Last week, I offered up a candid review of my pet peeves while on the road. Every once in a while, a post generates comments worth sharing — and this one prompted several hundred readers to chime in. Here are a few of your peeves that I particularly enjoyed:
- Screaming kids, farting kids, seat-kicking kids, and kids with head lice on my flights. -Linda
- TV travel hosts that say “evocative” 20 times a show. -Winston Marshall (Note from Rick: Winston, you might enjoy this game!)
- Lights on a timer in some Italian restrooms. I would be in there for just a few minutes and then it was PITCH BLACK! I could not see a thing as I tried to zip, flush, and open the door! -Kat
- My husband insists on tipping 20% even in places where tipping is not the norm (and even frowned upon). He worked at restaurants for a long time and can’t really believe it’s unwelcome. Maybe that’s a husband peeve, not a Europe peeve. :) -Candy
- People reading signs out loud. -Lane
- I once asked a British friend, who is something of an expert on British culture and tradition, about why they continued to use separate hot and cold faucets even though the technology of mixing faucets has been around since the first half of the 20th century. I expected a dissertation about British tradition and the history of plumbing in Great Britain and instead got a blank stare which pretty much said everything. -Lisa
- My Mom always saying, “Well, Rick says…” — as if she just called you to talk about the trip! -Zella
- The water in North American toilets is wide and shallow, and in European toilets it’s narrow and deep. I suppose if I lived in Europe, I would learn to improve my aim, but I have to use the brush every time I poop in Europe. Sigh. Keep On Traveling (travailing?). -Ray
- Selfies. When was the last time you said to anyone, “Oh please let me see all the selfies you took on your trip”? -Nancy
- The silly strip of fabric across the bottom of the bed…what’s that about? -Annie
- Trying to think of what bothers me when I’m traveling, but to be honest, travels have been some of the happiest times in my life. -Robert
- …followed by this note from Diana: As your wife, Robert, I can attest to your dislike of museums, of which there are thousands, in Europe. However, you warmed to seeing the Rosetta Stone and the Egyptian artifacts in the British Museum.
Of course, pet peeves are fun to share. But we all know that a key to traveling well is to embrace the creed that, “If something’s not to your liking…change your liking!” Happy travels to all. -Rick
When a hotel protects their mattress with a rubber-lined sheet, rather than bathe needlessly in my own sweat, I silently promise not to wet my bed, pull it off, and stuff it above the closet. It’s just one of my pet peeves!
Comments
Such slight and minor issues folks – focus on this
“Your travel life has the essence of a dream. It is something outside the normal, yet you are in it. It is peopled with characters you have never seen before and in all probability will never see again.” by Agatha Christie…
Rick, that so-called rubber-lined sheet may not be what you think it is. They make a new special cover that actually protects mattresses from bed bugs. I’m sure that we all want fewer of those!
My biggest pet peeve is standing next to an American in a foreign country and listening to him/her complain about how the Europeans do things or that they are difficult to understand. Huh??
Excessive pickpocketers, thieves of pocket books or of anything else, breakfast that ends unnecessarily early, aggravating when one is very tired. Why close it when they are not serving another meal?
Why complain when traveling in another country over silly things. Learn to local customs and habits. Just deal with it and you will enjoy your trip more. Europe traveling is a wonderful experience.
Ray
A top pet peeve of mine would be the arriving airline travelers that feel the need to stand shoulder to shoulder with their knees pressed up against the baggage carousel. For those standing behind it makes it much more difficult to spot your bag and then you have to shoehorn yourself between them to grab your bag.
The narrow strip of fabric across the bottom of the bed is for when you want to take a nap and have your shoes on, or need to put your suitcase there.
Overhearing other American tourists at some fabulous spot bragging about their travels to some other fabulous spot, instead of just being where they currently are, soaking it all in, and enjoying the present.
Breakfasts that don’t start till 9:00. As a traveler, I want to get the most of my time.
Disruptive children while treating ourselves to the very occasional fine dining.
Frequent changes in the way tolls are collected causes much confusion.
Hotels/B and Bs that advertise and then don’t have what they advertise (ex:no wifi, only one parking space,neglect to mention the shower is shared,no cable,printer out of order, no refrigerator as promised,etc)