To be mad at tourists?

[Laserbeam24]

AIBU to be mad at tourists? I live in a place that's popular with cruise ships. Which is fine, great for the local economy. My house it's is right at the end of the Main Street, cue lots of tourists holding maps and doing lots of pointing.

Today, the number of tourists have totalled to HALF of our population. That's a different gripe altogether, though.

I have two cats who enjoy sitting in the window and watching the world go by. I also have a six month old. The issue that I have, is that tourists are stopping to tap on my window (!!!!) to get a response from the cats. I could understand if this was a child once in a blue moon, but it's multiple times every day, and typically grown adults every time there's a liner in.

I've also had a good number of people look into my windows. Not just a sneaky glance as they walk past, but two hands on the window around their face so they can get a proper look in.

I've tried blinds. Someone knocking gave the cats such a fright they jumped and broke the blinds. I don't want to have to keep my curtains shut every day. I'm not going to scold my cats for being at the window, it's their house too! What do I even do?

I'm worried that my daughter is going to grow up thinking this is normal. It's also just incredibly infuriating. Where are people's manners! AIBU?

I blame Major Kelly 😉

What weird behaviour, not sure how you’d stop it but try the one way film. I live in a tourist place too and recently there’s been hoards of teenagers from France some from Germany on these school trips all hanging about in town being very loud and vaping messing about - chasing each other etc. totally get they are on holiday but they’ve made a few older people quite uncomfortable they look quite menacing in their big groups. Obviously just getting to wander round themselves.

Hide by the window, when someone turns up jump up and scream at them. Or get a motion activated sprinkler or alarm.

So rude. I love cats but I’d never tap at the window at them.
yes I would say window film, they still might try to stick their nose up to the window though.

Also I am not a fan of nets but you could put the hooks up and take them up and down depending on how busy it is.

I think if you choose to live in a location that's popular with tourists, then you have to expect things to be busy at times - as you acknowledged in your post. But, yeah, staring in at your windows and tapping on them to get the attention of your cats is terrible behaviour (from anyone!) and I would be really pissed off about that too.

I have noticed that tourists who are travelling on cruise ships or coaches, or other organised package-type touring holidays, do seem to have a slightly different mentality sometimes to other tourists - it's almost as if the nature of their holiday makes them forget somehow that the places they're visiting are functioning towns where people actually live and work, and they treat them like theme parks or museums. I'm sure that behaviour isn't limited to tour parties, but living in a big city where tour groups stop quite a lot, I've observed that the behaviour of those tourists is often more entitled/less understanding than that of people who have just come here on a city break.

I grew up in a town that isn't super touristy, but does have a very attractive and historic high street and happens to be midway between London and another popular tourist spot, so we used to get coaches stopping off for a couple of hours sometimes en route. When I was about 12 my friends and I were walking home from school and an American couple suddenly leapt in front of us, literally barring our way, and starting taking photos of us because they thought it was cute and quaint that British school kids wore uniforms. They didn't even ask us if it was OK - just stepped in front of us, starting taking pictures and telling us to stand a bit closer together so they could fit us all in the frame.

Is it great for the local economy? I thought the issue with cruise ships is the tourists sleep and eat on the ships so apart from buying a few souvenirs or a coffee, they bring nothing to the community.

I don't think you can do much other than put up privacy film or a sign in the window. Or move...

You can get window stickers, they come in all different types from mirrored to stain glass effect to translucent (like bathroom windows). They stop people seeing in but still let light through.

Not just them.

We went to Africa and we hired a local private guide to show us around. He was lovely and decided to take us to his home and introduce us to his mam and sister.

Then a whole bunch of American tourists just barged into his house right behind us. We did not know and had never spoke to these people so no reason for them to think they where invited. They where taking pictures of his little sister, going through their bedroom (which he had already said to us 'please don't go in our bedrooms they're our private space' not that I would when visiting someones house), mocking their 'funny toilet' (they didn't have a toilet it was a Hammam) and worst they grabbed the tea his mam just made took a swig spat it on the floor and said it was disgusting then walked back out.

Most mortifying thing I ever seen and yet he was so calm, said it happens quite often so they are use to it... like WTF.

YANBU, but I'd just put some of this on the ground floor windows - One way window film

Though, note as this one is heat repellent too it recommends not to use it on double glazing.

I've ordered some one way stuff to stick on the windows - thanks to all that have mentioned it, I never knew it existed!!!

As for people telling me just to move; that would be the preferable option but there's no housing available. Because I work I'm not entitled to a council house.

I also live on an island, so moving off island would mean leaving everything and everyone I know behind. Not quite as simple as my parents just being a 30 min drive away if I moved towns.

I just expected people (tourists) to act with the slightest bit of decency but apparently that's too much to ask!

I wouldn't move especially if you grew up in the area, that's how a community gets lost.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect visitors to the area to treat your property with respect but sadly it's just the way some behave these days.

I use maps AND the OS app! Fancy that - I can use both paper and a screen!

OP - I like the idea of the sign in the window saying f off nosy cruise passengers :)

A sign..
'Dear tourists. I realise you are on holiday and are keen to experience the area you are visiting as much as possible. However, that does not include peering in through my windows, knocking on the glass and scaring my pets. This is my home, and not part of your holiday experience so please don't do it '

Put some berberis outside the window, it's incredibly prickly!
Also a sign saying DO NOT KNOCK THE WINDOW. PLEASE RESPECT OUR PRIVACY.

I live in the centre of a very touristy town and this time of year is crazy for people loitering outside my window. They do their make up in it sometimes! Which is why I take the opportunity to go up on the inside and stare outside, it soon scares them off 😂😂 I love it for people watching though - you need to reframe this into an opportunity to be a nosey beggar.

TBH these kind of obnoxious signs complaining about people who haven’t done anything yet and probably don’t intend to, would make me knock on the window very loudly.

I would love nothing more than to put a sign up but because the ships are international, I would need a sign in English, Italian, Spanish, Thai, Indian etc etc etc. I would soon run out of window space! 🤣

One way film AND berberis.

Tourists are a double edged sword.

I used to live in a place were gangs of tourists would be led round the streets blocking the entire pavements, stopping anyone getting through (a particular irritant of mine - see hill yesterday - a true hill to die on).

In fact I remember one situation the group leader had a Joan of Arc style placard was marching down the street with a huge gang of twenty somethings behind blocking the entire pavement

I stopped. The herd stopped. Group leader : What do you want ? I want you to make space so we can pass each other without me having to be forced into the road and taking my chances with the cyclists and cars.

Dumbfounded expression but eventual compliance.

I live near Luss where many tourists end up. There are some very d cottages and one resident had put up a sign to say ‘please be respectful as these are actual homes. Peering in our windows may mean you see things you are not expecting…’

have you looked at window shutters?

They were probably promotional maps given to the tourists and advertising local tourist tat shops.

'PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK ON THE WINDOW. YOU WILL WAKE THE BABY' draw signs for knock, window and baby......you could also draw a gun at the end😂

Central Oxford is often a nightmare with all the foreign school age students. No manners! Groups of them completely block the pavements and couldn’t give a shit about anyone trying to get past with a pushchair. 🤬