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-Places charging higher fees for tourists than nationals
That doesn't bother me; my feeling is that in many of these places the locals pay taxes to support them and I don't. In developing countries such as India where the average income is tiny, I'm particularly willing to pay more.
OK, I have plenty of my own but will try to narrow it down to 3:
1. Aggressive vendors and panhandlers.
2. Never knowing if the TSA line will be short and efficient or long enough that I risk missing my flight (so I arrive insanely early).
3. The quiet erosion of "loyalty" programs. I have lifetime Gold on AA and am traveling on a paid Business Class ticket and just found that does not get me complimentary lounge access. The credit card I got less than a year ago that included a 10% "rebate" when you redeem miles has done away with that perk as of 4/30/19.
And, speaking of Item 1, I'm headed for Cabo San Lucas and have been warned through multiple sources that I will have to pass through a room of touts at the airport, offering rides but really spiriting people off to timeshare presentations.
1. Everyone with their hand out for a tip. Can't ask the time in some places without a "tip" being expected. People wanting to carry your bags the last 20 feet after you've already lugged them for a hundred yards, for a tip.
2. Aggressive street hawkers and vendors. Can't walk down the sidewalk without being persistently urged to eat there or shop there even after you've repeatedly and politely said no.
3. Flaky hotel wifi. It's not 1998 anymore.
4. Slow check-in at airline/hotel/car reservations. You've already entered all the info online and paid. What could they possibly be doing that requires ten minutes of alternating typing and staring at the screen?
I don't really think anything about traveling annoys me. At places where travelers converge, you have to deal with the brief encounters, but you then just leave them behind. Places that have evolved to lack all the amenities I need can be problematic, but that's my fault, not theirs. They never needed them.
Sitting in front of a baby on an airplane who constantly cries, and the parents don’t have the sense or courtesy to quiet the child down.
Who is more upset, you, or the baby, whose whole routine has been inexplicably disrupted? I'd expect the adult in the equation to be better emotionally equipped to deal with it.
- Having to spend a lot of money just to finance the trip (selling stocks, maxing out credit cards, etc.). When I go on vacation, I like to travel internationally so that means a lot of money for air flights and hotels. Sure it's worth it, but still feels like an annoyance.
- Getting sick either shortly before or during the trip.
- Having to deal with rude and inconsiderate fellow travelers, at the airport, on the plane, at the destination.
Right there with you! People who get into line with a giant chip on their shoulder, 'ready to rumble' if a TSA agent so much as looks sideways at them.
These folks are also the most likely to resort to extreme levels of hyperbole to describe these interactions that millions of other travelers get through just fine.
Lining up like we've been doing since kindergarten becomes herded like cattle.
Having a bag checked is gross violation of civil rights.
Body pat-down which is less than 2% of passengers is TSA molesting/groping people.
Somehow all ticket agents and TSA are mean and nasty.
Somehow every fellow passenger is overweight and smells.
etc.
It seems the wait for rental cars has gotten a lot longer than it used to be, not sure why. Thought taking an hour and a half to get a rental was a long wait time two years ago and then it was an hour this year so maybe that's the new 'normal'?
drivers who gouge you on pricing just because they can
accommodations that turn out to be dirty and disgusting unlike anything you expected
thieves who prey upon tourists (pick pockets, aggressive men, unethical trading)
one bad meal that puts you out of commission for three days
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