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Are backpackers dumber than ever before?
Fri, 05/18/2007 - 23:55
New Member
I posted here for years but stopped, so thought I would check back in.
This will probably sound pompous, but after browsing the board reading the questions, it almost makes my head explode.
I know everyone has a first trip, and I posted questions here before mine, but some of this stuff is ridiculous.
People planning 10 cities in 10 days, worried about being gassed on a Polish train, wondering if you have to pay extra for a sleeper, etcetera. By using your brain you should be able to answer those yourself.
I am leaving next week for 2 months in Europe this summer and I just cringe at the thought of running into any of these people.
Some people post without doing any prior research, let alone using the Search button.
But no, I don’t think they are dumber than ever before. They’re about the same.
I think there are more “without a clue” type people planing to travel than ever before. I’m so glad I don’t travel in summer!
Better to ask a dumb question than to assume and mess up. You assume “fanny pack” is okay and, “Hello, Mr. Prime Minister. Would you like to see my fanny pack?”
Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, and end up getting charged double.
I think the good news and the bad news is the same: Rick Steves, the travel channel, AAA, Fine Living, etc. have more and more first timers out there doing something other than going to Disney World or taking a packaged tour. The good news is that more people will experience France instead of the French pavillion at Epcot. The “not really bad” news is the idea of traveling by bus or train, figuring out what you want to see and how to get there — all on your own — is so foreign that people have lots of questions.
It does seem that we have more folks trying to have somebody help them make every single detail of “10 cities in 10 days” pre-planned and perfect than we used to.
I think it has always been like it is now.
You may have grown a little older, and perhaps a little more mature, so the silly questions and lack of common snese expressed may just be more obvious to you now.
I think it’s got slightly worse.
Back in the 90’s when I use to log on here for information it was a more switched on crowd.
Nowdays the oldies and more discerning people P.M me if they want to know anything. I think
movies like Eurotrip and cheap airfares have opened up euro backpacking to the sheeple
who’d otherwise Spring break it or go on a cruise.
My first big backpacking adventure, I picked the route myself and pretty much didn’t deviate
from it. had plenty of time, didn’t go over budget… winged it a little with flights and hostels
(which adds to the adventurte, I hate people that overplan trips!) had a great time.
I think my questions where more to solicite opinion to sway some options I had on the table.. what
pack to buy as I was shopping online. I wasn’t big on getting heads up on places to go and bars
and cafes… again I wanted to go and discover the place myself.
Too many posts are taken literally by the people asking questions… you give then a hostel name they
book it… and so on.
Eurotripping these days is too formulaic.. just add money.