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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

#41

Post by deanCommie »

cedilla wrote: post #11

Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very americentric view. The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. Very evident with this map that just appears to be a differently labeled population heat map.

Funny I had the opposite perspective - Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very EUROcentric view.

In America and Canada, ALL ATMs are scams with exorbitant fees except for the customers of the bank of that ATM.

The whole "Sorry, we're cash only, but there's an ATM in the back" is ubiquitous.

When I moved to Europe in the mid 2010s I was shocked that I could use my bank card to withdraw cash from any other bank without fees.

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

#43

Post by timeon »

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…

I think topic here is more about personal preference than something like environmental concerns.

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

#44

Post by varjag »

thinkingemote wrote: post #38

These types of maps just show where people/tourists are which render them not that useful. It needs to be proportionate and comparative. E.g. normalised against daytime population, number of shops, restaurants or hotels so you can compare which similar areas do have more ATMs compared to other less "ugly" areas. Comparing them against published population maps wont work because 1) those show where locals live 2) not…

Right it's more like "destinations interesting to tourists have tourist traps".

E.g. Inca on the map in the tweet is certainly a locals town but it's also hardly anything to see or do there.

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

#45

Post by desertrider12 »

tayo42 wrote: post #7
MarkusWandel wrote: post #5

Google Street View? A few years ago I saw a social media shared pic of sunrise at Angkor Wat. It was beautiful, these splendid, isolated ruins, peaceful in the sunrise. Being curious about the area, I found the exact spot in Street View. Sunrise even. But then turned around 180 degrees. To find an absolute wall of photographers all capturing the same scene. I can't find that scene now though. But frequently these soc…

Everyone takes the same photo there. the temples with the reflection in still water. all the tour guides take you the same place for the sun rise. angkor wat isnt some off the beaten path temple though. its like the only thing to do in siem reap, its gotta be cambodias biggest tourist attraction besides misery tourism in phnom penh.

Angkor Wat isn't the only temple around Siem Reap, though. I agree that standing around with hundreds of people waiting for the sun to come up, then all crowding inside at the same time isn't the best experience. But on that same day, other temples in the area (Pre Rup, Neak Pean and Banteay Srei) had at most one other small group there. And really they're almost as impressive in their own ways - Neak Pean is small but has a beautiful reflecting pool surrounding the central structure.

Same thing in Egypt too. Great pyramids are extremely crowded and you're constantly getting hassled by people selling crap. But at the less famous Dahshur area, or the less accessible Philae/Abu Simbel temples, nobody else was there and we could appreciate them in peace. For that it helped to go in the summer (low) season too.

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

#46

Post by contingencies »

Expensive hotels, airport, American or pizza restaurants, guidebook with >3 editions, supermarkets instead of traditional markets, construction right up to the waterline, a 'bar street', a dense cluster of backpacker hostels, open drug dealing, monopoly lockdown on connecting transport (flight/bus/boat company), tourist behavior making international news, existence of mass-market souvenirs, a 'tourist police' department, dance clubs, high end ice cream chain stores.

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

#47

Post by lm28469 »

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…

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.

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

#49

Post by tim333 »

MarkusWandel wrote: post #5

Google Street View? A few years ago I saw a social media shared pic of sunrise at Angkor Wat. It was beautiful, these splendid, isolated ruins, peaceful in the sunrise. Being curious about the area, I found the exact spot in Street View. Sunrise even. But then turned around 180 degrees. To find an absolute wall of photographers all capturing the same scene. I can't find that scene now though. But frequently these soc…

Here's Angkor with I think the sunrise and photographers https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501255614/angkor-wat-voted-worl...

but that place was voted "has been voted as the world’s best place to see a sunrise" hence the popularity. Angkor is actually a huge place (400+ acres) and it's quite possible to avoid the crowds especially if you have your own transport.

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

#50

Post by shortcake27 »

Tade0 wrote: post #32
keiferski wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not necessarily. There is a Hard Rock Cafe right next to the main train station and major mall in Warsaw, and I wouldn't call that mall touristic. It's just a nice mall, as far as malls go.

Considering it was the first such place in Poland, it's sort of a tourist trap in and of itself. Or was. Never been there, because 25PLN for a beer was an outrageous sum at the time.

There’s a Hard Rock cafe in Wrocław charging 2x the price of every other restaurant. From memory 70PLN for a burger. And yet it’s always full. I genuinely don’t understand.
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