Are You a Travel Rudie?
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
December 10, 2003
You may be thinking, "Travel Rudie? Does she mean roadie?" That would make sense since I devote my weekly column to writing about travel. But no, you read correctly, I meant rudie. A rudie is a person who is perceived by his fellow travelers as rude--but he may not even know it! At holiday time, rudies seem to come out of the woodwork in droves.
I'd know because, at Travelocity, we recently polled our members to ask just how problematic rude behavior is among travelers. While 35% of those surveyed said they don't find rudeness to be a serious problem, the majority said they do. You might be surprised by some of the information gleaned. Below is a list of behavior people found rudest about their fellow travelers. (Dare I ask: Is anything you do on this list?)
- Traveling with uncontrollable children
- Kicking the back of the seat
- Swearing in public
- Talking too loud
- Littering
- Taking up more than one seat
- Not yielding passage
- Raising one's voice in public
- Playing music/walkman too loud
- Reclining all the way
Food, which has been a much-discussed travel issue this year, was not found to be repugnant--that is, unless it's stinky food. Travelers sited the most offensive foods as: fish, items with garlic and or onions, and fast food, such as French fries, burgers, and pizza.
Now that you know the behavior that's considered rude by travelers, I'd like to encourage you to curb your own rude habits. According to our survey, the top five scenarios most likely to convert all you polite travelers into rudies include: encounters with rude service personnel, dealing with lost luggage, having to deal with reservation problems and/or complications, encountering rude fellow travelers, and waiting in long lines.
The good news for all of us is that there's a remedy for rudeness. (Sometimes it's as easy as saying excuse me.) The following tips can help prevent you from becoming rude on the road:
- Avoid packing smelly food and be sure to dispose of it as soon as you are done.
- Space is limited when you're on the road, so try to keep your things neat and within your own limits.
- Limit cell phone usage and remember to keep your voice down when you use it.
- When on the road, remember to say it with a smile, as you’re more likely to get a smile in return.
- Be considerate of those around you in every situation. Think of yourself as a guest, rather than as an owner.
Now that you're informed, don't be a rudie. This season, give yourself and somebody else the gift of your smile--you never know when they're having a rotten day and your kindness may be able to change it. Go forth roadies and be rude free. Happy Holidays!
For more information on this poll, please visit: www.travelocity.com/rudenesspoll.
If you have a question or topic you would like me to cover in a future column, please e-mail Amy Ziff at askamy@travelocity.com And remember to look here for your topic each week!
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