phillyboy

Thanks Patrick, will try that next time.

phillyboy

OReilly64 and J62 - thank you as well.

Wekiva

I don't disagree with any of your comments on his driving with the phone or the lane he's in. I just think RS has brought the joy of unpretentious travel to many people and he should be given credit for it...that's all.

And while you're throwing stones at other people...why throw "Yank" in your comment? I could care less that he's American. Rather obnoxious assumption on your part.

hetismij2

Since janisj is a "Yank" as well she can use the term. I wouldn't dare.
The video was wrong in so many ways all listed above. He has it seems chosen to ignore the police as well. Given the expert in guides spent less than a day in Blackpool to gen up on it for his next book he probably stayed a night somewhere on the edge of the lakes and is already safely back home.
He could have had the decency to apologise for what he did, rather than deleting the film and seemingly assuming no-one would be able to see it again, with no explanation.

Rocket79

I have no idea but if I were to guess, he's probably addressing this in private. I don't think he's the type to sweep something under the rug if it's as bad as everyone seems to think it is.

Wekiva

Fair enough. I'll shut up and go watch another Rick Steves video.

StCirq

I'd love to know what "the joy of unpretentious travel" is or why I need RS to stick his head out of train windows to explain it to me.

chartley

Rick Steves' blogs (the same as those on Twitter) appear on his website under "About Rick" and then "Rick's Travel Blog". His latest is about Castlerigg Stone Circle in the Lake District. This is the first time I have seen any of his video blogs, and it did remind me of that film with the Griswolds. The same slightly patronising wide-eyed wonder.

TDudette

I am L-ing my AO, StC. Loved that world quip.

We can cherry pick mistakes forever but I still think you guys are too mean to him. FWIW, I found several errors with DK's eyewitness books (which were my bibles) and wrote them. Did any of you try to make the travel world a better place by writing to Rick about errors?

suze

I sent Fodor's 3 single-spaced pages of errors to their Puerto Vallarta Mexico handbook. They never even thanked me.

StCirq

I wrote to him about circumsizing the globe, many years ago, yes. Who wouldn't have? No response.

I don't feel bad about being mean to him, honestly. He pretty much asks for it. But I also don't spend much time thinking about him. He's pretty much a nobody in my travel world.

Wekiva

It's the fact that he doesn't care that you don't like him sticking his head outside of the window, like a kid enjoying his first ride on a European train.

Rocket79

So many assumptions, so much vitriol. And I agree, RS doesn't give two sh!ts what anyone thinks of him or his travelogues. His market audience is neither experienced travelers, nor expats who've lived abroad for a decade or two.

Travel_Nerd

So people fall into 1 of 3 camps:

Love Him
Dislike Him
Or...Who??

I don't needless rag on the dude nor am I going to pretend the sun shines out of his rear end either. I've heard good things about his tours but I do not care for his writing and the videos.

Good thing we're all entitled to our opinions. After all, if it weren't for some of his mistakes, I would have never known about Magellan circumcising the globe. Poor Magellan... 😉

Fra_Diavolo

We have similar, stay in the travel lane unless passing, laws here in the USA. Unfortunately they are more often honored in the breach than the observance, and the police seldom or never ticket the road hogs who insist on blocking the passing lanes. I assume Steves figured the same applied in the UK. He does certainly owe an apology.

janisj

Just one more comment then I'll move on >>I assume Steves figured the same applied in the UK.<<

Sure . . . maybe . . . IF he had never driven in the UK before. All that schtick in the video about getting used to driving in England is so phony. He has been there many times. I admit to watching his videos on PBS - especially if they are about a country/area I haven't visited. And even enjoy some of them. And even though I have never been on one of his tours, I do recommend them now and then when they would seem to fit an OP's requirements. But his 'Aw Shucks folks' demeanor is an act.

Fodorite018

I have not seen the video nor the tweet. I do like RS overall though and even though we plan our own travel, we live very close to his office and do go there to use the library. The library is NOT just his books, but all sorts of travel books. I do not understand the nastiness towards him, but seeing it here is the exact reason I left the lounge.

suze

The people posting on this thread are not Lounge regulars for the most part. The Lounge is very quiet these days with the least amount of "viewers" at any given time on any of the branches of Fodor's. And much kinder than some of the other destination forums actually.

bdokeefe

Not trying to defend his writing/traveling/driving styles...

just to throw this out there, he also bought an apartment building in Seattle in 2005, and through a church and the YWCA ran a low income housing program there. Apparently it was with money he has earned through his travel business.

In 2017, he donated this property worth $4 million USD to the YWCA for them to continue on with their good programs. The link is below with details, you can google it if you think this is a slanted link.

He can be a goof, but apparently does some amazingly good stuff.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/rick-...mplex-to-ywca/

kja

I've been wondering about PalenQ, too -- I haven't seen a post from him, accurate or not, for several weeks. I hope he's OK!