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A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

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Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#101

Post by Sharlin »

vbeeaz wrote: post #83
cat_plus_plus wrote: post #79

A bit elitist? "Ugly mass tourism places" are there because weather is good, location is convenient, one of a kind landmarks, it's easy to get food and supplies for the whole family and so on. Yes, it's going to be expensive and not super authentic. But not everyone can take a month off to live like a local. If I only have one day cruise ship stop in Mallorca and I have to pay 60 euro fee to get cash, it's still pref…

The subtext here is that some people hate it when the poor can enjoy things. I know it sounds like a joke and that it's hard to believe, but that's what's happening.

Huh? It's the less wealthy in particular who benefit the most from choosing paths less traveled, finding places to eat where the food doesn't carry a 2x or 3x tourist markup and the ATMs are not rigged to scam you. Often these paths are literally a quarter hour away from the worst tourist traps.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#102

Post by Sharlin »

spacechild1 wrote: post #69
lopis wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm wrong but that's probably only true in DACH and maybe a couple other1 surrounding places. Outside that sphere, the rule does seem to apply that Spar is a mass tourist smell.

In Austria, Spar is one of the two major supermarket chains. (The other one is Billa.)

DACH = Germany, Austria, Switzerland

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#104

Post by rgmerk »

vbeeaz wrote: post #83
cat_plus_plus wrote: post #79

A bit elitist? "Ugly mass tourism places" are there because weather is good, location is convenient, one of a kind landmarks, it's easy to get food and supplies for the whole family and so on. Yes, it's going to be expensive and not super authentic. But not everyone can take a month off to live like a local. If I only have one day cruise ship stop in Mallorca and I have to pay 60 euro fee to get cash, it's still pref…

The subtext here is that some people hate it when the poor can enjoy things. I know it sounds like a joke and that it's hard to believe, but that's what's happening.

The point of tourist traps is that you’re not poor when you enter the trap, but you’re poor afterwards.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#105

Post by denton-scratch »

Ekaros wrote: post #34

I have wondered is there actually anything wrong with mass tourism? Wouldn't properly build for tourism destinations actually be overall better option? As long as they do not become over relied on. At least if we must have tourism and do not ban it altogether... Mass tourism would allow optimization for environment and not to destroy areas that people actually work and live in. See the AirBnB effect for example. And…

You seem to be suggesting that by creating purpose-built mass-tourism destinations, tourists wouldn't continue to congregate in real places, where people live, shop and work.

I live in the centre of an attractive, old university town. We have druggies and dossers; typically, they don't have local accents (druggies and dossers seem to have their own accent, so perhaps that doesn't mean they're non-local).

But the streets around here are increasingly impassable, because of people taking photos (of anything) and blocking pedestrians, and columns of foreign language students 100-strong. These people don't come here because it's "properly built" for tourists; they come here because it's old and pretty.

To be fair, most of the tourists are daytrippers; they don't stay here overnight, and they don't spend much. Maybe they're only here because it's on the tour company list, and maybe it's because they want a selfie in front of $MONUMENT for their instagram feed.

IMO they'd get more out of their visit if they'd actually look at $MONUMENT in real life.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#106

Post by denton-scratch »

philwelch wrote: post #63
lm28469 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is if you have to take the plane to get there you're already a major net negative for the environment, and that would get rid of most mass tourism places We should live like our grandparents, a few (if any) big trips in your lifetime, everything else: in your country or close neighboring ones.

If you really want to reduce your carbon emissions you can start smoking, that will cut years off your life expectancy and, as a consequence, your lifetime carbon emissions.

As a heavy smoker, I rather like that excuse.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#107

Post by llamaInSouth »

Leherenn wrote: post #90
fl7305 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you do happen to end up in a tourist trap location and are looking for a good lunch restaurant, pick one where the local construction workers and police go to eat.

Does it actually work? My experience in Europe (well a few places at least) is that most blue collar workers don't eat lunch in a restaurant, it's way too expansive (and time consuming). They either pack it from home, go to the local grocery/convenience store or maybe hit a fast food place/cheap take away. It might work better in cultures with a more developed eat-out culture like in Asia.

around here the police tend to go in restaurants I like (atlanta)

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#108

Post by hakfoo »

fl7305 wrote: post #18
crazygringo wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. In my experiences with traveling to a great number of countries and cities... yes, it pretty much is. Taking any kind of "easiest path" tourism is basically full of rip-offs in every hotel, restaurant, and tour, no matter where you are. It takes effort to plan a genuinely enjoyable trip full of rich experiences that isn't ripping you off. Also, it doesn't se…

If you do happen to end up in a tourist trap location and are looking for a good lunch restaurant, pick one where the local construction workers and police go to eat.

Wouldn't it make sense to use something like Google Maps, filter to the lowest one or two price categories, and go from there?

I'd figure Google Maps, being less explicitly targeted to tourists, would be likely to include reviews and pricing data relative to a local mentality, which might not be so willing to spend tourist prices.

It's easier, I suppose, if you're doing a walking/public transit oriented trip and are in a city-- if you don't like what you see when you close in, just go 50 metres further down the street.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#109

Post by deathanatos »

Leherenn wrote: post #90
fl7305 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you do happen to end up in a tourist trap location and are looking for a good lunch restaurant, pick one where the local construction workers and police go to eat.

Does it actually work? My experience in Europe (well a few places at least) is that most blue collar workers don't eat lunch in a restaurant, it's way too expansive (and time consuming). They either pack it from home, go to the local grocery/convenience store or maybe hit a fast food place/cheap take away. It might work better in cultures with a more developed eat-out culture like in Asia.

I mean, I used to work in SF, in North Beach¹. Fisherman's Wharf is the tourist trap, and it's like right there, and in the years I worked for, never ate there. (I've been there as a tourist though.)

For lunch we'd hike over the hill into little Italy, and there was a decent sandwich shop we'd get lunch at. (Freddy's) Before the hill there was a small asian couple who ran a small shop, they made a good mushroom stew. No idea if they're still in business, though, or what their place was called.

Neither were restaurants … you weren't going to be finding a seat at least inside. There's plenty of seating around SF though, if you know where to look.

¹although Google thinks NB is actually a bit W of where we were.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#110

Post by TeMPOraL »

Sharlin wrote: post #101
vbeeaz wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The subtext here is that some people hate it when the poor can enjoy things. I know it sounds like a joke and that it's hard to believe, but that's what's happening.

Huh? It's the less wealthy in particular who benefit the most from choosing paths less traveled, finding places to eat where the food doesn't carry a 2x or 3x tourist markup and the ATMs are not rigged to scam you. Often these paths are literally a quarter hour away from the worst tourist traps.

To be fair, being at the profiting end of those traps is one of the ways in which, as GP put it, "the poor can enjoy things".
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