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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

#131

Post by latchkey »

alephnerd wrote: post #129
latchkey wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

D3 is the locals "wealthy" area going back to post war days. Many homes there were gifted by the government as a reward. It is indeed a really nice part of town. My partners family lives on Tu Xuong street.

Yep! It does have the posh stereotype. Though it does feel like a lot of energy is moving away from D1/D3 and towards D2/D7 as there's similarly priced property that is newer.

D7 is for the wealthy Koreans who come over and manage the factories. There isn’t really much else there, but the mall and a bunch of wannabe stuff.

D2 is for the wealthier western expats to ride around without helmets.

D1 is just… well… downtown.

I spent a lot of time exploring literally all of Saigon (and a lot of the rest of the country as well). More so than most locals really. There isn’t a corner in Saigon that I haven’t been to many times.

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

#132

Post by rgmerk »

robocat wrote: post #111
rgmerk wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever visited a proper tourist trap? They’re awful places no sane adult would ever spend time in. They exist for people who don’t want to actually experience anything unfamiliar when they travel.

That is a very condescending take. Lots of people choose to go to tourist traps for their own reasons. You don't have to like what they like. Like many, I even go back to some "terribly" touristy places because it is what I wish to do. I also do off-the-beaten-path travel as well. But I usually can't blend in as though I were a local. I also have the freedoms and restrictions usual to tourists. Examples: I enjoy tour…

Yeah, I’m a snob. I get that…

But, by God, have you seen them? Fisherman’s Wharf. Niagara Falls. Pretty much anywhere near a Hard Rock Cafe.

Overpriced, awful food. T-shirts that say “I visited and all I got was this lousy T-shirt”. A Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

On the streets, evangelicals from Ohio who, when they discover you’re Australian, will ask you about some random preacher you’ve never heard of. Parents with miserable kids looking wistfully in the direction of whatever tourist attraction they’ve spent thousands to get to and are not experiencing because the the kids want to go to Ripley’s Believe it Or Not and eat chicken nuggets off the kids menu at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Never, ever again.

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

#133

Post by Maxious »

lxgr wrote: post #127
Symbiote wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the method is the shopkeeper receives dodgy cash, and puts that cash in the ATM in their shop. They get a clean €101 when someone makes a withdrawal, and the tourist has no problem spending the money.

I’m pretty sure that’s not how ATMs are operated – how would the operator prevent fake bills from getting dispensed? Other than that, this would then not be any different from a regular cash deposit, no?

This is seriously how privately operated ATMs work https://www.wipfli.com/insights/articles/fi-fs-privately-own...

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

#134

Post by steve1977 »

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…

Mobility is bad for the environment to start with.

Mobility for hedonistic reasons therefore can only be worse.

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

#135

Post by lxgr »

Maxious wrote: post #133
lxgr wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m pretty sure that’s not how ATMs are operated – how would the operator prevent fake bills from getting dispensed? Other than that, this would then not be any different from a regular cash deposit, no?

This is seriously how privately operated ATMs work https://www.wipfli.com/insights/articles/fi-fs-privately-own...

Interesting, I didn't know about that model!

As far as I can tell, this is more common in the US – I'd be quite surprised if Euronet depended on business owners to restock their machines rather than having their own couriers doing that.

But in either case, I don't see how a merchant could hide anything using an ATM: Dispensing $100 of cash via a self-operated ATM has exactly the same effect on their bank account as depositing $100 of cash directly at their bank, no?

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

#136

Post by al_borland »

rgmerk wrote: post #132
robocat wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is a very condescending take. Lots of people choose to go to tourist traps for their own reasons. You don't have to like what they like. Like many, I even go back to some "terribly" touristy places because it is what I wish to do. I also do off-the-beaten-path travel as well. But I usually can't blend in as though I were a local. I also have the freedoms and restrictions usual to tourists. Examples: I enjoy tour…

Yeah, I’m a snob. I get that… But, by God, have you seen them? Fisherman’s Wharf. Niagara Falls. Pretty much anywhere near a Hard Rock Cafe. Overpriced, awful food. T-shirts that say “I visited and all I got was this lousy T-shirt”. A Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. On the streets, evangelicals from Ohio who, when they discover you’re Australian, will ask you about some random preacher you’ve never heard of. Parents with…

First, I will agree that Ripley’s is awful. I’m not sure how they stay in business. I went once to see what was there, and because I remember watching the show with Dean Cain as a kid. Never again.

That being said, all the kitch aside, popular places are popular for a reason. When I started to travel more, I started out as a travel snob, not even going to those areas of town. Then I got over myself, as I figured I was missing out on seeing some of the things that put the cities on the map in the first place.

Going to some of the more touristy spots doesn’t mean you can’t still venture off the beaten path, or have good stories/memories. I go to see the thing that made it a good spot for the tourist trap, not to buy novelty t-shirts and foam fingers. It’s not the whole trip, it’s an hour of one day.

I also don’t know how touristy it will be until I get there. I was told to check out the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, but was warned about it being a tourist trap. Clearly I screwed up getting there, was I ended up wandering around the docks where guys were working, and ending up getting lunch at this tiny place with about 8 stools, where I had the best seafood I’ll probably eat in my life. I went in expecting a tourist trap and found the exact opposite.

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

#137

Post by al_borland »

Ekaros wrote: post #113
rgmerk wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever visited a proper tourist trap? They’re awful places no sane adult would ever spend time in. They exist for people who don’t want to actually experience anything unfamiliar when they travel.

I was on cruise... I think that is beyond tourist trap. In February I got trip to Canary Islands, because that was rather cheap. Pure tourism, but it is a vacation. I have been to cities like Florence and London and more. Both tourist traps in essence. Now that I think I don't think I have really gone to non-tourist trap place. As you know there is no flights or transport to such location which make it hard to visit.…

A few years ago I had an Uber driver from Mongolia. He was trying to talk me into visiting and was telling me about the hospitality. He told me there weren’t many hotels, but to just knock on someone’s door and they’d take me in, feed me, and give me a place to stay. If it were to work out, that sounds like it could be amazing, but coming from my US perspective, it seems like it has a high chance of not working out.

Although, I’ve watched a bunch of Yes Theory on YouTube and it seems like the places that don’t get a lot of tourists are really excited for people to show up, so who knows.

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

#138

Post by al_borland »

martopix wrote: post #17

I had a wonderful trip in Thailand last year by doing two things: 1. roadtripping: I rented a motorcycle and chose a (relatively touristy) destination, but enjoyed the trip to get there over several days, during which I designed my own itinerary and stopped to look at the countriside and visit small towns. 2. I designed the itinerary while avoiding Lonely Planet and the like. By now everybody uses that and goes to th…

I was helping my sister plan a trip recently and she asked how I was finding all these places to check out. I told her I just randomly pan around Google Maps and click stuff. She thought I had some super secret travel sites.

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

#140

Post by anotheruser13 »

evrimoztamur wrote: post #9

These ATMs are plenty useful for contributing to the local money laundering industry. More signals are unlisted prices, fading storefronts, fluorescent lights. Read more about what’s happening in London https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/oxford-street-candy-sho... It’s not about scamming tourists at its core, it’s about avoiding electronic banking networks and pulling cash back into the system. Disclaimer: Amsterda…

I've found it's best to go to a bank or post office and use the ATM there, rather than those generic "Bankomat" machines.
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