NeoPatrick

There is a big difference between "worrying yourself to death" and "being prepared for possibilities". If you can't tell the difference and if you see julies posts as causing people to "worry themselves to death", then God help anyone who takes your tours. Sorry to be so rude and blunt, but your negative comments against someone trying to be helpful have really gotten out of hand in my humble opinion. Please let's give this a rest.

Just as you finally admit you were totally wrong assessing her post about the Amica fares, I suggest you read some of her other posts again and see how equally wrong you were there too!

danon

"Travelers who are NOT nervous or anxious are the first ones to be pickpocketed, get on the wrong train, get taken advantage of, and have a horrible time."

1. is there some evidence for such a conclusion.

2 . Why bother going places if you are going to be nervous and anxious instead of relaxing and enjoying your holiday.

kybourbon

I hate when posters are attacked for reporting their personal experiences. I think it discourages others from writing reports and will make them feel they have to sugar-coat their comments. If anyone remembers Theresa10's "Rome I Loved It" trip report she was attacked constantly by multiple camps for everything from writing style to typing. Her trip report is my all time favorite on Fodor's and thankfully most of the nasty comments on her report have been deleted.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34720147

I don't see how you can chide someone for not planning enough in advance and then say they shouldn't worry so much in advance. You can't anticipate every detail you might need to know.

NeoPatrick

danon, maybe my statement wasn't clear. And maybe my borrowing the terms "nervous and anxious" weren't the best words to use. But surely you know what I'm talking about. Someone who is prepared or who has been "warned" about how pickpocketing takes place is MUCH less likely to become a victim than someone who has no reason to think that anyone has ever met with a pickpocket in Rome and goes merrily along with exposed open pocket book over the shoulder. NO?
Those who have read that someone mistakenly got on the wrong train because they didn't check the sign right at the front of the train in the station for last minute changes, is LESS likely to get on the wrong one than someone who has never heard about such a thing happening. Someone who has never seen or heard about the "shell game" being played on the street is FAR more likely to put his euros down on what surely looks like an easy win, than someone who has been warned how the game works. The list could go on and on. My point was that people posting the mistakes they made are often FAR more valuable than people simply saying, "we loved Rome, everything was simple and easy as could be".

Cowboy1968

Since this thread has already gone off topic anyway--

I just hope that other posters, who want to share some of their not so glorious moments abroad, will not be intimidated by some of the views expressed here.

In my very own little bubble, I am not interested in long trip reports but get most information from a rather concise summary of remarkable incidents, like the one julies posted here.

If other posters like to read or write trip reports, that is as fine to me, and will never be a reason to critizise them (as if I was in a position to tell someone else how and what to write).

But I don't like the undertone of "if you were nice, you would have written a real trip report" or "if you have to write something bad, you should at least mention one or two nice things" or "I have answered so many question of yours, and you did not even write a report"

Good grief.
And with all due respect: I don't need that super nanny approach. I am not 10 years old anymore and I do not need to be bribed anymore with a new toy to go to the dentist.
And: If someone decides to offer time and knowledge here, it does not entitle that person for some sort of written compensation.

(What I do like, though, if OPs post a short thank you if their questions got answered - but again, only my point of view.)

Clifton

Travelers who are NOT nervous or anxious are the first ones to be pickpocketed, get on the wrong train, get taken advantage of, and have a horrible time.

I think I know what you mean NP, but would have to disagree with it as a blanket generalizations. Depends on why they aren't nervous - confidence or ignorance.

Clifton

Why bother going places if you are going to be nervous and anxious instead of relaxing and enjoying your holiday

The same reason you sometimes choose the line for the roller coaster instead of the merry-go-round.

LoveItaly

Memo to myself. If I ever feel the urge to write a trip report make sure it reads:

I went to (fill in name of where I visited).
At the end of the trip I returned home.

That should be safe enough I guess although I suppose I could be critized for where I went to and the length of time I had for my trip, lol.

Cassandra

Some people see this site as an opportunity to share information, which includes warning when something isn't up to expectation or something takes away from the experience.

Everyone who's done a little homework on Rome has probably put the Borghese on their list and would expect to find the art works there "superb." The news here was that the experience of accessing the museum put a "bad taste" in someone's mouth. Truthfully, I too was put off by the officiousness of the Borghese people myself -- just a bit more regimenting and rigid and finger-shaking than seemed necessary. Other places don't seem to need to be quite so rigid and, sometimes, unpleasant. Once I'd been there, I mentally moved it a notch down the "must see" list for times when others might ask.

Other posters see this site as a place to share all the wonderful things they experienced, and that's fine too, but it's more of an after-sharing than it is a communicating and informing. We tend to know -- because we all love traveling -- that something is wonderful already, and coming here may be partly to re-live it or to get specifics like restaurants for the next trip.

But that doesn't require all posts to be raves or else don't say anything at all.

I appreciate a little forewarning if I'm going to run into something that will take away from the experience, and while I haven't looked at julies' other posts, this would seem to fall into that category.

BKP

Clifton -- your last statement regarding the roller coaster v. Merry go round was spot on. I have never thought about travel in those terms before. With that analogy in mind, I think I need to re-evaluate our summer plans. Thank you.

danon

"Why bother going places if you are going to be nervous and anxious instead of relaxing and enjoying your holiday

The same reason you sometimes choose the line for the roller coaster instead of the merry-go-round."

Well, some travelers must enjoy their neurosis more than others.

NeoPatrick

Yes, I liked that roller coaster line too, and meanwhile there are a couple meanings for anxious. I am always "anxious" when I travel -- anxious to see new things, anxious with anticipation of the unknown. Anxious doesn't have to mean overly worrisome or causing deep anxiety or a mental condition! And a little nervousness never hurts either. I honestly think I wouldn't have half so much fun traveling if I didn't have a really strong anticipation of the unknown. Certainly when going to a "new country" or place, and even when returning to a place I've been before, I'm always a little anxious about "will it be as nice as I remember?", "will the apartment be as good as it looks on the net?", "will our plane be on time and will the car service be there?" None of these things cause me to go into a deep panic or ruin the trip -- quite the contrary. If there were no surprises along the way, and if everything went just as planned without a feeling of anxiousness, I honestly wouldn't enjoy travel as much as I do.

Clifton

I'd love to hear how the plans shape up BKP. Not sure what changed but it sounds interesting.

Thanks danon. I enjoy mine quite a lot. It's fun at times, not re-living other people's holidays, and leaving a little something to be surprised about. Sometimes even leaving a lot to be surprised about is surprisingly refreshing. On the other nand, I can't tell you how glad I am that I don't know already where I will be eating on a vacation Thursday 2 months from now. You can probably imagine how terribly edgy and uncertain I am feeling about that right now....

Clifton

I have to admit NP, I am probably a bit of an unrealistic junkie of the offbeat and that's not necessarily a good thing. I get that anxious and excited thing going too but sometimes we have gotten into things a lot of people wouldn't think much of as a trip milestone. lol. I'm waiting to see if we get the shakedown from the Nicaraguan cops like in a trip report written this week. But - I know to bring $20 or so as a bribe and to not rock the boat now. But, would I skip getting to zipline down a live volcano to avoid that? Noooo.... I'm not in my 20s or 30s anymore. Nows the time.

So I really am glad people put out there what the downsides are, so we can work around them, expect them and not get all bent out of shape when they catch us unaware.

travel2live2

<If there were no surprises along the way, and if everything went just as planned without a feeling of anxiousness, I honestly wouldn't enjoy travel as much as I do.>

NP, well said - that is precisely how travel is for me as well.

Clifton

Wow, sorry for the tangents. I was going to an example of one thing, then using another to explain the first and somehow ended up in the wrong part of the world.

hester

Julies, Thank you for your trip report and being honest about how you felt. I have visited someplace where I had such great anticipation and excitement over and when we got there we were so disappointed. Stayed one night and quickly fled. I don't know if I had built the place up in my mind or maybe it just wasn't my kind of place. But it can happen to all of us. Thanks again for your honest report.

danon

On the other nand, I can't tell you how glad I am that I don't know already where I will be eating on a vacation Thursday 2 months from now. You can probably imagine how terribly edgy and uncertain I am feeling about that right now...."

to be honest, I could not care less what people do on their holidays.


The idea that I HAVE to have a knot in my stomach every time I turn a corner (to have a good time )is as ridiculous as planning every move.

If you are keen on having that edgy feeling , I can suggest a few places to visit in the Bronx....

Clifton

danon, you asked a question. why would you ask it if you didn't want to know what people's would be? The fact that you dont' much care for anything stimulating doesn't mean everyone else is extreme. I used the word "sometime" when referring to people making choices about taking chances, and I and meant it. I don't mind if you don't take chances. That's fine. But I didn't ask you why you don't (and I don't know if I could stay awake through the answer)

danon

"he fact that you dont' much care for anything stimulating ...

it is so perceptive
to KNOW what one cares for in life by reading one post....