The 11 Most Irritating Travelers

Anyone who has travelled, has come in contact with irritating people.  I am often taken aback because I cannot believe that people repeatedly commit these “travel faux pas.”  They may seem benign to the offender, but to the people inconvenienced by their acts, it’s another story.

Here they are; my top irritating travelers.

1. 1. The Photo Op Hog–The site is crowded with tourists who just want to take their obligatory shot and move on, yet traffic is at a stand still due to the Photo Op Hog.  This hog causes everyone to wait endlessly while the Op Hog takes every imaginable pose and incorporates every combination of members in his/her entourage in yet another shot.  My camera battery literally died while I was waiting to take my shot of the Copenhagen mermaid while the Op Hog’s kids climbed endlessly on the rocks that support the mermaid.  Everyone waiting was rolling their eyes, sighing, and mumbling under their breath.  I’m so glad they have their 200 photos of that site.   All I managed to capture with my DSLR was a poorly composed shot, without the full setting, before my battery died.  If the Op Hog hadn’t been there, I easily could have shot three, quick, well-composed shots and been on my way in less than 10 seconds.
   2. The Bewildered Camera Assistant–Just like the Photo Op Hog, the Bewildered Camera Assistant also holds up the photo op.  (This person usually travels with the Photo Op Hog).  He or she slowly turns the camera at all angles looking for the shutter button. Once the button is found, it seems like an eternity for him/her to compose the shot. I just want to yell out, “Hey, your arms DO NOT need to be fully extended to take the shot!  It is ok to hold the camera closer to yourself.  That way maybe you may actually be able to see what you’re getting!”
   3. The Ducker–Speaking of photo ops, how about the guy or chick who can’t wait the fraction of a second for your shutter to release, so he/she just ducks as he/she walks on through your shot.  Seriously?  Does he/she really think he/she obscured him/herself?  Then he/she always turns back with a coy wave and a “Sorry.”  I want to say back, “You are  turning me into a Photo Op Hog! Couldn’t you have just waited or walked behind me?”
   4. The Door Blocker–Need I say more?
   5. The Stand and Stare–They go for the full panoramic while they block foot traffic. They look like prey for pickpockets and they have not a care in the world.  All I ask is that they just step aside.  At that point they can stare all day for all I care; just don’t hold me up.
   6. The Seat Monopolizer–I find the Fort Lauderdale, Spirit Terminal to be overly crowded especially since Spirit crammed an extra five rows on all their planes. With about ten gates and six seats per row, that results in a lack of seating in the gate area for about 300 people.  One has a better chance of surviving from drinking the water in Mexico, than finding a seat there.  Yet when I scan the area, I see the potential for much seating if people would just put their bags on the floor!  Since when do bags require a seat?  I get they may have paid to carry those bags on the plane, but they didn’t buy those bags seating in the waiting area.  Once my son was booted out of a seat when a woman told him, “My bag goes there.”  Rude, selfish, and inconsiderate is what it is.
   7. The “I’m So Confused”–It’s called airport security; simple.  Not so for these folks.  They still don’t know that coins come out of the pockets, sweaters and belts come off, and that a cell phone is  NOT a laptop.  They endlessly hold up the security line going through the checkpoint  at least three times while the rest of us hold our breath waiting for them to just get it right and hoping that the boarding door isn’t closed before we finally make it to our gates.
   8. The Dressing Room Attendant–Often this person is the same person as Mr./Ms. Confused.    They also hold up the security line upon retrieving their items on the other side.  They still haven’t figured out  that they can just take their items and go off to the end to get redressed.  Oh no, like a good dressing room attendant, every item is snatched the minute it exits the scanner and is put back on right there.  Meanwhile, the rest of us must wait for them to clear the area so that we can take our things and do it the “right” way.
   9. The Coat Protector–I’m so glad your coat has a spot in the overhead bin and your legs can take full advantage of the space under the seat in front of you.  Now, help me out here, where do you propose I put my bag?  Shall I just pretend it’s a carseat and sit on it?
   10. The Non-Roman–“When in Rome do as the Romans do” goes the saying.  It’s the USA.  We drive on the right and walk to the right; or at least we are supposed to.  I’m so tired of dodging the left walkers who refuse to yield to on-coming traffic in the airport.
   11. The “I Never Needed a Walker Until Now” Person–We have all witnessed the boarding process on long haul flights.  I have never seen 100 people with walkers get on the plane.  But wait a few hours, fall asleep, and you will soon learn that everyone on the plane suddenly needs a walker.  There is no describing the joy one feels at being awoken while someone jerks every seat along the way to make his way to the bathroom at midnight.  Really?  Do you have to grab every seat?  Ok, so you fall back asleep and the person behind you can just sense that you’re catching a few Zs, when nature calls.  Along with using both hands to pull himself up, he has to ensure your sleep is disrupted by pulling a good chunk of your hair while he’s at it.  At that point, forget your sleep and deal with the jet lag that awaits you the next day

There you have it, the top travelers who irritate me.  Now, I know that I would never commit any of these acts. 🙂  How about you?

~Bella