Traveling Rude Can Have Adverse Consequences
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When I went in person to secure a Brazilian visa, I was surprised to see that rudeness was an express ground for refusing an applicant’s entry to their country. Although such formalities and waiting in line can seem to take too long, I made certain I was not rude and thereby denied a visa!
In recent days, I read with interest that China has taken an unusual step to see that its nationals are following general decorum.
According to press accounts in May 2015, the Chinese government now publishes a list of its nationals deemed to have seriously misbehaved on travel.
One such entry concerned two Chinese travelers on a Bangkok-to-China flight December 2014. Chagrined at not getting their chosen seats, they supposedly threw hot noodles at a flight attendant before threatening to blow up the plane.
A second traveler earned his place on the list after opening a door just as his flight was taking off.
A third entry rather than choosing to rock climb took a turn on statues honoring Chinese civil-war soldiers.
“Traveling rude” can often be a result of overwhelming fatigue, simple misunderstandings, language differences or lack of familiarity with local customs. In any case, for solo travelers and anyone leaving home for leisure travel, the wisest advice is to avoid over-reacting and conflict that wrecks havoc with your trip and may have long-term consequences.
