In his newsletter, Rick Steves talks about mooning tourists in Paris. Of course this was years ago, but still...eeeewwww!!!

"Years ago, I was enjoying a last night in Paris with a particularly enthusiastic group of travelers. We had just broken out of a group hug and were still sharing memories of our trip. Suddenly, night became day as a sightseeing barge -- at full throttle, filled with flash-totin', Coke-guzzlin' tourists -- sprayed both banks of the river with searchlights. I lost it. It was the only time I've ever mooned anyone. Looking through my legs at 400 tourists, I was blinded by the sweep of floodlights and a climax of flashes."

Happens all the time . . most of the residents really resent the lights on the boats . . in fact, a lawsuit forced the boats to turn them off at certian points. I have seen much more than "moons" as the boats went by some of the barges. . .

Rich

Lol, so have I seen more, Rich but now that Goth has told me this story, I'll never be able to watch Rick Steves(on Sundays here) without laughing.
Where is the newsletter?

I suppose it could bring a whole new meaning when he says "Eurpoe thru the Back Door" . . . ?

Rich

Rich-

Sheesh. I thought it was bad enough that the guy couldn't keep his *head* inside the train...

I dunno, I can't decide if the group hug or the mooning grosses me out more, but I always did think Rick was a little rough around the edges.

Several reactions have gone around in my head since I read this in his newsletter. My final decision-- he never should have told us!

Rick Steves needs a complete "Make Over." Someone should hook him up with the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guys" and take him shopping for some new clothes, glasses, hair cut, etc. He has a certain following and fans that enjoy his way of travel, but not me!

My husband's comment: "This proves once again that he is a perfect AH."

Rich, Europe through the Back Door. Now I get what Steves means. Thanks for the laugh.

Oh, thanks a lot for this post. Now I have to spend my Sunday with this image of Rick Steve's ass aimed at a river boat. Yeeecccchhhh!

P. S.: Very funny, Rich!

I remember when I watched the movie 'Charade' at the point Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant are on one of those boats turning the floodlights on and and thinking 'eeeewwww'. I couldn't think of a worse fate for a couple wanting some private hanky-panky time than a big spotlight. Like they were escaped prisoneres or something.

Now I really want to go eeeewwww with the thought of Rick Steves' moon over Paris. And then Rich made his comment, well I had a good laugh and then an eeewww.

I don't believe for a minute that he ever did it. He doesn't have it in him. That story is as bogus as his travel advice.

Larry J

Do you believe his stories of shoplifting cookies, fudging rail passes, sneaking an extra person into a single room, and eating off used cafeteria trays?

Ah, Steves bashing time again. Haven't done that for a while. Wake me when it is over.

I think Steves has many good points. Those particular things I listed that he wrote about do either upset or annoy me, however.

Keep in mind that a lot of the Rick Steves cheap stories come from his younger days. I know several people who during thier backpacking thru Europe days "streched a rail pass", Rigged pay phones in Paris for free calls, slept extra people on thier floor and did other "creative money saving" things.

Most of them, like Rick Steves, have gone a little more upscale now.

My take on all the Rick Steeves bashing that goes on on message boards is that people do this because they wish they had his life.

He gets paid for traveling in Europe. Wouldn't we all like to do that?

His guidebooks are just guidebooks among many others. The bashing is all due to jealousy.

To some of you that bash Rick Steves for the way he looks, dresses and acts........have you looked in the mirror lately?