Why are tourists so rude? They always appear to be in a bad mood. I spent yesterday morning in the CNN Center, a major tourist mecca for Atlanta, and in the afternoon I flew up to Connecticut. The result was that I was surrounded by tourists for the entire day. They never seem to be having fun.
I watched parents yelling at their kids, air travelers becoming aggressive with gate agents, husbands being short with their partners. I thought traveling to new places was supposed to be fun and relaxing. It seems to me that it’s the exact opposite for many people. So why do they do it?
Tips for better travel:
- Just flow along with your surroundings, don’t try to manage everything. It causes stress.
- Expect nothing.
- Be patient and empathetic.
- Understand that, more often than not, the other person is really trying to please you.
- Manage your paranoia.
- The customer is not always right. I've been wrong more often than not.
- English may not be their first language. Try going to their country and ordering a double espresso with skim milk in Pashto.
- Don't take things personally.
- Speak softly, and smile at everyone.
- Be nice. You're talking to someone's mother, child, sister. How would you feel?
- Observe, listen, smell, feel. Be quiet.
- You are not the center of the universe.
1 comment:
Really excellent advice. Hope is that folks will listen. Travel can enrich lives so much if we don't try to force our expectations and presumptions onto every situation. Thanks.
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