace you better as part of the российский (rassiski) family.(note I didn't use the word русский(ruski) because this term is reserved for Russians by blood.)
7.) Two is better than one? Not necessarily so in the Russian culture. Buying flowers for the girl you're in love with in even number is as good as wishing her dead. Don't believe me? Try it on your own ;)
k1ddkanuck 5 years ago
The escalator thing is the same for Toronto. I get so bloody pissed off when tourists get on an escalator, side by side one another, stop, and just start frigging talking to eachother like no one is waiting behind them. I guess in another city they'd get yelled at. In Toronto, you will likely just get an "excuse me" from behind. The quality of that excuse me is an indicator of how annoyed that person is. If it's a friendly "Sorry! Excuse me guys!" You know the person is in a rush but not too upset about it. If it's a stern "EXCUSE ME PLEASE" without an apology, you know you have really pissed someone off.
lara 5 years ago
5.) Not saying приятного аппетита всем(Priatnava Appetita) as you enter a room full of people eating. It's a polite gesture of wishing people to enjoy their meal, some of you know it better as Bon Appetit. Not saying it doesn't make you a non-local, but by saying it certainly shows you have lived in this land for some years. I have been to the old Soviet Union several times. I have eaten in many restaurants and at "parties" and I have NEVER heard or seen a single person do that.
Катерина Булатова 5 years ago
you do that only to people you know - family, friends, at work, or university. You don't say this to random people or strangers.
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#19
Madrid, Spain: Eating lunch before 1 p.m.
"We are well aware that it's our meal times that are unusual, but they are very culturally ingrained and expected to be followed. In big companies where there is an office cafeteria, or in schools, 1pm is a normal time for lunch — it's considered earlyish but more or less in the middle of the work day. Otherwise the normal time is 2pm, or even 3pm on weekends."
Maciej Zajaczkowski 5 years ago
Can we stop using the word expect so much - yes people enjoy tradition but the mentality of expectation is just terrible for everyone's mental health in the end
Astrid Nineor 5 years ago
But....but, du you at least have brunch? Imagine eating breakfast at 7 or earlier, and having to wait until 1 to eat again. I'd not get any work done.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
No. And eating breakfast before 7:00 a.m. is the mark of a tourist. Nothing's open until 10:00 or 11:00 anyway - why are you trying to push this? Grab a bun and some coffee if you must get up early, but don't expect to get a decent breakfast before 8:00 or so.
Load More Replies... Kelly Von Tee 5 years ago
OK, but what time do you start work? I start at 9am and am hungry by noon.
sylvanticx 5 years ago
1 pm is standardish. usually for weekends, on weekdays you usually eat around 12:30
Harløw-Banditø 5 years ago (edited)
I don’t even eat lunch so this won’t be a problem if I ever go to spain
#20
Portland, Oregon: Using an umbrella when it's raining outside.
"You sort of stop caring about the mist, and just wear wool that stays dry."
"Locals just wear a light rain jacket, and are on their way. No local will cancel plans because it's raining outside or wait for the rain to let up."
Kerri Russ 5 years ago
Not true at all. I live in SW Portland and we use umbrellas all the time. Why wouldn't we? If I'm walking around and it starts to rain, I don't run for cover but if it's a work day, I still want my hair and makeup to stay nice.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
Portland is a sea of umbrellas when it's raining, and you can get one just about anywhere. Even drug stores have buckets of foldy brollies for about ten bucks. We don't bother when we're there, though. In winter a fleece or down sweater under a good rain shell (with a hood) is all you need to stay warm and dry.
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Susan Stead 5 years ago
I lived in Washington for a few years. You typically have your wardrobe tailored for the consistent damp--your shoes, outerwear, etc. are all set, and since it's in your closet, you're not likely to misplace it. Umbrellas are small and get lost, so you learn not to rely on them. Also, where I lived, it was considered polite to remove your shoes when you walked into someone's house, as well, I think because it's assumed that your shoes are wet/muddy.
Cynthia Bonville 5 years ago
This is more true in Seattle or north because wind that accompanies the rain makes umbrellas useless. You're not going to melt because of a little rain.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 5 years ago
Lived in Portland 12 years. Bike every day. Don't even own "rain gear".
#21
I’m Egyptian and live in Egypt. When tourists buy all that overpriced pharaonic crap. Tourists get scammed like you wouldn't believe. They buy these, like, picture things with hieroglyphics on them, they buy pyramid and mummy and camel and sphinx figurines, they buy papyrus paper with random symbols on it. They buy all sorts of stuff that's made especially for them, costs fifty times more than it should and its sole purpose is to get their money.
Rose the Cook 5 years ago
This is true of souvenirs from anywhere and most are made in China. It is all part of tourism that keeps the country's economy going.
John Carr 5 years ago
Very true here in Ireland. The amount of rubbish that's sold in shops designed specifically aimed at (American) tourists is staggering. The majority of it is made in China....apart from the Aran sweaters.
Load More Replies... Martha Meyer 5 years ago
You can pry my Anubis statue and papyrus with pharaonic boat scene that I bought in Egypt as a child from my cold, dead hands!
Mary Hurst 5 years ago
Exactly what I thought. Why should a local complain or even concern themselves as long as a tourist is spending money in their city/country.
Load More Replies... ProfessionalTimeWaster 5 years ago
Overpriced souvenir crap is a business of its own....and EVERY country is guilty of it.
Joanne Haywood 5 years ago
Yeah. It’s called tourism and contributes a lot to your economy. And you live in one of THE most historical, in my humble opinion, places in the world (apart from those destroyed by ISIS).
Nomadus Aureus 5 years ago (edited)
I hear you. I'm from the land of Dracula. 🙄 We're at a point where almost every damn castle is advertised as Dracula's castle. And the souvenirs are such a poor quality it makes me want to weep. There are so many ways to cater to tourists. I myself love buying all sorts of little mementoes. But there's a good way and a bad way about it. I remember how I laughed when I bought a white linen scarf at a tiny, dusty village in Tunisia, thinking I will be able to support local artisans, only to find a "made in China" print on it later on.
Candace Fitzpatrick 5 years ago
I need one Dracula mug lol! That’s funny about the scarf... when I travel I just get a mug and maybe a couple magnets, or shot glass for my friends/family.
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Aragorn II Elessar 5 years ago
$5000000, but for you, $15. You make me a beggar, but I do it
Load More Replies... #22
I live in Toronto, ON. It’s not too different from any typical North American city but there are some particulars: 1. Pronouncing it “To-ron-toe” instead of “Tuh-ronno”: Locals always drop the second T. It’s such a part of our identity that Canadians from other parts of the country, even if they’ve lived here for years, refuse to drop the second T. It’s stems from the love-hate relationship the rest of Canada has with this city. 2. Calling the Subway lines by number or colour: They used to be unnumbered, and we only have a measly four lines, so we would refer to Line 1 as “the Yonge line”, Line 2 as “the Bloor-Danforth line”, Line 3 as “the Scarborough line” or “Scarborough LRT”, and Line 4 as “the Sheppard Line”. 3. Standing on the left side of the escalator: However, there have been some issues about how the rule of “stand on the right, walk on the left” might be troublesome for accessibility, so this rule might change in the future. 4. Biking on the sidewalk: I know this city has a severe lack of bike lanes but that doesn’t mean you risk the lives of innocent pedestrians. 5. Assuming there is only one Chinatown: There are actually two official ones downtown. Prominent Chinese communities also exist in North York, Scarborough, and the Greater Toronto Area. I would argue there is better Chinese food uptown than downtown. 6. Asking how to get to Niagara Falls while in the middle of the downtown core: Niagara Falls is a different city about an hour and a half outside of Toronto. I’m afraid you must be very lost if you want to get there. 7. You don’t immediately shudder when someone mentions the Dufferin bus: Beware the route 29 Dufferin bus. Beware.
Stay Positive Please 5 years ago
It is one of most heavily used bus lines in the city. Servicing numerous schools, malls, community centres, churches and parks along its route, bus drivers work hard to navigate the busy traffic while riders are often packed in tightly along the bumpy ride. Service is steady along the route, but people always seem to be waiting for a ride.
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Candace Fitzpatrick 5 years ago
I live in the GTA and I didn’t know that there were two Chinatowns downtown. I only know the one near Kensington market. Where is the other one?
Gavin Johnson 5 years ago
Come to Manchester, England, ride the 192 night bus, ‘tis a thing of beauty, all of human (and non-human) life forms are there. You’ll be amazed at how much of a mess humans can get in and still function sufficiently to get on a bus 😀 There’s even t-shirts available online with ‘I survived the 192’ printed on them 😂
Aaron Dettmer 5 years ago
The subway lines and the bus thing is oddly specific. I can see why tourists would have trouble
Just JoLynn 5 years ago
I'm guessing that if a Tornoto is the closest big city to Niagara Falls, so if a tourist is asking how to get there I think they're asking how to get out of the city and head there, as opposed to winging it. Similarly, I live in LA and people ask how to get to Disneyland all the time, it's not in LA county at all but we're the closest big city. Biking on the sidewalk is just rude, no matter where you come from.
Candace Fitzpatrick 5 years ago
That makes sense about people asking directions to the falls but I hate when they ask how long it takes to get there. It could be an hour it could be 3 hours, depends on the day and what highway you take.
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
No idea about Dufferin bus, but the Chinatown food one s true in my experience, and I never used the second T unless talking to a fellow AMerican.
sylvanticx 5 years ago
i only bike on sidewalks when the sidewalks are bumpy and there aren't any pedestrians. who, above the age of 8, always bikes on the sidewalk?
#23
I haven’t seen an answer from anyone living in the Middle East so here goes.
Lebanon used to be quite the touristy country and still has a lot to offer tourists if they’re brave enough to come with the Syrian war right next door. So if you’re planning to visit and don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb here are some things that you might want to consider.
Warning: A lot of the things aren’t what is considered good etiquette or even legal in developed countries but that is what makes the Lebanese experience so great.
1. Patiently waiting your turn in small sandwich shops and restaurants. You’ll find some of the best sandwiches in the world in these small shops, however, the service is chaotic. During rush hours it’s a battle of who can push through the sea of people to get to the register first. If you’re going to stand there and wait for the line to clear then you’ll probably be leaving on an empty stomach.
2. Not bargaining when buying things from local shops. Although this has gotten better with time, most local shops have the price tags adjusted with the idea that shoppers will try to bargain and lower the price when they’re buying something. This means unless you don’t try to negotiate the price then you’re going to be ripped off on almost everything.
3. Waiting at pedestrian crossings. Although we have stop lights and pedestrian crossings in most populated areas these have never been taken seriously. It’s the norm for people to cross the road with oncoming traffic or for cars to ignore red lights.
4. Driving straight on roads or staying in specific lanes on the highway. The roads in Lebanon are notorious for their huge potholes and absence of clear lines. Locals have adapted to this and will always try and steer away from the endless potholes and just create their own lanes on the highways.
Last but not least, Not wanting to use your hands when eating. A lot of the local food, including Hummus, is meant to be grabbed or dipped into by hand using the local bread. Anyone seen using utensils to put the food on the bread is directly singled out as a non-local.
sylvanticx 5 years ago
i only eat stuff like hummus with utensils when i'm planning on eating it with a spoon. you just dip it in the pita like anyone else!
Jonathan Olsen 5 years ago
So people cant follow basic road rules or show basic politeness when lining up for something?
#24
I have grown up in Sarnia ON Canada my whole life all 38 boring years of it and for the life of me tourists please STOP ASKING WHERE MCDONALD’S IS!
Suzanne Haigh 5 years ago
only ever had 1 coffee in a McDonalds and it was the very worst I have ever tasted, nothing I tried made it drinkable, I have never been in a McDonalds since, the memory, yuck!
M Kate McCulloch 5 years ago
I cannot even imagine trying to find a flippin McDonald's in Europe or the Middle East or anywhere but the US. I'd much rather try real food. And If I'm dying for a cheese burger, I'm sure the local market has ground beef, cheese and bread...
Whawhawhatsis 5 years ago
American soldiers in Sasebo, Japan would take their wives off-base for the one and only time they'd dare the local economy, and they almost ALWAYS went to McDonalds. Even though there are dozens of wonderful eateries within a block of McDonalds as well as the gate onto the base!
Borgia 137 5 years ago
Well, when first time in uk, when i came to work there, i was always looking for McD, because they had a free wifi. That was many yrs ago and i had only my country's phone card, so data were pretty expensive. I always found McD to download the map of the srea where i worked to find my way around there.
Candace Fitzpatrick 5 years ago
Because you are at the US border... just direct them to Tim Hortons instead 😉
Just JoLynn 5 years ago
As a fellow Americans I can honestly say this drives me bonkers about American tourists. Try the local cuisine and experience something different, isn't that the point of traveling outside of the country?
#25
Concord, New Hampshire: Owning an unusually nice car.
"We're glad you chose New Hampshire for your second home."
Robin DJW 5 years ago
I'm not one, so I get to ask: "Why don't permanent residents have unusually nice cars?"
Dave P 5 years ago
They mean fancy non-SUV type car. If you live there year round then you need a SUV or Pickup to handle the winter. A regular Mercedes wont cut it. Though you can get a nice fancy Land Rover which will be fine up there.
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#26
Boston, Massachusetts: Stopping to watch street performers.
"Non-locals stop and watch street performers, especially in the T stations. These people are literally situated for tourists. Everyone else walks by, trying to cram onto the subway, to get to where they want to go."
troufaki13 5 years ago
To be fair, locals are usually busy with their everyday lives, whereas tourists are there for the attractions
Marcellus the Third 5 years ago
I thought they were a service to pickpockets for exactly that reason. Everywhere.
Suzanne Haigh 4 years ago
IF I like what is being played I will stop even in my home towns, so does not always apply.
Whawhawhatsis 5 years ago
Same in D.C., but you can miss out. Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist, once played in one of the subway entrances for several hours on a couple of days, using his multi-million-dollar violin, and only about three people stuck around more than 2 seconds to listen to him. Their loss! I only wish I had been using that entrance that day!
#27
Paris, France: Calling the newer of Paris’s two main airports “Charles de Gaulle."
"When I lived in Paris, nobody called the newer of Paris’ two main airports 'Charles de Gaulle.' What did they call it? Well, just the town CDG has been built on: 'Roissy.'"
Jack Burton 5 years ago
And most of french dont care about paris airports... France is not Paris.
F. H. 5 years ago
I guess many people in Paris won't care what you call the airport either.
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Saoznei 5 years ago
It's absolutely false. I'm from Paris and I never ever hard nor called it only "Roissy" It's either Charles de Gaulle or Roissy Charles de Gaulle
Fiona Dawson 5 years ago
If you’re talking about an airport you’re more than likely to be tourist
Gwinevere von Ludwig 5 years ago
Another generalization. I have tons of French friends who live in Paris, and they call it CDG.
Luca Valerio 5 years ago
I suspect this applies to several other airports. I doubt Liverpudlians call their airport "John Lennon", and I completely guarantee that if you mention in Rome you are leaving from "Leonardo da Vinci" airport people won't even recognize it as the major airport of Rome (they just call it, again, as the town in which it is located: Fiumicino).
Danny de Meyer 5 years ago
Like Brussels National Airport. No one calls it Brussels, it is called Zaventem by the locals.
Strahd Ivarius 5 years ago
Same thing for "Place de l'Etoile" (vs Place Charles de Gaulle), "Beaubourg" (Centre Pompidou), ... Remember that the "Pont Neuf" (New Bridge) is about 500 years old, we are not yet used to it ;-)
#28
Johannesburg, South Africa: Being friendly or talkative with strangers.
"Usually — though not always — the inhabitants of Pretoria aren’t very friendly or chatty. Not only do we not have the patience for it, but we’re also wary of the safety risk of stopping to talk to some random person on the street. Most non-locals, however, will chat on for ages about something they saw in a shop, or just approach you while you’re minding your own business and dive into a conversation about the weather. If it’s not a compliment or about sport, we probably don’t want to hear it."
Coleonema 4 years ago
Both, both cities are in the same province so some people do get confused between them
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Nomadus Aureus 5 years ago (edited)
I don't know. I didn't manage a single minute alone during my time in SA. Pretoria included. The moment I would be alone, someone would come and chat me up. I didn't mind at all. It's the best way to learn about a country. Can't wait to go back!
Naomi Ferreira 5 years ago
I live in Pretoria and this is not true. People from Pretoria are SO friendly. You can ask for help from strangers or give advise to the poor dad that's been staring at the different diapers in Dischem for the past 10min freely. People living in Johannesburg, not so much. We're two different species living 75km apart 🤣
sylvanticx 5 years ago
i find it strange that other people will make small talk with strangers in public. unless there's a dog, i will not talk to you. you should do the same.
#29
South Central Alberta Canada here. (Lived in Calgary for ten years) Tourists are known by the fact they wear a sweater or jacket when it’s below 25 C. Most people will be complaining it’s too hot. They think moose are cuddly. No, they will seriously mess you up. They take selfies with grizzlies/moose/bears/elk. They try to pet a bear/moose/whatever. They use aboot, or eh. No. Just don’t. Tans aren’t too common, at least the really dark tans aren’t. Cutting queues. I know that sounds odd, but even if it’s a relaxed one, like you’d see at the C-train or bus stations, there is still one. Riding the C-train when it’s 35 then complaining it’s too hot when and if the train breaks down, or service is interrupted due to people passing out. Expecting AC on the C-train. Dream on. When you get fifty people crowded into one of the cars you might as well crawl into an oven. And that’s on a good day! Calling the C-train an LRT )Light rail train.) Not knowing what, or where, the C of Red is. Bashing a Canadian’s favourite hockey team. They might do it, but will give you quite a dirty look if you do the same. Not saying thank you to a bus driver. Tipping a HUGE amount after a meal. Now don’t get me wrong, they’re always welcome, but you’ll always get a surprised thank you, and some will ask what part of the States you’re from. If you return expect to be waited on hand and foot. Tipping the bare minimum for good service, or not tipping at all. This will earn you the barest minimum service the next time you come. Not saying thank you to someone holding a door. You might even earn a muttered and sarcastic “You’re welcome” for that. Expecting us to celebrate X holiday (Where X is a country’s holiday (not a religious one) such as the 4th of July) and being surprised when we don’t. Taking pictures of snow, or being surprised at snow in September/early June. It’s rare, but it happens. (Grandma remembers one year when there was snow during the Stampede in July) Not knowing what or when the Stampede is. Willingly going anywhere near downtown during Stampede without going to the Stampede. This means via car, bus, or C-train. It’s a flipping zoo. I think that’s about it. I’m commenting more on Calgary, because I lived there much longer than the town I currently live in.
Carolina Fernández González 5 years ago
I was in Germany and it started to fall a smally tiny snow. I'm from Colombia, we don't have snow, I've never seen snow in my entire freaking life and I started to walk with my hand extended to try to catch a snowflake and a man walking beside me said "It's snow! It falls from the sky" Lol I felt so stupid, of course I knew what snow is but it was my first snow! I hope I make him laught a little. So please be nice with people that is amazed with snow. It is a big deal for us lol.
Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
I would find that incredibly endearing. It would be a joy to watch someone experience snow for the first time. I take snow for granted. That guy was mean.
Load More Replies... Aunt Messy 5 years ago
A friend who moved to Cowpie (I'm from Edmonton, get over it) calls the Stampede "The vomit Express" because you can't go anywhere without running into some drunk's pile of barf.
Katie Lutesinger 5 years ago
When I was in Canada I probably gave myself away as a total noob when I a) Bought one of those furry hats with a raccoon tail and went around unironically wearing it, and b) Reacted to an ordinary everyday snowfall like it was the most magical thing I'd ever seen in my life.
Candace Fitzpatrick 5 years ago
Sometimes the snow is magical, when it’s light and falling straight down. Usually it’s hard, wet and blowing sideways making a mess on the road and you break your back shoveling it off of the driveway.
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Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 5 years ago
you are lucky if you find a parking spot during the stampede
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 5 years ago
last year, my school was right next to the stampede. it was cool with the geese outside the school in the summertime.
Joanne Haywood 5 years ago
I’m curious about the aboot and eh reference. I suspect eh refers to pardon but what does aboot mean?
Candace Fitzpatrick 5 years ago
Ya the way we say about is not “aboot” but it is a bit different than Americans. TBH I find westcoast Canadians almost pronounce it “aboat”. As far as the “eh“, I am guilty and so are most people I know. For example, you tell me it’s cold outside and I would answer "oh I know, eh?" Or if I want you to taste something and get your approval I’d say "tastes good, eh?"
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Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
Honestly, this is pretty common in any town, just substitute the local terms. And NEVER dis a hockey team in Canada. Ever. This was how I learned to do field stitches on my dad.
#30
I no longer live there, but I did spend 16 years living there, and I’m only 17, so I feel qualified. I lived in Michigan’s little known Upper Peninsula, the wild, untamed patch of land that could easily be compared to Alaska, just without the months of darkness. The U.P.’s main business comes in the summer months, and it comes from tourism. Tourists can be spotted doing and saying many things Yoopers (rear round residents of the Upper Peninsula) find annoying, such as: 1. “I can’t believe how beautiful it is here!” Most if not all Yoopers fully acknowledge how beautiful the U.P. is, we simply never discuss it. Only a tourist would talk about the U.P.’s beauty. 2. “I can’t wait to swim in Lake Superior” HAHA, yes you can. You just don’t know it yet. Lake Superior is the coldest lake I’ve ever swam in, and most northerners can’t even suffer through it. There’s still icebergs floating around in June. A Yooper would know this, a tourist would not. 3. “Can you point me towards (incoherent babbling)” The U.P. has many, many names that are nearly unpronounceable, however, Yoopers are very used to words like “Kitchitikipi” and “Epoufette”, and can say them with ease. 4. Taking pictures of…well..everything. Living up there for so long, I saw tourists take pictures of nearly everything. I suppose I can understand the wonder of the Mighty Mackinac Bridge, and other views such as Cut River Valley, but I’ve also watched tourists take pictures of things like trees and birds. No Yooper would take pictures of a seagull, as seagulls are the bane of our very existence. I could ramble for days about tourists, but I feel this answer gives a good enough idea of how the residents can tell apart other residents and tourists.
Cynthia Bonville 5 years ago
And in Fairbanks we knew the Yoopers because their language is more colorful then the Alaskans - plus they thought it was warm (lower humidity then the UP).
Sandy Kavanaugh 5 years ago
You may be wrong about the birds. And they're gulls, not seagulls, any species of them. A birder who visited the UP after looking for Kirtland's Warbler in LM could very well spot a new bird for their list at a dump. Besides, birds are pretty darned cool to watch, wherever you are!
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
Who would ever swim in the lake? No no no. Hypothermia *bad*. Great ice fishing, even in July, as we joked on one visit.
Dippin Dot 5 years ago
I live in northern Wisconsin, grew up in Milwaukee-metro... We have our own set of strange city names, thanks to the Native Americans. There's a whole bunch of videos on YouTube demonstrating this. For us, you can always point out a tourist because of how poorly they drive (looking at you Illinois and Minnesota). If you are a Milwaukee-metro native, and you ask anywhere else in the state where the "bubbler" is, you will get strange looks because it's known everywhere else as a drinking fountain.
Arctic Fox Lover 5 years ago
Yup, lol. For me, I live in the mitten. I've seen people taking pictures of robins. Like, why? You see them every 3 minutes, why the quack would you waste space on your phone for a little picture of one? Same thing goes for rabbits, geese, deer (sometimes), and even really cool looking cars. I live near Detroit, which is motor city, so I see all kinds of cars all. the. time. Not as much now due to COVID, but still.
Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
Perhaps when people say "I can't believe how beautiful it is up here" They mean "Wow! This is an incredible hidden gem. I am very lucky to be here!" I am from the LP. The UP was very nearly clear of COVID until the summertime. People from the LP exercised their "right" to vacation at their summer homes. Blarf.
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Understanding local culture is crucial for travelers, as it helps enhance the experience of visiting foreign countries. Just as tourists learn to adapt to customs and avoid common faux pas, during the pandemic, work environments have adjusted to new norms.
Adapting to these changes means embracing flexibility, much like how adopting new business wardrobe adaptations during COVID-19 has become commonplace.
#31
Rome, Italy: Looking extremely white.
"Italians usually have tanned or dark skin and it’s extremely rare to find someone who is exceptionally white with fair hair. We often understand they’re tourists by their pale glow."
David K 5 years ago
OK, but there are Italians living in the most northern parts of the country (and it´s still millions of people because of how dense the industry and mountain accommodation services are north of Milan) and many of them are not tanned or having dark skin.
Jack Burton 5 years ago
Even italians in Torino, Milano or wherever else in the north are not pale white. I live at French/Italian border and people looks mediterranean not white.
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Tiari 5 years ago (edited)
Why exactly? I fail to see any phobia or negativity against people with light skin.
Load More Replies... #32
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Wearing a helmet while biking. "Locals ride around without a helmet."
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
This might be the tradition in the Netherlands but I think it's not a good idea. Especially children should wear a helmet.
Luttjetrut 5 years ago
Children in Amsterdam are transported in a "bakfiets", they usually don't ride their own bikes on the streets.
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Gwinevere von Ludwig 5 years ago
yeah, I think I'll avoid potential brain damage and go ahead and get labeled as a tourist.
Alex the awful German 5 years ago
True! That was one of the first things I recognized there. I thinkj this is also due to the great infrastructure for bikes in Amsterdam. When you are riding a bicycle in the city of Berlin, you better wear a helmet. If not you are either to poor to afford one oder suicidal.
F. H. 5 years ago
I knew two people who died from cycling accidents without helmets and one who only survived because he was wearing one. Makes you wonder what the people in Amsterdam are smoking.
Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
Because the Dutch are extremely hard-headed. They don't need one. ;)
Andrew Gibb 5 years ago
The cycle lanes in Amsterdam are generally well thought out and cycling is much more popular than driving around, which is slow in comparison. Helmets aren't needed due to a much lesser threat. It is a shame more countries aren't more like the Netherlands towards cyclists.
F. H. 5 years ago
You know that many head injuries suffered by cyclists are from just falling over when standing still or stopping normally?
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#33
Bangkok here! I’ve adjusted to most of these, being here for over 2 years, but these are the general dead giveaways if you’re a non-local: 1- Bargaining: If you’re anything except Thai looking, the locals, from supermarkets, to taxis, will always try to give you a higher price so you start bargaining. To the Thais, if you’re not Thai, there’s a high chance you’re a traveller, and chances are you’re gullible, and they will try to take advantage. Unless you learn the tricks to bargaining, then they’ll know how to play it safe. 2- Spicy Food: When you order food from a “hole in the wall” kind of place, or pretty much any other restaurant, and add a request for your food to not be spicy, then you haven’t lived here long enough. 3- Home Etiquette: Generally, in most places in Thailand, it’s customary to take your shoes off before you enter someone’s house (in most SEA countries actually). When people just brazenly walk into someone’s house without realising the proper etiquette, it’s kind of a give away. 4- Pad Thai: Now I know the love for this Thai cuisine in most Western countries, but live here long enough, it won’t be your favourite thing anymore. In fact you’ll find a lot of reasons never to order it again. Also, there’s a lot better things than Pad Thais…ever had Tom Yum? 5- Road Crossing: This might be one of my favourites to witness. Travellers and expats get so scared of the traffic in Bangkok. They will make sure the roads are completely clear before attempting to cross. Do locals do that? Big fat NAH! There’s an unspoken language between the driver and pedestrian. The driver will know when to slow down, and the pedestrian will know when not to cross. The pros of course take it to another level. They’ll just raise their hand and walk onto the road without looking twice. It always works…
lara 5 years ago
Our son loves hot food. He has been to Thailand several times. He always gets the Thai "style" heat. But the restaurant never "believes" that he can handle "Thai hot." He always ends up adding a lot of "sauce." Last time they were there they went to a seafood restaurant. They asked him what level of spice did he want in the seafood soup he ordered. He said Thai. They brought it out and without tasting it he added a whole lot of extra "seasoning." He said "mom, they did bring it to me "Thai seasoned" and I added so much more, I almost couldn't finish it. But I did and man, was it good."
#34
Paris, France No real Parisian would dare to wear those false University Hoodies such as Sorbonne University Hoodies, many buy them without knowing that it has nothing to do with the University. Hanging out in areas such as St-Michel, I mean it’s cool but they’re not meeting real Parisians there maybe some students from Assas, Louis-Le-Grand or La Sorbonne. Wearing Paris tee-shirts. That one easy, but speaking in English is very rare in France, most English speakers you’ll encounter there are tourists Taking photos of everything, literally EVERYTHING, I saw to tourists taking photos of metro maps, sidewalks and even trash cans, really. Using metro maps. Style, especially for American families, I thought that we were wearing quite the same things, but I remarked that Americans are more sportwear (like fathers wearing Am.Football jerseys or hoodies, wearing sports caps in their 50’s, it’s much less common here in France) or seem to care less about their style than Europeans. Thinking that France=Paris, France is a much more diverse that people know, they’re so many other beautiful places in France. Visiting monuments, despite all the beautiful buildings that Paris can offer, many of native Parisians probably never visited many of them. Sometimes I feel that we don’t measure the chance of living in such a beautiful place.
Katie Lutesinger 5 years ago
People told me the French are all super rude, but actually everyone I met there was really nice and friendly. One museum employee, seeing my mum had mistakenly taken her backpack into the gallery instead of leaving in the cloakroom, was so polite he crouched beside her as she was looking at an exhibit and very discreetly explained the situation, keeping his voice down so she wouldn't be embarrassed in front of people.
Mohammad Ammar 5 years ago
I've heard the french in general are nice but many parisans are quite rude. I don't know how true that is.
Load More Replies... lara 5 years ago
Oh, you forgot, expecting people to be kind, pleasant and nice. You are in Paris, you will be lucky if they don't spit on you and push you into the trash. The ONLY time we met anyone remotely nice was a Versailles, the gentleman selling film was super nice, and a lady on the street when we got caught in the rain and she huddled with us in a porch over hang and the man who owned a small store where my friend bought some wine on our way back to the hotel. But he was Algerian and, thus, evidently, still uncivilized to Parisian mores.
Lumpy Space Princess 5 years ago (edited)
Well, most of these posts, including this one, sounds just snobbish. Well, yes real Parisians might not need or use metro map, but how am I supposed to understand where and how to get to places? Learn by heart just for my week in Paris, come on! :D Also, very unpopular opinion, I am not an American, but I love hoodies, I wear them in any country and my favourite one is with "Hogwarts" on it, so... :D
Carolina Fernández González 5 years ago
I was told that it was going to be easy to find people that knew how to speak spanish but no one was going to speak english. It was otherwise, most of the people I met knew some english but not spanish. Except for a waitress in a cute bistro that was thrilled to practice her spanish with us. But most didn't knew other language than french.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
We've spent a lot of time in Paris and have found that most people are at least willing to try English and laugh with us when our French is not the best. If you at least try, you'll find that people are pretty accommodating. ...///... Americans think wearing athletic gear in cities (not just Paris) is all right, when the opposite is true. They look like lazy slobs that don't know how to dress themselves.
#35
Bath, UK. One of the most popular tourist places in the UK, home of Romans, the medieval abbey, Jane Austen and beautiful Georgian architecture. I love my city, but it can be swamped by tourists fairly regularly (especially at Xmas).
Driving. If you’re a local you know not to drive in the centre of Bath because it’s hell. We have a one way system which so confusing (even for locals!), lots of pedestrianised bits and one way streets. Plus parking is freaking expensive! Also the locals just don’t give a f**k, because cars are so few and far between we tend to walk in the middle of the road in the centre of town. And if you’re driving don’t expect us to move out of the way too quickly.
Spending money at the Xmas markets. Now I don’t mind supporting local businesses and there are a few stalls I go to because I know they do good products, but for the most part they’re all crap. Tourists spend loads of money because they get swept up in the ‘Xmas spirit’. Also most of the locals avoid that part town at this time, it gets too busy, and in comparison to other xmas markets in Europe it’s not that great.
Not going to the good events. Comedy shows, music gigs, local theatre productions and local pubs. There are so many events on in Bath that are free/relatively cheap and really good. Most of the pubs often have live bands, comedians or poetry events going on, and the tourists never bother with them. Sure a lot of the regular tourists hotspots are interesting and beautiful, but they’re often expensive and crowded. Bath is famous for its literary and music events, so it’s always crazy that the tourists never go to them.
Ben Stubbs 5 years ago
True story. I'm from Weymouth, but have family in Wick. I once parked on a double yellow (at Christmas time) heading towards Lansdown as I needed to go to the cash point. Got ticketed immediately. I ripped it up and threw it away in front of the warden, never heard any more. Then there was the time I got fabulously drunk at the Christmas market....x
Arctic Fox Lover 5 years ago
Do you, like, end every comment you make in "x"?
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#36
Manhattan here. All of these will immediately identify you as a tourist. Gawking: I don’t care if Bill Gates is walking down the street hand in hand with Derek Jeter and the ghost of Tupac. Most New Yorkers will shrug and get on with their day. A Rod and J Lo were outside of my gym a few weeks back, and not even my one friend (who’s a pretty big Yankee’s fan) could muster up the enthusiasm to take a closer look. Meanwhile, every single tourist spends half of their time gawking at the manhole covers and standing in traffic. Speaking of which… Waiting for Traffic Signs: Yes: Jay-walking is illegal. Nobody who lives here cares. I watched a guy yesterday walk across 1st Avenue in the middle of traffic with nothing but a raised middle finger to protect him. This is, while not the norm, still more acceptable than seeing an open street and not crossing because of a light. Endless Photography: I understand that that’s the Empire State Building… and that’s the Flatiron Building… and that’s a squirrel. Taking 30 pictures of each is aggravating. I’m trying to get to work/the gym/home/somewhere else. You are standing in between myself and that destination, stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Walking Incorrectly: In the city, people walk at a faster pace than elsewhere. You move slower to the right, and faster to the left (predominantly a rule for stairs and escalators). Being Exceptionally Loud On the Subway: If your voice is pitched above a whisper on the subway, you’re generally either homeless, a mariachi band, or a tourist. Based on clothing, it’s usually pretty easy to tell which one is which. Food: If you are in a Papa Johns, Domino’s, Panda Express, Taco Bell, or other similar variety, you are probably a tourist (or really high). You can get better pizza/chinese/mexican food out of any local trash bin, but most locals just get it at any of the random corner restaurant that you might pass. They’re all better than most of the chains, and usually pretty competitively priced.
Susan Stead 5 years ago
Clogging the sidewalks! When I was working in NYC, the tourist groups would stand right in the middle of the sidewalk, talking. The city has real people who really have real jobs that they really, really need to get to. It's not a museum or movie set or amusement park. Stand to the side to chat and let folks get on their way.
Glen Grabenstetter 5 years ago
If you are polite, it will be obvious that you're not a New Yorker
Gwinevere von Ludwig 5 years ago
Uh, we aren't impolite. We are just trying to get to work/home/whatever. New Yorkers are actually very helpful to tourists when asked.
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hydrostatic joints 5 years ago
My dad did a bunch of these the first time he went to new york even though my mom grew up there and told him not to. We got approached by a fair amount of touring companies because of him.
Dave P 5 years ago
100% on all of this! And the gawking thing is real, in NYC we respect privacy, i know someone who in the early 2000's was in the same elevator as Latrell Sprewell and kept to himself despite being a big knicks fan. I have had my own runs ins with others. And the walking properly is import, especially when clogging the streets
Nela Rothenbach 5 years ago
One of the best things about Manhattan was the food. After two and a half weeks at the other end of the country my friends and I were so happy about little italian restaurants and delis.
Becca Gizmo the Squirrel 5 years ago
Well this person is kinda rude. Pretty much saying het out if their way. Geez.
Aragorn II Elessar 5 years ago
They’re not wrong though. You being in a city for the first time doesn’t give you the right to block me from getting where I need to go.
Load More Replies... Aunt Messy 5 years ago
I don't get the photography thing, and I've seen it all over the world. You want a good photo of the Empire State Building? But a book or a postcard, because you will NEVER get a photo like that on your own.
#37
Philippines. Let’s set aside the fact that they look like a foreigner (white, black, too oriental, etc..) 1. Not haggling with street shops. Street shops which are outside the mall are haven for local hagglers. It became a skill to acquire something as cheap as possible. 2. Generous tipping. Very rarely for us locals to tip. It is not a requirement. If a fellow countryman tipped quite generously, chances are that he/she is a “balikbayan” (a local who worked abroad and came back). On the other-hand, most Western foreigners (mostly Americans) never failed to tip. They make waiters happy. 3. Wearing the native hats (salakot/buri) at beaches. We only see locals wear this at farms. In beaches, most who wear these are foreigners. But..ok, some of our elder locals wear this too anywhere. My point is, most young locals won’t. 4. Awkward behavior while riding our local “jeepney”. Almost instantly you can tell if they’re foreigners by the way they sit, they pay the fare and then finally telling the driver their destination and if they wanted to disembark. 5. Being unbelievably surprised at the infamous traffic of Manila. We locals complain a lot about our unsolvable traffic problem but we’re really not surprised anymore. We get surprised if there’s a day without traffic. 6. Foreigners often voice out how unbelievable traffic could get. Surprised with our Traffic Laws and its why’s. Most foreigners find it absurd why we have a number coding scheme, a day where certain plate numbers ending in specific number cannot drive on our main high-ways and streets. Why are there humans (traffic aides) assisting drivers at intersections despite having working traffic lights. And our (dismal) speed limits in express lanes.
Paul Khon 5 years ago
I've been to Manila a number of times - I'm not so sure they have "traffic laws". They do have holidays for any event - including a street dog made it across the road without being killed. This is a city were a lot of bars have a sign on the door: leave your guns with security. Safe to consider that doesn't happen as often as it should. Drunks with guns... not drinking there.
#38
These are the easiest ways to spot a non-local in Edinburgh: Wearing an jacket/using an umbrella for the slightest amount of rain - It’s Scotland, it rains a lot and most locals are used to an odd shower without getting bothered by it that much. To quote my Czech friend - “I don’t know if Scots are born waterproof, but I’m not.” Wearing one of those awful Tam-o-Shanter hats - I have never ever in all my life seen a Scot wear one of these seriously, it’s just embarrassing Being surprised at how often locals swear - Basically the language of Scotland In general, not understanding what any locals say - Trust me, I am so used to this one. Scots English is different to English and it’s just infuriating attempting to come up with the English translation - some words just don’t translate! Not queuing - Nothing more frustrating than someone trying to jump the queue for a bus/at a shop If they go into Old Town during August - There are some exceptions to this but if you want to spot a non local, look no further than the Royal Mile during the festival - it’s packed with them! But of course the easiest way to tell if someones local or not - can they pronounce Edinburgh, loch, Milngavie and Carnegie correctly!
Candace Fitzpatrick 5 years ago
I saw a whole group of teens getting off a bus in Edinburgh, wearing Tam O Shanter hats with the fake red hair attached. They must’ve been on a school trip but literally every souvenir shop there sells them. Them and shorts that have a fake plastic bum attached I have no idea what that was all about!
#39
Cairo,Egypt here, If you are very white or very black you are most likely a foreigner without doing anything. but sometimes you're not. Some Egyptians look like you. If you don't look a lot different, and you're a native speaker of Arabic your accent will show that you're not Egyptian no matter how clever you are in Egyptian dialect,(most Arabs are).even more obvious, If you are a non Arabic speaker no matter how good you are in Arabic. If you don't say anything, but you are carrying a map, wearing or buying any of the tourist pharaohs/ancient Islamic stuff. If your skin looks like you've recently had sun baths. If you're smiling a lot to strangers and trying to start small talks all the time (vacation mood) using hello in Arabic in your sweet funny way. Some people have a special national outfit. even if you are Egyptian from Alexandria, Luxer,portsaid or the countryside or any other place probably your accent will show. Maybe in Alexandria and other cities on sea cost they will have a lot to say answering this question, I always feel spotted as a non local easily by them I'm the one who’s asking about the shortest way to the beach buying zalabia and eating it while walking, smiling a lot and starting small talks in a vacation mood ..etc. However, if you are a foreigner, you'll love it. the locals are very friendly and welcoming. They will be thrilled to hear you trying to say anything in Egyptian Arabic.
#40
I live in Tangerang (Indonesia), which is basically next to Jakarta, so I’ll include Jakarta as well. Behaviors that make you look foreign : -Crossing the street. In our country, there’s no such thing as pedestrian right of way. In order to cross the road without traffic light, one must have the right timing and walk as fast as they can. Cars (and bikes) won’t stop for you. If a person waits for any vehicle to give him a way for a long period of time, he’s either a foreigner or a spoiled kid who have never walked outside. -Looking like Westerner/Middle Easterner/Black Africans. East Asians can still blend in because they can be mistaken as Chinese-Indonesians. -Walk really fast. People here walk really slow. -Taking pictures of things that we consider usual stuffs. -Doing selfie while riding a motorcycle taxi. -Intentionally trying to get tanned at midday. A big no for us locals. -Smiling for “unusual” occasions, like smiling at security guards without saying anything or smiling at random beggars. -Handing/receiving things with the left hand without feeling guilty. In here it’s considered rude to use the left hand. -Desperate to find toilet paper while there are plenty of bidet sprays to clean your thing. -Dressing in a long robe (like Arabs and Pakistanis) or sari (like South Asians). -Slum-tourism. -Looking excited when riding a rickshaw.
Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
Ah yes, smiling. In my part of the world it is considered impolite if you don't smile and greet people around you. I've heard some people think we look like lunatics, walking around with our teeth out all the time. It is actually quite difficult to smile always, no matter what you are feeling.
#41
southern california!!! (specifically the area around LA) • calling california “cali”. don't do it. the only people who say “cali” are not from california. • saying the “i” before any freeway (such as i-405). we just say “the 405” or “the 110” • driving! so! slow! in california, the speed limit is basically a suggestion. i have a police man friend to told me this saying that he and his buddies like to go by in terms of how fast you can drive until you'll get pulled over “9 you're fine, 10 you’re mine”. ( we all drive an average of 10-15 over the speed limit here) • not considering traffic when driving through LA. you could easily add over an hour to your drive if you get stuck in rush hour traffic (from 4–7 pm usually is the worst. and mornings too from like 6–9) • taking public transportation. unlike other cities, no one in LA typically will take any form of public transportion unless absolutely necessary • beaches -the water here is COLD because of the alaskan gulf current coming down our coast. if you want warm waters, either go to hawaii or wait a couple years until global warming heats it up -being surprised that there are great whites in the water. a large portion off of southern california’s coast is a nursery for juvenile great whites. all these shark sightings happen every year! it's perfectly normal and they probably won't hurt you -being surprised that we have stingrays in our waters. the first thing many of us are taught when we start going to the beach is to shuffle our feet so we don't step on a stingray. you should too -going to the beach super early and being surprised that it's foggy. we have this super cool thing called the marine layer which burns off at around 11 or 12 and then the masses of people come in. tourists will also be surprised at how many people are at the beaches after 12 •you can't pronounce any names of cities/streets. our street/city names are hard. some are pronounced the way it's pronounced in spanish and some are pronounced white af. there's no reason to it •saying “hella” automatically means you aren’t from southern california •if you think any other fast food place is better than in n out, you aren't from california •you actually know how to drive when it rains. we don't. at all. •you know nothing about earthquakes. we practice earthquake drills ALL. THE. TIME. we have a yearly earthquake drill AS A STATE called the great california shakeout where all businesses and schools participate (i'm not sure if this is statewide but definitely in southern california). most of us have lived through several earthquakes and they really aren't that big of a deal •if you hate mexican food there's a very high probability you aren’t from here. it's basically our state food and finally…. •your language!! a lot of us casually speak in that laid back surfer-like style, especially if we live near the beach. i use the words dude, bro, sick, and many others, just casually thrown into a sentence. we also say things like “no yeah” (yes), “yeah no” (no), or “yeah no for sure” (definitely).
Katchen 5 years ago
Also I guess this poster doesn’t know any poor people, since she thinks no one takes public transportation? And many localities (in Southern California!) make revenue collection through meticulous speed limit enforcement. I think this poster is a teenager who thinks her social circle and where she lives is “all of Southern California.”
Kookamunga 5 years ago
Yeah, sure, my 80 year old grandmother from LA always talks like a surfer. This must be the guide for 25 year olds.
Katchen 5 years ago
This person says we have a drill AS A STATE and then goes on to say that she’s not sure if it’s statewide. Narrator: it isn’t. I’ve lived in Northern and Southern California and never participated in the “great shakeout”. Maybe it’s a school thing and the poster thinks it’s more widespread?
hydrostatic joints 5 years ago
Yeah, I never heard of it either. I grew up in LA and we always had regular earthquake drills but never like that.
Load More Replies... Becca Gizmo the Squirrel 5 years ago
Sounds like the mom on little people big world. "How are you?" "Yeah no I'm good!"
Nela Rothenbach 5 years ago
Not from California but in n out is the best, at least in fast food.
seahawks fan 5 years ago
some of this is the same for us in seattle, like the speed limit "suggestions" and how we speak.
#42
London, UK: Ordering a full English breakfast.
"A tourist will order a fry-up for the ~experience~ but everyone else is perfectly happy chugging Crunchy Nut cornflakes straight from the box."
Aaron Kara 5 years ago
I have some variation of the English breakfast, two, three times week. I'm a relatively typical Londoner. A reputable cafe will often have a local crowd that go there almost every day, whether it's for breakfast or lunch, a fry up will be one of the most popular dishes
Gogubaci 5 years ago
yeah this is nonsense everybody loves a good full english, even if not daily. in London you can easily spot tourists on the underground when they try to press the buttons on the train doors to open... pro tip, they don't work, even if they light up lol. also all the tourists are queued up at madame toussauds.
Danny Meeks 5 years ago
Not true. Go to a cafe any day of the week and there will be "locals" eating fry-ups. Go on the weekend and you'll see loads — they're the perfect hangover cure.
Astrid Nineor 5 years ago
Never had a full English breakfast. PS: Why don't the British tourist places serve good, wholegrain bread? I found it like two places, the rest just had that ghastly, white stuff that tastes like cardboard. Cereal / granola for me.
ChimeraBubbles 5 years ago
They're right, most people just have toast or cereal. Although, I do know a few English people who have a full fry-up as standard. I mean, they're not the healthiest of people obviously and they're in the minority.
#43
I live in Texas. We can easily spot people who are “not from here”. If you don’t have a sense of humor, you might want to skip this post. Especially if you are from Texas. They wait their turn Texas is a state full of people who are all convinced it is their turn. They wait for no man (or woman or child). If we see someone standing and waiting their turn, it totally discombobulates us. We stop and look around to see if there is something catastrophic happening. They know how to drive. People who are not from here know how to merge onto the highway. They match the speed of the interstate traffic, then ease in one at a time, like a well-orchestrated zipper. Real Texans go whatever speed they think is right and force the interstate traffic to accommodate them. People who are not from here come to a full and complete stop at red lights. This scares the Hell out of real Texans and will most likely get you rear-ended. Real Texans know that yellow means “fast” and red means “floor it”. See: They do not wait their turn. See: Real Texans do not wait turn turn. People who are not from here allow you to get in front of them on the road. Real Texans let no one get in front of them. If you signal you are changing lanes, we speed up to block you from getting in. Which leads us to our next anomaly. People who are not from here, signal. Real Texans do not signal. That tips other drivers to where you are trying to go and they will try to get ahead of you. They Correctly Pronounce Spanish Words (And I’m not a Spanish speaker or a linguist, so please feel free to enlighten me.) Texans have a habit of butchering Spanish words (usually geographical words) with a maliciousness that is palpable and will double-dog-dare-you to call them out on it. The street of Manchaca (mahn chock uh) becomes Manshack. If you’re not from here and ask them about Manchaca, pronouncing it correctly, they will feign ignorance and tell you they know nothing of it until you mispronounce it Manshack. Then they will help you find it. They Mispronounce Spanish Words At the same time, Texans pronounce some Spanish words correctly (usually words for food) and people who aren’t from here, well, don’t. Taco is tock oh, not tack oh. Burrito is brr ee toh, not burr it toh. Queso is kay so, not kway so or que so. And most importantly, it’s sair vay suh, not ker vezz ah. That’s beer for you folks who aren’t from here. And Texans know what these things are, how to eat them (take the corn husk off that tamale folks!), and how to order them. Usually. They Cannot Handle Properly Seasoned Foods We like things spicy here in Texas. Grab a cerveza and wade on in. We may not know how to drive or wait, but dammit the food here is excellent. (Thank you Mexico!) But it is definitely not for woosies. (Smile)
Torchicachu 5 years ago (edited)
okay see where i live at least all that driving behavior is seen as just being an a-hole
Just JoLynn 5 years ago
Tex-mex, Texas's version of Mexican food, is not Mexican food, and most Texans won't admit it.
JustAWeirdoGirlChild 5 years ago
ive lived in texas most my life and some of these do happen a lot, the others only a little but still happen. guess it depends where in texas you're from.
lara 5 years ago
I do not know who this JA is, but I was born and raised in Texas. I live in Texas and NONE of this is remotely correct. NONE
The Dave 5 years ago
Um, what PART of Texas? In Houston, this is all 100% correct!
Load More Replies... Arctic Fox Lover 5 years ago
I'm not Spanish in any way, but I'm unusually good at pronouncing Spanish words.
Cynthia Bonville 5 years ago
I can verify that I can tell a Texan newly located here by their driving before seeing their license plate.
#44
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region! Well… (All tongue in cheek, guys, relax ;) ) If you saunter slowly down the street gawking at the buildings and desperately trying to avoid being dripped on by the air conditioners…. you ain’t a Honger. True Hongers would just barge straight ahead eating curry fishballs in one hand and looking at their cell phones with the other. God help anyone they bump into, lol. If you stand on the left of the escalator…. you ain’t a Honger. True Hongers always know to walk on the left and stand stately on the right. If you insist on taking the cable car up the Peak, even though there is a 2 hour wait… you ain’t a Honger. True Hongers know to just take the damn bus up the peak. Its cheaper too. If you prefer Disneyland over Ocean Park, you ain’t a true Honger. :D If you go to bed before 11 PM, you ain’t a true Honger. True Hongers are night owls and would rather be up at 3 AM pounding beats at LFK or eating curry fishballs in Mong Kok. :D If you speak “proper Cantonese” without the internet slang and the proper anglicisms (“ba see” for bus, “si do beh leh” for strawberry, etc), you ain’t a true Honger, and many otherwise native Cantonese speakers from Guangzhou are caught out in this way. True Hongers use “lazy sounds” in their Cantonese and the proper anglicisms in proper Cantonese grammar.
#45
Zagreb, Croatia. It is relatively easy to recognize tourists in Zagreb. Especially in the summer. Tourists, obviously, speak foreign languages in most cases. They pronounce the name of the city as Zabreg* or Zagrab*. Or something like that. They very often have large backpacks, some of which are suitable for camping. They sometimes walk in groups or pairs. Holding hands or not. They sometimes follow the leader (tourist guide). They take photos of famous sights. Actually, they take photos of everything that is a bit interesting. They seem interested in buildings, streets, cafes and shops. Locals usually don't even notice things around them because they are either in a hurry or totally uninterested in the things they see every day. Some of the tourists have city maps with them. Or they ask for directions. They buy or browse through souvenirs. Magnets, lots of magnets. Many tourists smile, laugh or share joy around them. I think that too many people in my country are worried and concerned about something. Some people really have problems, while others complain too much. Complaining is our thing. Besides, tourists are probably having a good time, while locals are spending their time in the boring, everyday way. Tourists are excited about museums, statues, galleries and other places. Locals rarely even think about them. In shops, tourists either smile without trying to talk or they try to speak in English. Or they just greet in Croatian and keep smiling. Locals sometimes chat with salespeople, sometimes complain about the weather or something or just collect their things and murmur “Bye”. No smiles included. Tourists usually wear sports, comfortable clothes, shorts and trainers. Ladies included. Locals dress in many different ways, but most women traditionally prefer leather shoes, sandals, ballerinas or high heels. Only some teenagers and old women wear trainers on a regular basis (not a rule, but still…). Most local middle-aged women don't wear shorts. Tourists don't mind sitting in the Sun or the heat and having lunch on a restaurant terrace in the summer. Locals don't go to restaurants regularly and especially don't like the summer Sun. They hide during the day and come out in the evening.
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
You can always tell Americans in Europe for two things - they carry backpacks with who knows what in them - some people actually carry food around as if there isn't a cafe on every corner. They also suckle like babies on massive water bottles and then whine when they're told they can't haul them around in museums.
#46
You're not a local here in Singapore,
If you pronounce the districts Tampines as 'Tem-pines' instead of 'Tem-puh-nees', Hougang as 'how-gang' instead of 'Ho-kang', Chua Chu Kang as 'qua-choo-kang' instead of 'choo-ah-choo-kang', Bencoolen as 'ben-choo-land' instead of 'ben-cool-len'.
If you speak english without using any of these "lah, lor, hor, ah, meh, leh" at the end of your sentences.
If you speak complete english sentences without any mixture of chinese or malay words in them
If speak English in any other accent besides the local Singlish/Singaporean accent
If you don't use these words in your conversation: "Paiseh, Siao, Walau, Jialat, Sian, Simi"
If you don't understand ERP HDB CPF EPS ECP PIE KPE BKE MCE AYE MRT
If you smile and look happy rather than looking frustrated and damn serious while on the subway, bus, or walking
If you're not part of a very long queue waiting to buy food from a store
If you don't 'complain' about something or 'blame' someone during lunch with your friends / colleagues
If you don't speed up to prevent another car from overaking you the moment you see it signalling to change to your lane
If you're wiping your sweat or grimacing while walking under the hot sun in an extremely humid, 34-degree-celcius afternoon.
If you're eating chewing gum on the streets
#47
I’m from the-middle-of-nowhere, Indiana! Some things that non-locals may do that stick out to us include: 1. Not being able to understand some dialect. Most of us use a General American (General American - Wikipedia) dialect while talking but some people, especially older gentlemen and people near the Ohio and Kentucky borders, speak with a bit more of a drawl. If I’m surrounded by people who talk in a drawl for more than a few seconds, I find myself using it, too. 2. In the town I live in, almost everyone is white. If you aren’t, chances are most people know you or you’re not a local. If you don’t speak English, you’re not from around here. There’s a wide variety of ethnicities in bigger areas such as Carmel, Zionsville, or Indianapolis and no guarantee that everyone there knows English. In my small town and those surrounding it, though, everyone does. 3. If you haven’t heard of my high school or the two elementary schools in the same corporation, you’re definitely not from around here or surrounding districts. I say that because our athletic teams are always competing against various schools and those schools all know of us, and we of them. 4. If you’re amazed by how many fields and cows there are- guess what! You’re new here. I mean very new, too. When you see miles of fields daily, they aren’t so astounding after a while. a. My grandmother was telling me stories today about some city-kid exchange students she had that were surprised you could see the horizon. 5. If you don’t know the difference between a chicken and a turkey, you’re probably from the city. Also, you are probably not from surrounding states, either. a. For FFA (a agriculture group) one year, some of our high schoolers went to teach Indianapolis elementary kids about some farming thing. Those kids didn’t even know the difference between a chicken and a turkey, which is very common knowledge here. That’s about all I’ve got!
Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
I would also like to add: wearing a bulky coat, gloves and winter hat when it's 60 degrees F outside. Depending on the season, 60 is considered balmy. We have thick blood, I guess.
Phunny Philosopher 5 years ago
I can see why people from large cities would be in awe of neverending farm fields. I still am sometimes, and I'm from the midwest.
Arctic Fox Lover 5 years ago
Huh. From what I'm getting from this post, you'd probably be surprised to know that most, if not, a lot of people know the difference between a chicken and turkey.
#48
Brunei here: (Southeast Asian country in Borneo) *near Malaysia 1. The most obvious thing to distinguish non-locals here is they often take the public transportation i.e. the bus. I can assure that 99% of Bruneians don’t use our own public transportation. Some non-locals (expats) here are quite well-off… I’m referring to the average ones. 2. If not by bus, non-locals sometimes walk. We could often see them walking in groups around town during the weekends. Tourists do this too, as there are very limited access to public transport (taxis) here. We locals don’t walk as much because the places we go to from our homes can be quite far, and due to the sweltering heat most of the time, we opted not to. So its only logical to assume that most of those who walk on the roads are non-locals. 3. Driving: Non-locals drive slower than locals here, especially the working/ lower mid class (rich people = fast cars?) idk... If we encounter a car that moves slow on a highway, its most likely that a non-local is behind the wheel. 4. Also, we know you are non-local by the way you dress. Some of the common ones in Brunei - Indians tend to dress casually smart (square shirt & tailored pants); Indonesians dress very casual (t-shirt and jeans); and Philippinos sometimes are hard to distinguish cus they dress somewhat similar to the locals, except for females… the only way to know is when they talk.
#49
I live in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, home of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (aka the best University of Illinois, in my completely unbiased opinion.) There are a lot of things that I consider normal here that my dad has told me is not in fact normal for most towns, and is normal here only because the University is here, but this was the only thing I could think of off the top of my head that would identify a non-local. I don’t even know if this really counts since it’s such a specific thing, but here goes. There’s a building in town that (currently) is called the State Farm Center, but used to be called the Assembly Hall - it was changed around 4–5 years ago. Some residents do call it the State Farm Center (although most call it the Assembly Hall in my experience, just from years of habit or disliking the new name), so that’s not the identifier. What *is* is not even KNOWING it used to be called the Assembly Hall. People like that are definitely not from in town. Even a lot of the out-of-town students don’t know that the Assembly Hall used to be called that from what I’ve seen, even though it’s very common to still call it that among residents. I learned this when I was talking to some grad students I worked with at an unpaid internship and when I mentioned the Assembly Hall they didn’t know what I was talking about. Apparently they’d never heard it called that. Everyone in my high school and every other resident I’ve talked to always knew what I meant when I mentioned the Assembly Hall, even if they called it by the other name. (I hate the name State Farm Center and refuse to use it if at all possible.) My parents were shocked when I told them said grad students hadn’t known that it used to be called the Assembly Hall! We just assumed everyone knew! But if those grad students have never heard it, I would assume that not many of the students (most of whom are from out of town, since we get students from all over the world) call it that or perhaps even know that’s a name for it. *shrug*
#50
Toronto here. We can always spot a tourist from a mile away. I’ve lived in Kensington Market for a while, so most of my examples are from around there. Large families in Kensington Market, ogling at all the graffiti, taking up a ton of space on the road taking photos. Just f*ck off. People have places to go. Realistically, anybody walking slower than normal walking pace in Kensington is probably a tourist. Anyone shocked at the huge amount of dispensaries and public weed consumption in the city. ESPECIALLY in the market. Most people in Kensington on a weekend in the summer. That’s when they all come out. But nobody who goes to Cold Tea, the hidden bar in the market ;) That’s just for us. Oh, but the best are the tourists who go to the local independent coffee shops in the market and try to order Starbucks drinks. HA! Locals know that in Kensington, cash is king. Tourists love their Mastercards. Someone who says street names instead of neighbourhoods (Dundas and Spadina instead of “Chinatown,” etc). Of course, we have to say street names sometimes too, but you can just TELL, ya know? Tourists LOOOVE Yonge & Dundas Square. Locals try to stay the hell away. NOBODY calls it TDOT or The Six! I had a few more, but I got distracted and they slipped my mind. I’ll update as I remember!
Aunt Messy 5 years ago
We used to shop at Kensington every weekend. It was part of our local grocery round. We'd go to Lawrence Market on Saturdays, Kensington on Sundays, and also the Lawrence antique sales on Sundays. (We lived at King and Yonge.
Candace Fitzpatrick 5 years ago
Kensington market has the weirdest stuff, I just love it. Went there once with my friend, he bought a replica Russian cosmonaut helmet that looked like the real deal. I can’t leave without stopping at Cheese Magic 😂
#51
I live in Virginia Beach. Keep you in mind I will mention the entire Hampton Roads area, which consists of a couple of cities. The amount of traffic to the beach in the summer. Most locals honestly don't want to go to the beach. Most of the tourists walk slowly on the boardwalk. A lot of locals hate this so we stay away from the beaches and malls mostly. Many of us avoid going to the boardwalk or mount trashmore around Fourth of July. Parking at the oceanfront at that time, at cheapest, is $30. The largest amount of traffic in the entire city. Traffic is bad, even before the time people get off work. The traffic is four times worse around 3 pm to 7 pm. Our traffic is usually already pretty nasty because we live next door to the naval base, so we have a lot of navy getting back home. The most noticble behavior of the tourists is weaving in and out of traffic, appearing to have to no idea where they are going. They also cause more accidents. Though I can't fault them since our roads are kinda all over the place. Norfolk is much worse in this department. The amount of confusion I guess? I mean my city is pretty diverse so most tourists might be confused. The only area in this city that isn't as diverse might be the pungo area, where most locals go so as to prepare for the strawberry festival. Giving a huge hoopla for the Neptune festival or the patriots festival. Seriously, people freaking out if they miss it at one point. Makes the tickets more overpriced too unfortunately. People are complaining about the horrid heat. Yes, yes, we know, our city is so hot, in addition to the humidity. Locals don't complain about it because we are used to it. Just get a free water bottle from the local grocery stores and carry on. We warn multiple times about how you can easily get heat stroke here. Most of the stores at the boardwalk are mostly operated by Southern Europeans. Some of the employees name tags have what country they are from. In the entire Hampton roads area, locals know to avoid buckroe beach. You know what the Norwegian lady is if you are a local. (Or you should anyway.) You also don't over exaggerate about going to colonial Williamsburg or Yorktown. I mean, you went there in fourth grade. It is still a big deal but you don't keep talking about it if you are a local. A lot of us avoid going to Busch gardens and don't bother going until fall. The tourists will of course visit one of our best amusement parks. Most locals will still wear flip flops in fall and winter.
What do you think ?
Eva Bryson 5 years ago
I'm a tourist, not a local. I came to see your city or country because I wanted to. So don't expect me to act like a local, I'm not. I will be polite and respect your traditions if I know of them, but if I don't, it's because I'm a tourist.
Thomas brennan 5 years ago
A lot of these are clearly nonsense e.g. Irish pubs and 'craic' or spilling your pint - cliched rubbish. English people never ordering a full breakfast? In all these major international cities that tourists visit there is little generalised 'local' behaviour - the whole point is that they are melting pots with a huge range of customs all existing side-by-side. Trying to say an entire city doesn't do X or behave like Y is pointless.
Uncommon Boston 5 years ago
Probably just me, I acknowledge I am not local by starting conversations with, "I am not from here and don't know...." Usually locals are more understanding and give better instructions. I try to remember I am a guest, this is their home. Respect, always respect, the people who live there. I ask a lot of questions and say Thank You. Dressing appropriately. Women don't wear shorts in public in some places, you shouldn't either. Respect and manners go a long way. Locals should remember, if tourism is a major source of income for your community, be nice. I watched the Boston Marathon once, then like many others, I made sure I was out of town that weekend.
quarantine panda 5 years ago
Texas: wearing cowboy clothes and saying "howdy". no one says howdy. we say hello, or good morning y'all. also, we don't ride around on horses and all own ranches out away from the cities. also, I feel like I should save this article for when I go on vacation...
Shelp 5 years ago (edited)
Bordeaux and its surrounding (especially Saint-Émilion), France: ordering wine at 10AM because you're in a wine-growing country, swallowing it instead of spitting it out while tasting, and feeling like you've made a good deal whilst buying crap like "Mouton Cadet" and other tourist wines with a fancy bottle. Seriously, I've seen groups of tourists drinking entire bottles of wine at 10AM, and being totally drunk at 12. Respect yourselves.
cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
I live in Normandy near a PMU (horseraces bets and bar) and a lot of locals order wine before 10am and are totally drunk before 12. Tourists need to go to PMU, it's a cheaper and more interesting experience.
Load More Replies... F. H. 5 years ago (edited)
Is it just me or are many of these posts extremely bitter and begrudging? I lived in an extremely touristy town for years, Chinese tourists clogging up the sidewalks and Americans throwing up in the alleys. Generally, the locals were OK with giving tourists more freedom to do stupid stuff, because they knew they were on vacation. Everybody knew they would buy stupid, overpriced tat, leave their money in bad restaurants and get their pockets picked. That's the way tourists are and they pay good money for behaving like this. Of course there are limits to everything, but you have to let tourists do touristy stuff. I don't like to travel very much, but I can understand why people do it.
AroAcePanda 5 years ago
Texas: People just walking around in cowboy boots and hats. They are considered to be formal wear, like at a wedding. Same thing with horses. We don't just ride around in horses. Also, someone ordering un-sweet tea at a restaurant. To Texans, cold tea is only cold tea if it has equal parts tea and sugar.
Aragorn II Elessar 5 years ago
Phoenix, AZ: Being white or not tan. You live in Phoenix, your skin will get much, much, much darker. Sweating like a pig when it’s barely 100 degrees. Rushing around when it’s really hot outside. You take your time to conserve energy. Not wearing a sweater/jacket when it’s below 70° Fahrenheit. Not having water with you always. Trying to get in your car right after it’s been sitting in the sun for three hours. Saying that you’re “used to the heat.” Bitch, no one ever is used to the heat. I lived there for 15 years, and I never got used to the heat. I’ve talked to people living there for 60 years, who never got used to the heat.
CanidaeVulpes 5 years ago
These seem to be less faux pas and more how non-tourist supposedly live. I think as long as you are polite and respect local attitudes, no one will care if you look tan in a place that rarely sees the sun or use an umbrella when it rains. And I seriously doubt that if tipping is expected, that a higher than normal tip would pass as rude.
Eva Bryson 5 years ago
I'm a tourist, not a local. I came to see your city or country because I wanted to. So don't expect me to act like a local, I'm not. I will be polite and respect your traditions if I know of them, but if I don't, it's because I'm a tourist.
Thomas brennan 5 years ago
A lot of these are clearly nonsense e.g. Irish pubs and 'craic' or spilling your pint - cliched rubbish. English people never ordering a full breakfast? In all these major international cities that tourists visit there is little generalised 'local' behaviour - the whole point is that they are melting pots with a huge range of customs all existing side-by-side. Trying to say an entire city doesn't do X or behave like Y is pointless.
Uncommon Boston 5 years ago
Probably just me, I acknowledge I am not local by starting conversations with, "I am not from here and don't know...." Usually locals are more understanding and give better instructions. I try to remember I am a guest, this is their home. Respect, always respect, the people who live there. I ask a lot of questions and say Thank You. Dressing appropriately. Women don't wear shorts in public in some places, you shouldn't either. Respect and manners go a long way. Locals should remember, if tourism is a major source of income for your community, be nice. I watched the Boston Marathon once, then like many others, I made sure I was out of town that weekend.
quarantine panda 5 years ago
Texas: wearing cowboy clothes and saying "howdy". no one says howdy. we say hello, or good morning y'all. also, we don't ride around on horses and all own ranches out away from the cities. also, I feel like I should save this article for when I go on vacation...
Shelp 5 years ago (edited)
Bordeaux and its surrounding (especially Saint-Émilion), France: ordering wine at 10AM because you're in a wine-growing country, swallowing it instead of spitting it out while tasting, and feeling like you've made a good deal whilst buying crap like "Mouton Cadet" and other tourist wines with a fancy bottle. Seriously, I've seen groups of tourists drinking entire bottles of wine at 10AM, and being totally drunk at 12. Respect yourselves.
cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
I live in Normandy near a PMU (horseraces bets and bar) and a lot of locals order wine before 10am and are totally drunk before 12. Tourists need to go to PMU, it's a cheaper and more interesting experience.
Load More Replies... F. H. 5 years ago (edited)
Is it just me or are many of these posts extremely bitter and begrudging? I lived in an extremely touristy town for years, Chinese tourists clogging up the sidewalks and Americans throwing up in the alleys. Generally, the locals were OK with giving tourists more freedom to do stupid stuff, because they knew they were on vacation. Everybody knew they would buy stupid, overpriced tat, leave their money in bad restaurants and get their pockets picked. That's the way tourists are and they pay good money for behaving like this. Of course there are limits to everything, but you have to let tourists do touristy stuff. I don't like to travel very much, but I can understand why people do it.
AroAcePanda 5 years ago
Texas: People just walking around in cowboy boots and hats. They are considered to be formal wear, like at a wedding. Same thing with horses. We don't just ride around in horses. Also, someone ordering un-sweet tea at a restaurant. To Texans, cold tea is only cold tea if it has equal parts tea and sugar.
Aragorn II Elessar 5 years ago
Phoenix, AZ: Being white or not tan. You live in Phoenix, your skin will get much, much, much darker. Sweating like a pig when it’s barely 100 degrees. Rushing around when it’s really hot outside. You take your time to conserve energy. Not wearing a sweater/jacket when it’s below 70° Fahrenheit. Not having water with you always. Trying to get in your car right after it’s been sitting in the sun for three hours. Saying that you’re “used to the heat.” Bitch, no one ever is used to the heat. I lived there for 15 years, and I never got used to the heat. I’ve talked to people living there for 60 years, who never got used to the heat.
CanidaeVulpes 5 years ago
These seem to be less faux pas and more how non-tourist supposedly live. I think as long as you are polite and respect local attitudes, no one will care if you look tan in a place that rarely sees the sun or use an umbrella when it rains. And I seriously doubt that if tipping is expected, that a higher than normal tip would pass as rude.
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