Etiquette and Courtesy for Tourists & Visitors

[magnusfide]

Thought I'd start this because of a conversation with a friend. Their main complaint is when tourists and visitors come up to them and start asking nosy questions about how they dress, etc. They live near a tourist town. They have a farm so they wear overalls or other non-trendy clothing.

So two I want to share.
1. Don't go up to people and ask them about their clothing or their religion.
2. Don't park the RV in spaces in small towns. Parking is limited enough for many of those towns. Find out where you can park your rig without taking up 2 or more parking spots.

Are there any guidelines you would like to share about how to behave as a tourist or visitor?

[Terryallan]

valhalla360 wrote:
As long as you are polite about it...most people are happy to talk about themselves and their religion.

They aren't obligated to discuss but if they refuse to discuss, they don't get to complain when misconceptions abound.

This is particularly important in a tourist area. If they come across as standoffish or rude when polite questions are made, expect it to hurt the local tourist business.

And ask about where I live as well. I live one of the prettiest parts of the world. I am glad to talk about it. I may be able to help you find something. As for my cloths. It is what it is.

[Sjm9911]

I really don't get the post? I guess if you are offended easily you shouldn't be living in that type of area to begin with. Like the person that buys a home next to the train tracks and complaines of the noisy train . If someone asks questions nicely, it shouldn't be a problem. If they dont ask nicely then the problem is with the attitude rather then the question itself. I do agree with the parking, i can always walk a bit to get to where i need to be. But some towns don't have rv parking. And you only choice is to take up 2 regular spots? What do you do then? Move on to the next town?

[valhalla360]

As long as you are polite about it...most people are happy to talk about themselves and their religion.

They aren't obligated to discuss but if they refuse to discuss, they don't get to complain when misconceptions abound.

This is particularly important in a tourist area. If they come across as standoffish or rude when polite questions are made, expect it to hurt the local tourist business.

[Crowe]

Please don't mistake curiosity for nosiness. If they are asking these questions it's quite possible they are trying to learn, possibly so they don't commit a faux pas. A polite "I'd rather not answer" should do the trick. That said...

1. Follow the rules. Period. This includes in RV parks. If the rule is no dogs then don't take your dogs, etc.
2. Agree about the parking issue. Have been too many places where rigs are just taking up too much space.
3. Behave. Don't exhibit bad behavior under the guise of "I'm a tourist".
4. Look up the word "respect" in the dictionary and practice it.

[ppine]

Respect goes a long way where ever you travel.