Travelling, for many people, provides unparalleled experiences that shape who they are as people. It’s important to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while, and take in the history and culture of another setting. But, when you don’t know the customs, it’s hard not to stand out. Here, people from around the world share the dead giveaways that someone in their midst is a tourist. Happy travels!
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1. Bring your water bottle in Pheonix
“LET’S GO HIKING IN 110 HEAT WITHOUT WATER!!”
I’m not kidding. Phoenix gets tons of tourists who wanna go hike, but they way underestimate our desert climate and go hike in the mountains totally unprepared. So many people end up needing helicopter rescue its ridiculous.
2. Standers on the right!
Standing on the left hand side of the metro escalator in DC.
3. Lobsters in Florida
Pale people saying “I don’t need sunscreen I tan well” or seeing those same kind of people at a restaurant looking as red as a lobster. Florida tourists…… sigh
4. Welcome to Japan!
I live in Japan. Pretty much, if you’re not Asian, it’s a pretty big give away.
5. In Texas, it’s all about your hat coordination
In Texas, people wearing cowboy hats that don’t at all go with their outfits. Sometimes the cowboy hat is worn the wrong way.
6. Step away from the Blvd!
If you’re in Los Angeles, going to (Continued)
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Hollywood Blvd on purpose. Almost literally every other part of LA is better.
7. Your bead game is way off
In New Orleans, wearing beads when it’s not Mardi Gras
8. Some other giveaways in Hollywood
Living near Hollywood was always fun. The tourist look disappointed half the time.
Wearing matching tshirts
Scared of the homeless
Stoping in the middle of sidewalk to take pictures of the stars.
Smiling and waving to everyone
Taking scam tour rides
Looking for Beyonce
Taking pictures with Superman in front of the Chinese Theater.
Looking disappointed when the Land of Dream is a flaming dumpster pile.
9. Hawaiian shirts won’t save you now
Almost anything. Hawaiian tourists aren’t exactly hard to spot.
Whether it’s the Mustangs, the constant mispronunciations, the aggressively crimson sunburns, we got it all.
10. The big apple
“I <3 NYC” shirts
11. Small town folks to the big city
If you’re from a smaller town, and you come to the big city, a dead giveaway is when people (Continue)
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wait patiently for the green man to show before crossing the road even though there’s no traffic.
12. We’re not your “spiritual quest”
I live in Phnom Penh. I don’t know how to politely tell tourists (or as my old English Lit teacher calls them, ‘hippies who go to Asia to seek enlightenment’) that they do not need to wear those baggy tribal pants and shirts.
13. Just passing through!
My little town doesn’t get tourists in it.
But, we are two miles off the interstate. So, if you are at one of the gas stations there, you can tell who is a tourist, especially in the summer.
It’s the confused looking people sitting in their packed SUV’s.
14. Tourists in Chicago
Taking pictures of the skyline.
Taking pics at restaurants that have been featured on the food network or any Anthony bourdain show.
Smiling, in general.
15. Tourists in NYC
Lots of tourists in NYC. Some giveaways:
- Looking at maps
- Camera on strap around the neck
- Talking to the African guys touting the hop on hop off buses
- Eating at Olive Garden in Times Square
- Taking pictures with the Elmos and Desnudas in Times Square
- Walking in large groups
- Taking horse and carriage rides on Central Park South
- Sitting on the steps of the Met
- Looking lost on the subway
- Walking very slowly
- Trying to get a metrocard and being very confused
- Struggling trying to get into the subway (swiping several times)
- Blocking entire sidewalks, walking 5 people wide
- Actually paying attention to buskers
- Waiting for the light to turn green to cross the street
- Standing literally in the middle of the sidewalk texting
CrazyOtto87 & spaaaaaghetaboutit
16. Tourists in Iceland
It’s really simple, but a dead giveaway. If you come to Iceland and you’re using a (continued)
If you’re using an umbrella in Iceland, we know you’re a tourist. The wind is strong and the rain isn’t coming straight down – more from the side and upwards!
An Italian co-worker looked outside one December day and couldn’t fathom how it could snow from the right to the left.
17. Public transit is a wild ride
I was the tourist. This week I had to take the bus in a city for the first time alone and I had a few rocky moments.
I get to the terminal and ask the desk, “Does this thing take tokens?” no response for a few seconds followed by nah change is fine. So I get on and it’s all fine until I got to get off and I realize I don’t know how. After about 3 stops past mine I said to no one in particular, “HOW DO I GET OFF THIS THING!?” Random dude rings bell for me and I’m off. You bet I gave him a fist bump.
18. In tiny towns, everybody knows
My town has 900 people if we haven’t seen you you’re a tourist
19. Pronouncing it “Edin-borrow”, or pronouncing Worcester as Wor-chester.
20. Okay, this one is a little weird
An obvious fear/misunderstanding of wild animals. I’ve been asked if a housecat was a mountain lion, and if a chow chow dog was a fox.
21. In Australia, you need to know your coffee and cigarettes
Not knowing what a ‘flat white’ coffee is. Or that yes, 20C is a normal temperature, not a freaking heatwave. … In Australia.
… Or when people ask to make sure that (Continued)
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If someone asks me because they’re confused as to why a pack of cigarettes costs $20, I know they’re a tourist.
22. Hang ten, bro
Calling California “Cali”. Yikes.
23. Fur hats in Russia
Here in Moscow, Russia it’s a fur hat in winter. No one actually wears them here except for some old people and soldiers because they have to. Most likely if you own a brand new matryoshka toy you’re a tourist as well. Such a rare thing to buy for regular people.
24. When you go to Washington…
In Washington D.C., it’s any Trump or MAGA swag. I’m not judging anyone’s politics, but I literally don’t know anyone from DC that is pro-Trump. Even ironically.
DC is traditionally highly Democratic anyway, but add to it that everyone either works for the government or cares about someone who does, and there’s just bad feelings everywhere.
The tension and stress has been palpable since the election. Again, it’s not politics so much as his administration has either intentionally or accidentally (through incompetence) neutered many government agencies by failing to appoint leadership or provide direction.
And I know it’s America’s favorite meme to make fun of lazy government employees, but they are actually some of the hardest working and most impassioned people on the planet, and the existential dread that comes from being leaderless right now is horrible.
25. Tourists in Seattle sound cute
Seattle, when people go to the wrong side of Pike Market to see the fish get thrown.
Also when people call Puget Sound (Continued)
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When people call it “The Puget Sound” instead of Puget Sound. I really love the tourists that come around here though!
26. We’re all happy, here!
Being unhappy. I’m not joking i’m living in the happiest town in the netherlands. For all of you wondering, it’s Ede.
27. The Amish are people, too.
Gawking at the Amish, interrupting their work/activities, and dragging them into selfies.
God bless their commitment to nonviolence, because if people were comstantly in my way, rudely grabbing at me or my kids, and treating me like a zoo exhibit, I would snap.
28. London, England
London: walking slowly and enjoying the views. Us locals keep our heads down and our feet moving.
29. Don’t touch the sea lions
There’s this place for snorkelling near my town with beautiful fish and sea lions and dolphins.
It’s very well known around town that you shouldn’t touch the sea lions because, well, it’s a crime and they also could tear your arm off
I see tourists trying to walk to the sea lions to pet them all the time though. And it pisses me off. The lifeguard always has to chase after them