People Break Down Which Things Tourists Should Never Do In Their Country
There is always a list of "dos" and "don'ts" when you're traveling. For example, in certain cultures, it's customary to take off one's shoes before entering a dwelling. Not doing so could be seen as highly disrespectful. It's important to be cognizant of these things to avoid embarrassing cultural mishaps. Now, if you're in my house, you better be taking your shoes off. Doesn't matter where you're from: Please take off your shoes. The outside world is gross.
After Redditor Skinnysaif asked the online community, "What should tourists NEVER do in your country?" people shared information that travelers should find quite useful.
"Just please stay safe..."
In South Africa when you go on a "safari" (we call it a game drive), you must never ever get out of your vehicle or get close to any big animals because that is why there are stories of people dying because animals here. Just please stay safe and obey the rules to save lives.
"Here in the U.S. ..."
Here in the U.S. in south Utah there are many amazing rock sculptures. Don't. Write. On. Them. They are rare structures formed by thousands of years of erosion, not something to carve your name into.
"It's okay to take pictures..."
Concentration camps are not a place for you get your stupid selfies for your "influencer" profile. Those tracks you're standing on transported many to their death.
It's okay to take pictures for pictures for memories that you came here. But those people who come here to take "sexy" selfies have no place being here.
"Yellowstone is not..."
Yellowstone is not a f***** amusement parks the wild animals are extremely dangerous and will kill you in an instant. Do not step into the hot springs they will melt your flesh completely off your bones and you will die an agonizing death.
"By all means..."
Poverty tours.
By all means, get off the beaten path and see the "good" and the "bad" if you want to. However, don't f****** go to a struggling neighbourhood to feel better about yourself or learn to appreciate what you have. Poverty is not entertainment.
"Photograph the memorial..."
As a New Yorker, please don't take selfies at the 9/11 memorial. Photograph the memorial, photograph the names, or in the event that one of the names means something to you I'm okay with you snapping a selfie. But the typical smiling-tourist selfies are crass.
"I don't know..."
Germany here, and this mostly goes out to Americans. You should never assume you can talk privately anywhere in public in Germany, just because you speak English.
I don't know if this is different in the US, but here, almost anyone can speak at least 2 languages, and very well. Pretty much anyone can speak english, even more so in the cities.
I usually try to join in to any conversation Americans have in the subway about how weird "those Germans" are!
"Don't speak to us..."
Don't speak to us in Spanish. You are not in Spain. Sincerely, Portugal.
"Attempts, such as these..."
Deigning to smile and greet us jovially in the street.
Attempts, such as these, to connect with us on an interpersonal level shall be met with a sharp look, the profuse muttering of the word "sorry" and possibly a flintlock pistol duel at dawn.
We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Cordially,
London, England
"Educate yourself a bit..."
Canada. Don't feed wildlife. Even a deer can kill a person and they do, Elk and Moose will end you, and bears are amoral cannibals that eat each other and tear faces off.
Educate yourself a bit before you go back country or anywhere with wildlife (which means outside of a city). I've seen Chinese tourists crowding around a goddamned bison to take pictures, I was waiting to see one get punted. Our animals aren't tame.
"Don't act like you've seen..."
Don't pretend that you suddenly don't understand how and when to leave a proper gratuity. It's in your guidebooks, ffs. The fast, friendly service isn't free.
Don't act like you've seen the US because you've been to New York. Our country is practically 50 countries; massively diverse from sea to shining sea.
Don't talk politics. We don't care about your opinion any more than you would ours about your home country.
Don't act like where you're from is better than where you're visiting.
"If you're a lone guy..."
I grew up in the south of Spain and witnessed a TON of disconcerting and embarrassing behaviour from tourists.
Guys and girls, please don't:
a) go to topless beaches and snap photos of the women there. We know EXACTLY why many of you do this, and you will incur the wrath of the women, their SOs, and their entire extended family in that same beach.
b) If you're a lone guy, do NOT approach girls and ask them to take a photograph for you. It's an older-than-dirt ploy by perv. Some places have learned to re-trust strangers, but even I was told to NEVER help strangers take pictures unless they had a wife/kids with them.
c) Please visit our north! The Galician and Basque regions are absolutely beautiful (and have very cool history, music, and art) and are sadly overlooked because they're not in the cheap and touristy hot-spots. Their food is also utterly amazing (and should you decide to drive up there, we have plenty of countryside restaurants that do rustic-as-hell food that will blow your mind (Like La Perdiz, which is situated in La Asturias. You know the kind of rural places where the farmers are crazy good at cheese and wine, and keep the best stuff for themselves? La Perdiz is exactly one of those places. Definitely try their manchego and their game dishes).
"They look cuddly..."
Do NOT try to pet a Koala. They look cuddly but they are actually vicious animals with very sharp claws that they'll try to slice you open with if you get too close. That and most of them have chlamydia which they can transmit to you by peeing on you.
"Go on poverty tours..."
Go on poverty tours through the townships. Lots of Americans and Europeans do it, and it makes us white folk in South Africa look even more removed and alien.
"The only exception..."
In Norway, never talk to strangers and don't sit next to them on public transport. The only exception is when you're lost, have no idea where to go and your phone's out of battery so you can't call anyone or check Google Maps. And don't pronounce norse words wrong.
"Don't go to a street food stall..."
Singapore. Don't go to a street food stall/hawker centre and question the seller if the eggs are free-range, if the chicken is organic, or the vegetables are pesticide-free. They don't know, don't really care, and probably don't even understand what you're asking about.
"Another shopper's superstition..."
A few things actually. There are all sorts of superstitions in Vietnam and all sorts of unwritten rules, that, if you do not obey, will get you in some hot water.
For one, I hear many stories about foreigners getting scammed in Vietnam, and then they go to their blogs and their Facebook accounts and rant about it. I am not defending any of my countrymen who have scammed tourists, but it has caused a lot of anxiety among tourists who do not want to be scammed. One thing you should not do in Vietnam is falsely accuse some shopkeepers of scamming you. If you are wrong, not only will it embarrass you, it will embarrass the shopkeeper. It's all about saving face.
Another shopper's superstition is that the first customer of the day in a shop must buy something or it will mean bad luck for the shopowners. This is why if you are shopping early in the morning, you will hear many cashiers say that you are the first customer and give you a good price. It's not just a marketing trick.
Hardly believe this needs to be said, but no skimpy clothes in pagodas and temples. Shorts and short shorts are not allowed. Most locals wear loose shirts and pants.
Hope this helped you and have fun in Vietnam (of course, once this pandemic is over)!
"Never use table syrup..."
Two things in Canada.
Wild animals are wild and dangerous. I've seen too many tourists try to get closer to a bear for a better photo. The bear usually has its hackles up and is not happy. If you get too close the bear will get an upset stomach after eating yours.
Never use table syrup if you have the option to use maple syrup. I don't even know why they sell table syrup here, probably for the American tourists.
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Have you ever heard of a certain job that people call a career and thought... "PEOPLE PAY YOU FOR THAT?!?!"
All hard, honest work is good work.
And then there is just trash work.
And I don't mean garbage collection, that is honest work.
I don't know how some people live with themselves.
Redditor MrTuxedo1 wanted to discuss the careers they don't believe people should chase. They asked:
"What job do you have no respect for?"
Ticket scalpers. How do you the audacity to say that's a job?
Actual burglars have more empathy.
Disrespectful
"There are debt collectors who call relatives of the deceased to pay off their debts when they are not legally obligated to."
Top_Gun_2021
Shady. Shady.
"Australian Real Estate Agents. Laws don't seem to apply to them. Just as dodgy in sales and rentals alike. Never seen anything like it overseas."
snave_
"I'm in the US, it can vary state by state but my state is pretty strict on realtor laws. Some states require attorney review and there are definitely penalties for being reported for shady sh*t. It does require consumer reporting though."
ilostmytaco
Etransfer
"Where I live, tax info was leaked and now scammers are targeting low income individuals/families (people earning under 30,000 per year) with etransfer scams. I got one the other day that was an etransfer warning that 240$ 'a family member sent me' was about to expire."
SnowyInuk
"That’s disgusting. The scammers know what they’re doing, they know the harm they cause people and yet they don’t care."
surelysandwitch
Should be illegal...
"MLM managers. Not the low level idiots that get suckered into it, they suck too for trying to bring new people into that sh*tshow, but the people who create them know exactly what they are doing and are pretty much the only ones who profit off of it. Should be illegal. Pyramid schemes are illegal. None of them ever get the just desserts except occasionally by vigilantes I assume."
Wereno
I hate debt collectors. Yeah, you calling me one hundred times a week is going to miraculously make money appear.
Animals
"Paparazzi."
VictorBlimpmuscle
"I met Jack Gleeson (King Joffrey from Game of Thrones) at a bus stop in Dublin. Really nice guy but he said he quit acting due to people being nasty online and constant hounding from paparrazi. He's happier now but it sucks that he was pushed away from a career he was quite good at."
goobi94
Scumbags
"The pastors at mega churches whom ask their followers for money for private jets. Absolute scum to abuse others faith for your own greed."
ichancho
"Brian Tamaki is a greedy freaking pig, he takes advantage of so many people who are already struggling. Every time he’s in the local news (which btw is often) I get more and more pissed off at him and his wife. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Tamaki "
surelysandwitch
it’s a thing???
“'Dating Expert.' Sadly it’s a thing. It’s basically a self appointed title that requires no training or qualifications. What’s worse, is that I have a female friend who uses one. It’s very much a blind leading the blind situation."
Mean_Manufacturer_61
"Most of the self proclaimed “dating coaches” I know are women in their late 30s or early 40s who have never been married or had a longer relationship."
ipozgaj
EVIL
"Poachers. Especially big game poachers who purposefully hunt nearly extinct animals from species they know they are on the brink."
"I know there are poachers that come from rural villages who are trying to just put food on the table, which has my sympathy but poachers who come from money and hunt down animals minding their business in most shelters or restricted areas just to put a head on their wall as a trophy are absolutely heinous."
GetterdoneObiwan
I See It All
"Psychic Mediums. Specifically those who prey on the grieving."
JamesDeadite
"I've always found it interesting how many magicians go after people like this. I think it's because they know what it takes to trick people for the art. The slight of hand and mentalism. And they abhor people who use these tactics for such sh*tty purposes."
34HoldOn
I want so bad to believe in psychics and mediums. What say we on that topic?
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The nose is constantly being attacked by odors of the world.
Going through one day without having to hold my breath during a certain point, is a miracle.
Of course, I'm a New Yorker, so I maybe exaggerating for people in the countryside.
What's funnier is odors that are pleasant, that shouldn't be.
Have you ever looked and something and thought... "yuck."
But then you smelled it and it was like... "oh lovely,"
Redditor HappQueue wanted to know what aromas are arousing to the senses that may come as a surprise to many. They asked:
"What smells good but shouldn't?"
For some odd reason I love the things burning. Anything, food, pots, pans. You name it. Weird.
Blow
"Matches/candles on a birthday cake. I remember lighting matches as a kid purely to blow them out and inhale that sweet match-y smell."
semispooked
"guilty good"
"I work at a Chemical plant. We make a highly acidic product that is dark blue, viscus, highly corrosive, and smells exactly like Fruit Loops. It is incredibly disturbing."
Turin082
"Organic chemistry has many 'guilty good' smells. Thiophosgene (sulfur derivative of a chemical weapon used extensively in WW1) apparently smells like meat. Phosgene is used to make polycarbonate, thiophosgene is used to make some sulfur-containing molecules which eventually end up in therapeutic drugs."
HammerTh_1701
I can't huff it...
"Paint, specifically house paint. I love the smell. But anytime I hear that anyone is painting a room or their house, I volunteer. I just love sitting on the floor in a room that's been freshly painted, closing my eyes and just inhaling that slightly chemically, slightly creamy aroma."
Neowza
A Hint of French...
"A fish and chips shop burnt down as couple blocks from work a few years ago. The whole neighborhood smelled amazing for days. Just the slight hint of French fries. Nothing overpowering. It was so awesome. Until I found out someone was trapped in the fire and died."
stevey_frac
Drag
"Race fuel. Instantly puts me in a good mood as it reminds me of going to the drag races with my dad when I was young."
garfnodie
Fuel and matches get me too. And they sort of go together. Interesting.
Just like the Movie...
"The water from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Mmm, bromine."
Stalkerslovemy
"This is one of my favorite scents of all time, and Disney is very aware that people enjoy it. Evidently it’s a lot harder to recreate than just adding bromine to water."
cash4panties
"black widow".
"There's a chicken wing restaurant near my house that has a challenge sauce called "black widow." The owner claims it to be around 500,000 scovilles. A few years back some buddies and I decided to try them, the sauce was a dark molasses color and smelled almost like a BBQ sauce, no hint of the danger that lurked at all. We each grabbed one wing and it went terribly. I don't know how something so spicy could smell so innocent."
Final-Chapter
Endless Weekend
"Hotel/rented rooms whenever you go on vacation. There's this particular smell that just says 'you are on vacation,' especially on a beach/swimming trips/out-of-the-town vacays."
Yummy_Llama
"Bath and Body Works has a plug-in scent called Endless Weekend that replicates that scent (to my humble nose)."
Exxcentrica
"oh no..."
"Someone you are attracted to's body odors. Anyone else who is slightly unhygienic smells repulsive."
Mini_gunslinger
"I remember back in high school a girl leaned over, sniffed me, told me that I smelled really good, and asked me what cologne I was wearing. I asked if she was joking, and she's like, no, you smell really good. When I told her I had just gotten done with gym class, she gets a small 'oh no...' look on her face and turns away. I think we both had a revelation that day."
user deleted
That Smell
"The smell inflatable things give off. I have no idea how to describe it, but it’s… nostalgic? to me."
crestfxllen
I do love the smell of plastics and inflatables. Ahh....
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At one point in time, we've misplaced things that we've considered priceless possessions.
It's hard to imagine how to go on without the lost object–whatever it may be–but over time, it becomes a distant memory and we move on.
That is until we magically find ourselves presented with this opportunity proposed by Redditor mikehotel288, who asked:
"You find yourself in a room with everything you’ve ever lost in your life. What do you look for first?"
There are necessities people cannot do without.
No More Dry Lips Ever Again
"Gonna be a lot of chapstick in that room."
– camefromxbox
There are things that bring us comfort and are irreplaceable.
Safety Blanket
"My baby blanket. It became tattered over the years—to the point where I couldn’t reasonably wash it anymore—so I had to throw it away a little while back."
"I have heavily regretted that decision. I was really attached to it (hence it being in tatters), but I really wish that I kept what was left of it instead of throwing it away. Just knowing that I’d still have it would be a huge comfort to me."
– Uearie
Sentimental Heirloom
"The pendant my dad had made for me with my grandmother’s engagement diamond. It was 2 carats. It disappeared from a Las Vegas hotel room 20 years ago. It was hidden deep in a suitcase where it would not have been easy to find. It was just GONE. Cops didn’t do anything. Didn’t even come to take my statement. Cleaning lady said she thought she saw an elderly man enter my room. The guy I was with was not sympathetic in the least. Entire situation was f**ked. I’m still so upset about it."
– MaritimeDisaster
Lone Shark
"My plastic shark toy I lost when I was 10. Ain't no f'king way it just VANISHED."
– Guilty_As_Charged__
Not everything lost is tangible.
Tick Tock
"The time I wasted."
– shinyfennec
It Holds Value
"My private key with 6 BTC in it."
– Significant_Mirror19
"I didn't lose one, but I'll check my room for yours just in case."
– Smodphan
Finding Purpose
"The reason I walked into the room."
– Lloyd_lyle
Lost Opportunity
"That one girl i spoke to on omegle lol"
– h-amishh
If only we get to reunite with those we've lost.
The Loved Family Member
"My grandpa."
– Splatty_boi_420
Grieving Parent
"My daughter. She’ll be in my brother’s arms. So I’ll find both things I care to look for."
– SeeTheFence
Missing Mom
"My mom. She died of cancer in 2017. She never got to meet my daughter. I miss the hell out of her and wish she was still part of my family’s life."
– X-Arkturis-X
The Animals That Come Into Our Lives
"My pets that have passed: especially my horse, Blue. It's been 4 years, but it feels like just yesterday."
– Baciandrio
While many of these scenarios are unlikely, the thread gave people an opportunity to reflect on the things that made a strong impression on their lives.
Sometimes, the memories of the things we've lost–whether they are random objects or sources of love–is all we have.
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What's worse than returning home from a night out or a workday and discovering your home was broken into? Being home when the break-in happens.
Home invasions are a common trope portrayed in horror films like The Strangers and Funny Games, and they're absolutely terrifying because they are based on real-life incidents.
Redditor silentagent47 asked strangers to consider this horrifying hypothetical.
"You have 5 minutes to prepare before a guy breaks into your house with the intention to kill you. You can not exit your house. What is your strategy to survive?"
The hunter becomes the hunted, inspired by TV and movies.
Duplicating A Scene
"There was an episode of Burn Notice where Michael puts aerosol cans in the microwave with kitchen utensils and hits popcorn button. I really want to know if this works or not."
– JohnSterlingSanchez
Epic Burglar Trap
"Speed-watch Home Alone."
– pluribusduim
It's about the choice of weapon.
Jump Scare
"I get the vacuum cleaner ready in a certain room, I turn it on as hes about to enter to create a distraction, then I jump out when he's inspecting the noise and bonk the f'ker on the head with the piece of 2 inch steel tube I keep as a weapon."
– BustedBastard
Beware of Dog
"Unleash the Hounds"
– myassonreddit
Make A Weapon
"Duct tape a bunch of knives to the end of one of those tall lamps to make a spear of blinding and then proceed to go sicko mode."
– DubTheeBustocles
Preparing For A Thwack
"Turn shower on, for some reason I have a shovel behind my wardrobe?? So grab that. Wait for him to check shower, whack with shovel. Boom."
– hypersp00p
It's Just A Game
"Corner camp with a shotgun."
– Arrow3619
A Warm Welcome
"Hairspray and a lighter to his face."
– WorkingClassSheep
The effectiveness of these tactics are questionable, but points for creativity are warranted.
Stand Still
"Put a lamp shade on my head and stand in the corner of the room."
– Cannabis_Sir
Make It Erotic
"I turn on all the lights, take off all my clothes, rub butter all over myself, and start a fake conversation on the phone. As soon as he breaks in I say into the phone: 'I’ve gotta go, my next appointment is finally here…”
– FrankieTheAlchemist
Forget The Stairs
"Go to the LIVING ROOM."
– on-oath-never-again
Removing The Element Of Fun
"Draw an X on my forehead and grab a beer."
– Candycoatedmuffin3
And that's why I would opt for living in a commune or apartment complex.
People who own houses are just asking for forced entry.
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