responsible travel - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**mermaidnz** · 07-04-2008, 11:58 PM

im sure most members here know and practice these things already, but i was APPALLED last week in Cambodia, at the general ignorance of travellers.

firstly, if your in a country that doesnt sustain toilet paper in the sewerage systems- you will know this by seeing a bin RIGHT NEXT TO the toilet, and often also a bucket of water next to the toilet with a scoop in it for self flushing, PLEASE dont go and out toilet paper in it! i mean you girls!! the amount of times i went into a bar/restaurants toilet only to find it half flooded from some stupid bitch putting paper in it, and i had to wade thru 2 inches of water in thongs...gross. and a freaking headache for staff i imagine!

TAGGING; sure, you may want everyone to know that you were at such n such temples, but really all it made me think was oh... "john 2007"? what a freaking loser! you are defacing temples built hundreds of years ago. i cant believe some people still need educating on why this is not cool.... as goes with the pommy tards i seen CLIMBING up onto the ruins for a photo. lucky i got them on camera and will be posting it on youtube for pure shame factor - search under my username mermaidnz

Littering is stupid. i was walking up a small trail to a waterfall when i seen a water bottle thrown on the ground a whole FIVE meters away from the bin. its pretty clear it was a foreigner considering no locals really bothered to go up there. please, instead, get a camelback backpack-eliminating plastic bottles, or keep them on you till you find a bin.

and being rude with photos, dont just snap photos of homeless beggers - i swear to go i seen someone do this! if you want a photo, ask, sometimes offering a dollar or something helps, its so rude to just snap pics of locals for nothing, not even a thanks, theres no need to be intrusive.

end rant/

can others please add more things that irk them about bad travellers,heh, so i dont sound like the only snarky bitch

**maracle** · 07-05-2008, 09:10 PM

Also photographing things in a museum that doesn't allow flash photography...they do that for a reason!

And taking artifacts from a ruin site, or even stuff on the ground in a natural area. It may seem like just a pinecone but if everyone takes one then there's trouble! Especially be careful when scuba diving not to damage the coral, it takes thousands of years to form.

**Delaney** · 07-07-2008, 06:31 PM

I don't have any real rants, but I just hate it in general when people don't respect the local customs or always say, "Back home we...", isn't the point of travelling to live differently for a while?
(Disclaimer: I do compare the east coast to the west coast a lot, so maybe I am being hypocritical. But sometimes it is fascinating how different it is when its the same country!).
Anyway, in Baltimore I work near a stream with a sign that says "Take only pictures, leave only footprints". I think it also applies to traveling (as long as you don't leave footprints on sacred temples!).

**simply_angelic** · 07-07-2008, 07:01 PM

amen

**pinknic38** · 07-07-2008, 07:45 PM

I hate when people travel but aren't open to the culture... especially when eating out. Don't fucking go to McDonalds every day then bitch cos it doesn't taste like back home. Don't go order something then turn your nose up. If you don't want to partake in the local culture, then maybe you should have traveled somewhere close to home and saved yourself the money.

**expatben** · 07-08-2008, 12:56 AM

I only have 2 beefs with a few travelers-
1)learn at least a couple phrases in a their language and don't get pissy when they don't know yours. Let me paint a picture-2 lets say Russians ask you for help. One starts yelling very slowly at you in Russian and then pulls a face when you cannot understand them the other one while not great at English can at least rattle off "where is train station" which one are you more likely to want to help?
2) Don't break the laws! Remember you are a GUEST in this country and we need to be respectful of this fact.

**space virgin** · 07-08-2008, 09:33 AM

Great post mermaid, I totally agree with everything-- the TP thing really hacks me off too, fucking gross when the toilet's flooded-- and good job with outing the asshats on youtube.

bluewaveted · 07-10-2008, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinknic38

I hate when people travel but aren't open to the culture... especially when eating out. Don't fucking go to McDonalds every day then bitch cos it doesn't taste like back home. Don't go order something then turn your nose up. If you don't want to partake in the local culture, then maybe you should have traveled somewhere close to home and saved yourself the money.

Agreed. I hate how people don't plan out trips (checking the weather and whatnot) and end up holed in hotel rooms all day. Such a waste.

**Canadian Bacon** · 07-10-2008, 09:15 PM

I hate backpackers who hate on other backpackers from other places, or carry with them prejudices.

I also don't like how backpackers from Western countries (myself included) and backpackers from non-english speaking countries don't hang out more. I mean... non-verbal communication is enough to party to right?

Yeah, that's my major two.