subject: Travelers vs. Tourists [print this page] Travelers vsTravelers vs. Tourists
Having considered myself a "traveler" for most of my life, and admittedly having shared in the slightly superior, snobbish attitudes and prejudices towards mere "tourists", I have nevertheless decided of late (probably due to the self-delusion that with my relatively advanced age comes wisdom and judiciousness) that the traveler vs. tourist issue should be re-examined.
I have steadfastly resisted any urge to research the origins of the debate, or to read any of the 75.5 million results that a cursory Google search on the subject returned, and that was only partly due to laziness - actually, I wanted to speak from my own observation and experience, and for once, not be influenced by the twaddle posted by the various bloggers, travel writers and other wags who have weighed in so prolifically on the subject.
In short, my own ruminations have led me to the conclusion that there is room on the planet for both species - travelers are no more sainted folk than tourists. In fact, i suspect a good portion of those who proudly crow about their elevated status as travelers are either running from the law, hiding from a spouse, in deep credit card debt, unable to make a go of a career anywhere on the planet, or all of the above...
There are some innocent travelers among us, and I'd like to believe that I don't fall easily into any of the scurrilous traveler categories I mentioned (I never married, I don't have a credit card and have only spent brief amounts of time in the Graybar Hotel - all my debts to society are paid in full except, perhaps, for a few parking tickets in Los Angeles back in 1983), but I think travelers are in no position to cast too many stones at tourists, who likely have worked their untanned little tushies off all year for a chance at a brief stay in an overpriced Venice hotel, or to bake like lobsters on an overcrowded beach in front of one of the big Puerto Rico hotels. I think they deserve it, so travelers - stop hating - or I'll call your wives and probation officers...
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