Even Worse Than the Holiday Season
Tourist season. I wish it were hunting season, so I could shoot tourists. I can overlook your bright white sneakers that you clearly bought special for this exciting trip to San Francisco. I can keep my snickers to a minimum at your fag bag. That overpriced sweatshirt that says San Francisco? The one I *know* you bought at Fisherman's Wharf that you're proudly prancing around wearing? That can also be overlooked.
Some things, however, can not be overlooked. Arriving at the top of the escalator and abruptly stopping? Not okay. Yes, I understand that you are disoriented and are not sure where you are and need to look around and figure that out. However, there are people (like me) who've gotten stuck behind you, and need to get somewhere. Step to the side.
When you need to whip out your handy dandy free map of the city you took from the overpriced hotel and turn in a slow circle? That's okay. Just step over to the side, so you're not blocking the entire sidewalk.
The buses? There are signs on the sides of them as well as on the front. So please stop stepping into the street in front of oncoming traffic to see what bus is approaching. While we're on the topic of public transportation, they don't give change. Let me say that again. HEY TOURISTS! THE PUBLIC BUSES, TROLLEYS and TRAINS DO NOT GIVE CHANGE!
Moving on. Of all people, I understand about being lost. I get lost all the time. Hell, I got on the wrong train just last week going to Golden Boy's house. Asking for directions is a smart thing to do sometimes. It'd be a shame to wind up far from where you meant to be and in a bad neighborhood. I ask for directions when I go to new places too.
However. When I ask someone for directions, it strikes me the same as asking for a favor. And when one wants someone to do them a favor, what is the proper protocol? That's right! Manners! I'm polite. Excuse me, please, and thank you. I use all three when asking for directions.
Do you? No. No you do not. And this is a problem. For you. Know why? Because I am a bitch. Can you guess why these two things are your problem? Because when you ask me for directions and do not say "Excuse me" or "please" I am not inclined to help you. In fact, quite the opposite. I am tempted to do to you what the seniors at my high school did to the freshman when they needed directions, and direct you to the wrong place.
The City of San Francisco would not come to a grinding halt without your little visits. You are not so special and precious that I am inspired by your mere presence to bend over backwards to help you get to your special tourist-trap destination. You can get your damn See's Candies at the freaking airport.
It's not any one specific group of people that lack manners. It's everyone. Everyone seems to have forgotten please and thank you. I'm not a particularly nice person (you may have noticed) but even I have manners and use them. You should too.
I can't remember which book it was, but as a child I read a book where a dad was talking to a child about going to a new place. He explained that the child represented the place they came from, so they should be on their best behavior. Tourists of San Francisco, you are NOT making your hometowns look good. Tourists of San Francisco, you are on thin ice with me.
Some things, however, can not be overlooked. Arriving at the top of the escalator and abruptly stopping? Not okay. Yes, I understand that you are disoriented and are not sure where you are and need to look around and figure that out. However, there are people (like me) who've gotten stuck behind you, and need to get somewhere. Step to the side.
When you need to whip out your handy dandy free map of the city you took from the overpriced hotel and turn in a slow circle? That's okay. Just step over to the side, so you're not blocking the entire sidewalk.
The buses? There are signs on the sides of them as well as on the front. So please stop stepping into the street in front of oncoming traffic to see what bus is approaching. While we're on the topic of public transportation, they don't give change. Let me say that again. HEY TOURISTS! THE PUBLIC BUSES, TROLLEYS and TRAINS DO NOT GIVE CHANGE!
Moving on. Of all people, I understand about being lost. I get lost all the time. Hell, I got on the wrong train just last week going to Golden Boy's house. Asking for directions is a smart thing to do sometimes. It'd be a shame to wind up far from where you meant to be and in a bad neighborhood. I ask for directions when I go to new places too.
However. When I ask someone for directions, it strikes me the same as asking for a favor. And when one wants someone to do them a favor, what is the proper protocol? That's right! Manners! I'm polite. Excuse me, please, and thank you. I use all three when asking for directions.
Do you? No. No you do not. And this is a problem. For you. Know why? Because I am a bitch. Can you guess why these two things are your problem? Because when you ask me for directions and do not say "Excuse me" or "please" I am not inclined to help you. In fact, quite the opposite. I am tempted to do to you what the seniors at my high school did to the freshman when they needed directions, and direct you to the wrong place.
The City of San Francisco would not come to a grinding halt without your little visits. You are not so special and precious that I am inspired by your mere presence to bend over backwards to help you get to your special tourist-trap destination. You can get your damn See's Candies at the freaking airport.
It's not any one specific group of people that lack manners. It's everyone. Everyone seems to have forgotten please and thank you. I'm not a particularly nice person (you may have noticed) but even I have manners and use them. You should too.
I can't remember which book it was, but as a child I read a book where a dad was talking to a child about going to a new place. He explained that the child represented the place they came from, so they should be on their best behavior. Tourists of San Francisco, you are NOT making your hometowns look good. Tourists of San Francisco, you are on thin ice with me.
Labels: City Livin, Harshing Your Mellow, People watching, Playing in SF, Rage Against the Green, Vacation
posted by Green at 8/06/2008 10:21:00 PM
5 Comments:
I totally agree. We have tourist season now here too. Actually the 4th of July weekend hit an all time high of annoyance for me. They stand in the middle of the sidewalks looking at their maps, stop at the top of escalators and the stairs when getting on and off the subway, and are totally rude not saying thank you, excuse me, etc. I can not count the number of times I have been stopped by by people while on a run in the city asking for directions and not by excuse me, but by hand gestures or my all time favorite "hello?" I too am a bitch so I don't stop and pretend I can't hear them and walk on by.
The only people annoying me more than tourists are people who don't dare to go visit new places because they are afraid. Well, no, that's not really true. The thing is just: The tourists are really happy the way they behave and act and there is nothing you or I can do about it: Not by writing annoyed blog posts, not by ignoring them, hell, not even by directing them to the wrong place, since they are too ignorant to care or even notice that you did it on purpose. So: Whenever I see tourists, my feelings of annoyance very quickly give way to great envy. :( Ignorance can be pretty sweet.
Too funny.
But seriously, when did people start thinking they were so entitled to HELP from random strangers that they didn't have to ask nicely/politely?
Sucks.
did you really just say "fag bag"? did you not read your own link, hun? it is a derogatory term.
thought a good jewish girl like yourself would be a bit more sensitive to those types of things.
As a frequent visitor to San Francisco, San Francisco tourists make me fucking cringe. I'd only been there twice when a nice man at the bus station explained the map to me. Now I can navigate most of the city on my own.
It takes such a small effort to actually try and understand a place, but most people can't be bothered. Is it really such an inconvenience to learn something new, instead of just expecting everyone else to cater to your needs?
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