The 'common forms of torture' tourists subject themselves to

A new online debate has revealed the popular things that tourists do that locals consider a ‘common form of torture’. For one contributor, the USA road trip is a good example

‘You’ve seen 47 exit ramps and some Quora Ads Accounts – Providervcc.comQuora Ads Accounts – Providervcc.com for Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, golfing retirement communities, and road signs telling you Jesus Saves and don’t abort your babies.

‘You ate at McDonald’s or maybe tried some alligator meat at a weird little place off a highway exit that smelled like bug spray.’

Australian Yiannis Papadopoulos had a similar warning, but this time for people wanting to do an Australian road trip.

He said: ‘People don’t realise that if you are not prepared, and your car breaks down on a deserted road (which most outback roads are), you WILL die.

‘It’s not a case of if, it’s a case of when. The only way you will survive is if a car in the far distance is along the same road as you and can help you.’

For Croatian Maja Burazin, the unprepared tourists that want to hike in his country turn a pleasant walk into torture.

He added: ‘Hiking in flip flops. Without a cell phone. It’s so common here that even the mountain rescue team will probably murmur “We have another idiot today” when they find you lost and dehydrated two days later.

‘Don’t do it – it’s dangerous and our mountains are rough.’

While Wietse Terpstra from Holland said he is always left baffled when tourists insist on wearing clogs while in the Netherlands.

He said: ‘Ok, I know a lot of people who walk on these daily in the rural area where I live but I never managed to do so myself.

‘When you are not used to walking on these they are very uncomfortable.’

Food choices furrowed brows, too. 

Hugo Durad-Mermet can’t believe holidaymakers in France eat snails thinking they are a typical French meal.

He said: ‘First, they’re not (croque monsieur, cassoulet or boeuf bourguignon are way more traditional French dishes), and furthermore when you see them, tell me you won’t be tempted to return your plate to the waiter and f**k off to the closest McDonalds?’

Indian Devangana Mandal, meanwhile, claimed that seeing tourists eating street food is never going to end well for them.

She explained: ‘Two words: Just don’t! Indian street food is spicy and not many westerners are accustomed to it. Besides, you drink bottled mineral water and eat at the road side stalls? You are practically inviting diarrhoea.

‘Stick to eating at very clean restaurants. You’ll find all kinds of street food there as well and your stomach will thank you later.’

While Daniel Schwarz Carigiet told the forum that he couldn’t believe visitors to Switzerland in summer would insist on eating fondue.

He said: ‘We see tourists sweating in the summer sun and eating fondue with cold mineral water in the touristy area of Zurich. Poor things.

‘They’re gonna… not die, exactly… but close. The melted cheese will turn into a brick in their poor tourist tummies and the iced mineral water just makes things worse.’

Staying on a weather theme, João Mergulhão from Portugal wrote how he thinks that tourists topping up their tans on the beach in the height of summer and becoming burned is like torture.

While Joan Figuerola from Spain said he can’t believe people queue in the middle of the day to enter the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

He explained: ‘Standing at Sagrada Familia’s entry queue at 1pm under the scorching sun in Spain in the summer.

‘It’s the closest to hell you’re going to get yet you’re about to enter the tallest church in the world that gets you the closest to heaven.’

While Gopalkrishna Vishwanath gives tourists planning to visit India a heat warning.

She wrote: ‘Any western tourist who chooses to visit India during the summer months is subjecting himself/herself to needless torture. The heat can be enervating.

‘Winter in the west is miserably cold and bleak, but winter in India is pleasant over most of the country particularly in central and south India. Winter is the best time to visit India – September to March.’

Meanwhile others contributing to the forum said they were left baffled by certain tourist attractions in their local area that had become popular. 

Steven Haddock from Toronto, Canada, said: ‘The newest craze is, of course, walking on the outside of a tower a quarter-mile in the air. All yours for the low low price of $254.’