Travel Etiquette: My Top 5 Travel Pet Peeves

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

Travel can be transformative, exhilarating… and at times, ridiculously annoying. While I typically write about the sunshine-y aspects of travel (I’m just a rainbows and roses kinda gal), there’s a whole spate of ish that positively annoys me to no end. Enter  Tracey Friley, mastermind of the Traveling Brown Girl Carnival, which asks a number of Brown girls who write about travel to share their top 5 travel pet peeves.  Now, I am a delicious hue of chocolate and over-work my passport on a regular basis, so felt compelled to contribute the annoyances that crop up when I’m on the road.  Read on as I rhyme off my Top 5 Travel Pet Peeves:

1. American/British/Canadian/Australian travellers who expect everyone to speak English wherever they travel.

Yes, Anglophones, I’m looking at YOU.  My English-speaking brethren tend to do this far more than any other group in my experience.  I see it again and again: Mary-Jane from Mississipi buys a plane ticket to Madrid, seeking to soak up culture and the Spanish sun, yet can’t even muster an “Hola” or “Por Favor” when ordering tapas.  Yes, English is by far one of the most spoken countries on the planet, but one of the joys of travel is connecting with and integrating oneself into the local culture.  Would it kill you to learn a few words in the language of the host country?  A side of espanol to go with your Spanish omelette? For me this is travel etiquette rule #1. I took Spanish classes in Guatemala last summer and use it whenever I can. A little diplomacy goes a long way.

2. People who dress inappropriately at cultural and/or religious sites.

Last February I went Dubai and made a side trip to the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. As a condition of entry, women must be completely covered, so I donned the abbaya provided free of charge: the long, black garment covers the hair, forearms, and offending knees.  I walked into the mosque amongst a sea of abbaya-clad tourists, all of us pictures of modesty, except one- I was appalled to see a female tourist in a see-through white singlet and skin-tight neon pink hot pants. Eww! I can’t say it often enough: Respect the culture and the customs of the countries you go to. This often means abiding by dress codes at historic sites that are important in the host country. Ladies and gents, dress appropriately- anything else is just disrespectful and embarrassing.

 abu dhabi travel etiquette

3.  Having to pay for food and checked luggage on flights.

I’ve paid $800 for a trans-Atlantic flight ($500 of which were taxes).  Now you’re going to charge me an extra $25 to bring… my bag?  And an extra $10 for a stale sandwich and coke? It just seems ridiculous to me, and so so counter-intuitive- I like cheap tickets why not just include the extra $35 in the cost of the ticket?  I swear we wouldn’t notice.  Just sneak it in.  It’s infuriating to find out that you have to pay more for what should be a BASIC service.  Like seriously. If I’m flying from France to the US, isn’t it probably a given that I’m going to check some luggage?

4. Hotels that skimp on the towels and toiletries.

This is another gripe of mine.  When I shower, I may opt to wash my hair… Which necessitates the use of another towel.  Don’t give me just one!  And, just a tip, I’m going to need a towel that’s larger than a handkerchief to dry my body. I’m more Tonka truck than Tinkerbell, I need a decent-sized towel to cover my lady bits.  As for toiletries, can I get some lotion?  This Brown girl’s skin dries out and cracks mercilessly when I don’t apply moisturizer (see Dave Chappelle’s “Ashy Larry” character for reference).  It ain’t pretty.  Help a sista out.  Please.

travel etiquette travel pet peeves ashy larry


5. No free airport wifi/ very expensive airport wifi.

It may be because I’m a blogger, but I start foaming at the mouth if I don’t have an internet connection.  I need wifi to while the hours away in the airport between flights. It just seems wrong to have to pay for wifi in 2012, especially when rates are to the tune of $10 an HOUR (that’s just crazy talk)! It’s just bad form and poor travel etiquette.

What do you think of my list? Do have any travel pet peeves or travel etiquette tips to share? 

Source for Ashy Larry pic

SHARING IS CARING

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