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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Tourists exodus today relieved

840 replies

justasking111 · 30/08/2021 09:16

Well it's over today the tsunami of tourists will be gone.

We have never experienced such, rudeness, aggressive behaviour from them as we have this summer. Our businesses have limped along short staffed, been abused, threatened as have locals. The littering has been something else.

I know everyone has had a bad year but so have the Welsh our lockdowns harder and longer than others.

We still wear masks in shops fgs

So hopefully you all had good holidays but glad of a bit of peace now

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CovidCorvid · 30/08/2021 17:01

I think people are being ruder and more demanding, not just tourists.

Dd works behind a bar in a members club, so not tourists at all. She says people have never been as rude before as they’ve been this year.

Not sure why. Kicking off about masks when that was the rule, kicking off about table service only when that was the rule, kicking off about not being allowed to move tables, kicking off about limited menu, kicking off about having to wait a bit longer for service when it was only one member of staff on the bar, now kicking off over everything and anything….

and I don’t mean just complaining. I mean shouting, screaming, swearing at 18yo minimum wage doing their staff.

category12 · 30/08/2021 17:03

I mean, it's not rocket science - small towns in the country at the seaside are not set up to accommodate an influx of thousands in the same way as London is. We could tarmac over everything and have the area permanently prepped for people who only visit at the summer, but I doubt they'd come then.

category12 · 30/08/2021 17:03

OR at the seaside

ragamuffins3 · 30/08/2021 17:04

I don’t know why people act shocked about this kind of thing either Marni. It’s very odd. It’s like living near the V&A or something and then feigning shock that people visit. One or two might even be rude! I used to live near the Chelsea football stadium. Regularly, I couldn’t get down my own street because of literally a ‘tsunami’ of people. Some more of the anti-social variety than others, shall we say. But that’s hardly a shocker, is it. It’s just part of the rhythm of life round there. I’m sure uni towns notice the difference when all the students return. We have Wimbledon not far from here and that affects the roads (which are congested anyway). But so what? You can hardly dictate people’s movements.

muffinffaces · 30/08/2021 17:05

am London born and bought up, the vast majority of Londoners do not rub shoulder to shoulder with tourist as most of us live in the suburbs of London not right next to Buck palace and the Tower!

I'm a born & bred Londoner & lived in Z2/3, I still traveled & do travel into Z1 for work, social, dc stuff. There's loads of tourists particularly during the Summer.

MsTSwift · 30/08/2021 17:09

We went to the north east (we are from the south west) for the first time every and we all agreed northerners are generally noticeably nicer than southerners. We all noticed it!

FrauleinSchweiger · 30/08/2021 17:10

@Marni83 - yes it's always busy in the summer but the effects of Covid are still with us in terms of stock in shops and people in the hospitality industry. And it has been noticeably busier than other years (certainly where I live).

I don't know who you are addressing when you say "prepare for it"???

I think most businesses have done their level best but some things are beyond their control. I personally know two young people (as in teenagers) who have been verbally abused by tourists because they had to wait longer than normal for service. They are still bright enough to know that these tossers are in the minority but you can certainly understand how their impressions of tourists might have been changed.

essentialhealing · 30/08/2021 17:11

You moan about tourists but without them you wouldn't survive

If you don't like it, move

justasking111 · 30/08/2021 17:12

I do wonder if people who sell up to retire in Wales realise how poor our NHS is. Up to five years waiting list for a hip operation now. Our roads aren't great, our public transport scant in many areas we can't get consultants who have young children because they're still climbing the greasy pole of promotion so want to work at the better hospitals. Their wives look at our schools and say no thanks.

It's not all roses here can't speak for other tourism areas.

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FrauleinSchweiger · 30/08/2021 17:14

@Ragamuffins3 - this is exactly what I was saying - most of us in Cornwall are just getting on with it and it certainly the rhythm of life - however being told that where you live means that your life has no purpose is taking things a bit far.

And also plenty of parts of London aren't regularly overrun with tourists. I mean there aren't coach loads of people visiting Tooting High Street or Wood Green are there?

justasking111 · 30/08/2021 17:14

@essentialhealing

You moan about tourists but without them you wouldn't survive

If you don't like it, move

To repeat myself yet again I am NOT financially dependant on tourism sigh...
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Chesneyhawkes1 · 30/08/2021 17:17

One of the reasons I'm off to Spain this week - don't fancy being moaned about for spending my money in this country 👍🏻

FrauleinSchweiger · 30/08/2021 17:20

@Chesneyhawkes1 - are you totally sure that a Spanish person might not be having a moan about you behind your back though GrinHmm

mbosnz · 30/08/2021 17:20

I don't think the moaning is about the tourists who don't think they've bought the right to treat the residents and the countryside like absolute shit. It doesn't matter how much you've paid, you've never bought that. And yes, those serving and tending, they're just as tired as the holiday makers after the year and a bit from hell, just as stressed, having to do more with less, and sometimes their smiles wear thin, and they find it a little bit hard to fake it until they make it with people who are impatient, intolerant, unrealistic, rude, aggressive, arrogant. . .

marmaladehound · 30/08/2021 17:20

@muffinffaces

am London born and bought up, the vast majority of Londoners do not rub shoulder to shoulder with tourist as most of us live in the suburbs of London not right next to Buck palace and the Tower!

I'm a born & bred Londoner & lived in Z2/3, I still traveled & do travel into Z1 for work, social, dc stuff. There's loads of tourists particularly during the Summer.

Yes there are but London is large enough to avoid most tourist areas. For example during summer I never go to Covent Garden etc. When I worked in central London, yes it was marginally busier in summer than the rest of the year, but not by much. Tourists come to London all year around, it's not necessarily a summer destination, so it's spread out more across the year and really it's just part of life living here, you get use to it. It's certainly not the same as living in a more rural tourist area, certainly this year, where London has actually been quiet and tourist areas rammed! I live in zone 3, near two notable tourist attractions, have never seen a notable difference apart from maybe in the dead of winter.
justasking111 · 30/08/2021 17:21

[quote FrauleinSchweiger]@Chesneyhawkes1 - are you totally sure that a Spanish person might not be having a moan about you behind your back though GrinHmm[/quote]
My Spanish friends are 😅

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Wonmoretime · 30/08/2021 17:22
Biscuit
Chesneyhawkes1 · 30/08/2021 17:23

@FrauleinSchweiger I won't understand so I don't care 😂

I'm on the local fb group for where we go and they are happy to have tourists back they say. Their businesses rely on it. And I am polite, don't litter etc, so hopefully they won't moan 😄

marmaladehound · 30/08/2021 17:23

@muffinffaces I lived in Oxford for 5 years and my god, living there when the tourists came was so much worse than London as there was no where to escape!

Lovemusic33 · 30/08/2021 17:23

We went to Wales last week to get away from tourists in the SW 🤣, we didn’t find it that busy compared to here, though we stayed away from big attractions, we managed to find a beach that was almost empty. A lot of cafes we came across were shut 😐. We stayed near the coast but travelled inland to explore. The only place that was really busy was Anglesey (the beaches).

Down here you have to get up at 5am to park at the beaches 😭, we stay away until the school holidays are over.

mbosnz · 30/08/2021 17:23

I'm feeling a bit sorry for Spain. . . seems like every second Mumsnetter has either just come from there, or is just about to go. . . Grin

muffinffaces · 30/08/2021 17:25

Well I notice it in the Summer because I take dc to museums/days out when it's warmer but it's yes it's always busy with tourists from the UK & abroad. During Wimbledon my school journey would take longer, leading up to Christmas tubes would close due to shoppers.

My relative lives on the Kent coast, she's is a quiet non-trendy area & doesn't get coach loads of people turning up.

shinynewapple21 · 30/08/2021 17:25

Some of us only arrived Saturday @justasking111 and are here for the rest of the week!!

Beaches seem lovely and quiet as usual Smile

I think this week must generally be quieter though as rental properties seemed fully booked until this week .

FuzzyClutter · 30/08/2021 17:25

Yeah I can’t fucking wait. I live in Somerset which isn’t usually too crazy busy over the summer, but this year cornwall and Devon must have been full so we’ve got the overspill. It’s been a nightmare. Can’t go out for a meal, everything fully booked. Cunts driving along at 20mph on 60mph roads. And I work in the hospitality industry so I’ve been flat out busy working all summer with no down time.