If you live in a holiday destination....

[SamprasTheRabbit]

Inspired by the seaside thread. So many people are opting for U.K. based holidays this year, I don't think I realised how many have an annual abroad holiday until now!

If you live in a holiday destination (seaside, city or country) what would you want visitors to know?

I'll start with... disposable BBQs are dangerous if buried under the sand. They'll stay red hot and burn or cut some poor unsuspecting person's foot if trodden on. Pop them NEXT to the bins on the promenade and everyone else on top in a stack. They can go in the bins when cooled properly by the next morning.

@PacifyLulu

Thanks for your response. I’m interested to know which specific bits of advice you find to be insular and unintelligent. Or is the advice ok but the tone isn’t? I honestly don’t see anything wrong with what’s been said on the whole so I’m genuinely curious as to what others are objecting to.

It’s unintelligent because it assumes that it’s specific to tourist areas only. It’s short sighted because tourists are a big source of income.

I really do think that posters should name the areas to be avoided, I would be happy to avoid them.

I think those unwelcoming to visitors on here should tell us where they live so no-one visits there next year and then they will have something to cry about when things close down for lack of tourists.

@PacifyLulu

Thanks for your response. I’m interested to know which specific bits of advice you find to be insular and unintelligent. Or is the advice ok but the tone isn’t? I honestly don’t see anything wrong with what’s been said on the whole so I’m genuinely curious as to what others are objecting to.

I think ‘just fuck off’ set the tone.

Our cute little town is full of people who live and work here - so dont wander down the middle of the roads and then act surprised when I beep you in my car because I am driving here.

I'm just fucking sick and tired of my town being swamped over the summer, especially with Covid around.

Even a quick nip into Boots involves squeezing your way through heaving crowds and a five mile car journey can take over an hour.

London is like this all the time, well except with Covid!

This is not Disneyland and the other people walking about are not there to facilitate your one day experience (they are getting on with their life)

@Babygotblueyes

Our cute little town is full of people who live and work here - so dont wander down the middle of the roads and then act surprised when I beep you in my car because I am driving here.

Surely your town’s businesses doesn’t just cater for locals?

That aside, go into any town and city and you will see people walking into roads oblivious to everything around them.

‘don’t just’

I mentioned burying BBQs because I assume the people doing it believe it will extinguish them. They might not realise the heat is contained for a while so they are a risk to walkers above them. It's not just a simple irritation about littering, that bits already obvious.

Or is the advice ok but the tone isn’t?

Well some is just pointless. Someone who shits on a beach won't read this thread & suddenly decide only a toilet will do.

Learn to spot a rip current; spend time studying the sea and spotting the signs

So those if us who live in tourist areas should put up with crap ( often quite literally) from visitors and not say anything? It's not 'us', the locals, being antisocial it's some of the visitors. Living (and working) in a tourist area is quite often hard. Made harder by some ignorant people. And yes you do get ignorant people in non tourist areas, but it's the sheer number and relentlessness of it that's the issue in a tourist area. If every week you are having to go out and help clear up local beauty spots, find human crap in your garden and are virtually pushed off the road by tourists driving aggressively and in appropriately then you are going to find tourists annoying.

I would happily avoid the places where these rude people live. Do please share. Unlikely I'd want to visit a muddy field or go hiking anyway so you're probs fine 👍🏼

Oh yes, I live in London where we are overrun with tourists year round, and yet we manage to be polite and welcoming to the people contributing to our economy,

Just as I find it easy to behave myself when I dare to leave London. I've found if you're charming and polite to people in general, you generally get it back in spades.

This thread is hilarious. So many bitter people hating the tourists. Honestly cannot wait to go abroad!

Don't be a knob.
Most visitors (90%?) are not knobs, but unfortunately enough are to be a bloody nuisance.

How not to be a knob:
Take your rubbish with you. Did you know a steer in that field was put down last week due to an intestinal obstruction caused by eating plastic?
Don't cut fences because they block your bike route or path to the picnic area. They are a bloody pain to fix, and you don't want to be responsible for an RTA when a car hits a cow.
Don't wander down the lane in a trance, and then get irate, complete with rude hand signals, when a car approaches doing 20mph. This is a public highway, and I'm just driving home. Slowly, due to knobs walking down the middle of a public highway.
Don't park in the turning circle at the end of the dead-end lane to the beach where it says 'No parking: turning circle'. (That sign appeared last summer. We hadn't needed one before.)
Don't let little Daisy or Frankie go up behind the cow to pat it on the leg. If you startle a cow, it could kick. This might not end well for Daisy or Frankie.
Pissing in the woods is okay, if you must. Shitting is not, unless you either bury it very well, or take it with you.

If you don't behave like a knob, you will be very welcome. You will be welcome even if you are a bit silly, and we will help you when you come unstuck, like someone I know who offered a lift to two walkers who had misjudged the timings of their route and were stumbling unlit down a dark and notoriously dangerous lane at 10pm. He took them to the pizzeria in the nearest small town and made sure they were okay.

Check which beaches have a dog ban during summer

Drive on the left please, especially on blind corners.

Norfolk is lovely, please come and enjoy it. Our businesses need the trade, and you could all do with the R&R.

..but please take your rubbish home and drive carefully.

LEAVE ONLY FOOTSTEPS.

Take home your fucking litter, shit, BBQ trays, masks, and all the other shite your bring with you

@shallIswim

Learn to spot a rip current; spend time studying the sea and spotting the signs

Oh my - this so many times = seeing the dopey take their kids into the sea and not pay attention to flags etc.

Thank god for the lifeguards

Oh, and if someone says hello, they're honestly not being creepy. Say hello back, and if they ask if you're alright for finding the footpath, and you're not, they will be very happy to show you where it goes.

Hi, welcome to our little county- I hope you have a lovely holiday.
I don’t mind the shops being busier and I hope the cafes are enjoying your business. I will leave a little earlier because people do find driving here a bit tricky if they’re not used to it. I’ll go out slightly earlier before things get too packed.

We have lots of lovely bike paths so please enjoy. If you are cycling down a windy country lane without a cycle path I will probably be a bit late for wherever I’m going, and I might silently huff to myself thinking of some better routes, but I will smile, back off and wait patiently for an opportunity to pass, because live and let live, and you might not know the routes that I am lucky enough to know.
If you are cycling with your whole family down the middle of a country lane when there is a lovely smooth cycle path clearly visible five metres to the left of the road, which would be much safer for you and your (swerving) children, who I am petrified will skid into the path of oncoming cars, and would let the huuuge queue of cars behind you pass... Whhhyyy?!

.... and this is why I'll pass on a UK holiday -thanks. Far too many sneery, judgy, condescending unwelcoming Brits. I'd rather spend my money somewhere more pleasant and welcoming. If I need to quarantine, or wait, so be it. Better than encountering you lot. .

@LaChatte

Disclaimer: I'm in France.

Just because you are on holiday does not mean that I am. Having a noisy BBQ in the garden accompanied by loud music until midnight+ is all very well except I have to be up at 6 the following morning (and I might be temped to mow the lawn at 7 am).

The no open fires rule applies to everyone here. If you start a fire to grill your sausages on by the river, don't be surprised if the locals call the police and you end up with a hefty fine, we really don't want our houses to be burnt down.

There is a football pitch especially for youngsters just outside the village where kids can make as much racket as they like. Why oh why do you think it is acceptable to let your kids play football AGAINST MY FUCKING HOUSE??? Don't be surprised if they get an earful from a 'vieille folle'.

Also, please please please please put your rubbish in the bin, especially the glass bottles. I'm so fed-up of having to extract bits of glass out of DCs feet when we have the time to enjoy the local river too.

I think most of the posters assume only people in the UK moan abut the selfish who behave appallingly when on their holidays. It happens everywhere. Sad isn't it.

@herethereandeverywhere

.... and this is why I'll pass on a UK holiday -thanks. Far too many sneery, judgy, condescending unwelcoming Brits. I'd rather spend my money somewhere more pleasant and welcoming. If I need to quarantine, or wait, so be it. Better than encountering you lot. .

If you are a pleasant individual that takes their rubbish home and is mindful of others you will find none of these posts sneery or rude. Indeed, there are posts from people from other countries with the same concerns of the holidaymakers that leave rubbish etc....