This board needs a "travel critic"
 

For months I have looked at the postings on this board, got a laugh from a few, mostly bored from many. I find most postings are incredibly politically correct and overly positive. Rarely is the truth about a city or vacation destination described. In a few times someone is honest and the PC crew is all over them!

We need more honesty on this travel board. We need more people to be candid about over hyped/oversold attractions and cities.

Will somebody please tell us the truth?

Please supply us with examples of such overhyped/oversold destinations, so we can be educated. Enlighten us!

And define what you mean by "politically correct". That is usually used to smear people into silence-- "You have something nice to say about something *I* hate, and since my opinion is the only correct one, you're being 'PC'".

This board is primarily for information, after all, not entertainment. Air opinions, sure. But if one posts an intemperate or intolerant or flat-out wrong statement, expect to be called on it.

Message: Please supply us with examples of such overhyped/oversold destinations, so we can be educated. Enlighten us!

San Jose.

Ha, ha, ha...

/puts on flame retardant suit

Loki, you're the best!! :)

There are loads of critics on this board.

Unfortunately, most of them are critics of one another, not of travel destinations.

All I can say is: you get what pay for! :S-

People come here to see what the average Joe has to say about a place.

Opinions are those of the poster and need to be kept in that content. What one person likes might not be what someone else likes. I love nature and don't like cities. I let people know this.

You show me where I posted something that wasn't the "truth". I'd like to see it.

Utahtea

I think the point is, and I would agree, that negative opinions come under much heavier attack than positive ones, as if the negative ones are "wrong". I've found this to be typical of other travel boards. People seem to take their favorite travel destinations very seriously, like I can't believe how many people here in the northeast put those imitation euro stickers on their cars for OBX, MV, CC, VT, BI, ACK, etc. So when you tell them that you think Cape Cod is just a hard to get to overrated colony for obnoxious yuppies from New York & New Jersey with oval stickers on their cars, they go through the roof. Not saying that I share that opinon, I've never been...

Maybe some clarification is in order:

Do you believe the hype put out my travel books and articles in travel brochures? I do not! They are paid off and make the dullest place seem like heaven.

I am just looking for some critical thinkers who will tell us "their truth" regarding both the pros and cons of popular city and attractions?

Were you bored at Universal Studios? Tell us why!

Was New York City run down, tell us why?

Was this National Park the most beautiful spot in the world? Tell us why?

Get beyond the hype and the spin!

I agree with you travelcritic, but more people come to the board AFTER they've decided to go someplace & are seeking advice on accomodations & sights. They're not interested in hearing negatives at that point.

I remember an instance where someone wanted recos on places to stay on Block Island. I begged them not to go (I think it's a dreadful place) but many others were quick to disagree. To each his own.

I hate the Times Square area in NYC & couldn't imagine staying there, but lots of out of towners LOVE it so I take that into consideration when giving info. As they say, beauty is in the eye fo the beholder.

I think I have been non PC. I have the flack and disagreements to prove it!!!

I think that Travel Critic (IDale5) makes a valid point & one that is worth thinking about. Case in point: A recent poster on the Carib board became extremely agitated over the fact that his/her chosen destination (Beaches) was consistently criticized by Fodorites. Instead of saying "Thank you for your feedback & the heads up!" what does he/she do? Digs in his/her heels, totally dismisses the negative feedback & insists that there must be something wrong w/ ALLLLLLLL of the Fodorites who do not like Beaches! Why? B/c they said negative things about the place that the agitated poster is about to visit.

When people offer an "opinion" it is just that: an opinion! Not right. Not wrong. As readers of a post we can choose to "take it under advisement", dismiss it or agree w/ it. If people can't express their "true" opinion w/o fear of reprisal then what's the point of having a Travel Talk Forum?
I'm with Travel Critic on this one!

Loki,
What are imitation euro stickers? I live in the NE also and don't think I've ever seen one.

Travelcritic, my only complaint about this board is that it seems that some of the frequent Las Vegas travellers feel that the only good hotels there are the Bellagio & Venetian, when in fact, not everyone is looking for whatever it is that they offer at twice the cost of most of the other nice hotels in the city. A hotel room has to be clean, but it's simply a place to sleep. Las Vegas has a lot more going for it than just luxurious hotel rooms.

Everyone's version of "the truth" is different, as different as peoples' values.

Opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has one.
Personally I don't see what the big deal is with Snoqualmie Falls (and I'm a Washington native), but every one who comes to Seattle is told to see them. Yeah sure, it's a great sight, but after 15 minutes I was ready to leave. Personally I'd recommed Mt. Rainier or the coast.

Eurostickers: White oval decals with the countries initials/code in black.

Eurostickers should not be confused with eurotrash.

Okay, to be honest-
1) I have no earthly idea why people spend good money to go to Disneyworld (more than once.)
2) I have no idea why people go to Las Vegas to spend lots of money inside huge, climate-controlled buildings, when there's some breathtakingly gorgeous natural beauty within a 2 hour drive.
3) I have no idea why so many people obsess about Hawaii. Sure it's gorgeous, but it's become sooo commercialized it's not even funny (anymore).
But, that's just my opinion.

We have lots of those stickers in California too.

Many of us avoid the negatives simply to avoid being flamed. Case in point, I remember a few months back on the Caribbean travel board I answered a woman's query about traveling to the Caribbean while being pregnant. I cautioned her to pick a location with good hospital facilities just in case the improbable happens.

Her response was (after calling me a weirdo) to stay out of her pregnancy and mind my own business. Keep in mind that I have had first hand experiences with the improbable happening.

From that point on, I generally avoid negative comments or avoid dispensing warnings to travelers.

I generally try to avoid negative posts (if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything...) to avoid being flamed. For example, I think the Florida Panhandle (particularly Pensacola Beach/Destin/Panama City Beach) is a dreadful place (beautiful beaches, but too much commercialism), so when I see a post asking for advice about it, I just cringe and move on. I've found that lots of people don't want to hear bad things about places they've already decided to go.

Jack, I like your style!

And what is the purpose of displaying euro stickers? Are they for people who have never been to Europe who want to look like they have?

Well, they don't display eurostickers. They are shaped like eurostickers, but unlike eurostickers, they bear the initials of an American destination rather than European, for example, OBX, a popular one, is for Outer Banks, NC. They are most frequently found on huge SUV's, and I think they are meant to convey the message:

A) I am "cosmopolitan" because I know what a eurosticker is, but I don't drink "cosmopolitans" because that is so "Sex & the City 2001"

B) I can afford to take weekend jaunts to expensive places that you can't afford.

C) I own a pair of Nike ACG's which are 5 years old but look brand new.

D) These stickers go well with the "Brown" and "Harvard" university stickers on my window.

E) Stop complaining about the gas mileage of this SUV because my boat is 5X worse!

OK, fess up you guys I know you're out there!

I can't put a eurosticker (or US sticker) on my car bumper because it would clash with my bumper sticker which reads: "Honk if Something Falls Off."

Perhaps a good idea.. Lots of ppl come to 'the Wine Country' (for them that seems to be Hwy 29 In Napa County) and wonder why it's crowded and they are quickly bored with wine tasting & restaurants. IME That is like choosing a destination based on romantic marketing hype-There is so much more to here that you could avoid the wineries altogether if you desired...but you would have to research it. I've witnessed advice given by locals on many destinations and then totally ignored and the trip report reflects their dissapointment. This forum is a first point of research-you've got to dig deeper and know what you like/dislike and what you do/don't want from your travels.
R5

JackOneill: HA-HA-HA, I want that bumper sticker!
R5

I sure hope that when I ask for advice about an upcoming destination that I would get the good with the bad (if there is any). Please, any questions from me, here is your open invitation to tell me all kinds of opinions. But only about my destination. Not about me.... 8-)

I wish people would post more details about destinations and hotels . . . it's more helpful than saying "the hotel room was gorgeous!" since that is subjective. If the poster wrote "the hotel room was gorgeous, with a huge four-poster bed, antique cabinets full of Hummel statues, gilded dressing table, lavender sachets in the dresser drawers . . . " then that would be a big help to all of us (I'd stay the heck away from that "gorgeous" room).

Also, it would be great to get a tidbit of info from each poster, a barometer of their travel likes/dislikes. If someone wrote, "I'm 50, married 25 years; our favorite vacation was Disneyworld with the kids; we've road tripped all over this great land but have not been outside the U.S. and Canada" -- THEN proceeded to write a trip report about Miami or Mexico or San Francisco that was very very negative, you'd at least have some perspective.

I'm rambling, I know, I know. Just thinking out loud. I've actually gotten some fantastic and accurate info from this forum, and I've tried to give that back when possible.

"Gorgeous" or any other superlative is always subjective!

Hm... I've seen lots of those stickers around where I live, but I couldn't put one on my truck because a.) I've never been to any of these places -- the Outer Banks of NC are farther from where I live in Asheville than the beaches of both South Carolina and Virginia and that's where we mountaineers go. And b.) it would clash with my bumper sticker that says "If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?"

Needless to say, at the hotel where I work, the make me back up against a wall to park.

Yeah, and while we're on the topic of unintelligible oval-sticky-thingies, how about the pseuds that only use airport codes for town names? "I arrive at GEG too late to connect to MSY. Should I wait for the DL flight to OBX via ATL or jump on AQ to KOA instead?" If you want to see this habit unleashed and scary, hop over to www.flyertalk.com.

I think the eurosticker thing is a snob appeal device. Except I'm never clear if "HB" is advertising Huntington Beach, Hermosa Beach, or to announce that you've got semi-soft lead in your pencil. If you get the reference. TTFN.

The airport codes and airline abbreviations are used on flyertalk to save time and are no different than IMO, BTW, LOL, or TTFN used on this board. Everyone on flyertalk knows what everyone else is saying.

Okay, I know the IMO and LOL. What do the others mean? Signed, out of the loop for computer-speak.

Loki-Real boaters wouldn't be caught dead driving a monster SUV. :-0. People that drive big SUV's own jet skis.

BTW = by the way
TTFN = ta ta for now

See this link for more:

http://pengs.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=190

"Message: Please supply us with examples of such overhyped/oversold destinations, so we can be educated. Enlighten us!

San Jose.

Ha, ha, ha..."

LOL

Travelcritic:

I tend to agree with you. Whenever someone posts a negative travel experience, or simply one that is less than glowing, people seem to jump all over them with both feet. It is not surprising that people have differing opinions about a destination--it's that many choose to criticize the poster rather than simply offer an alternate viewpoint.

Same goes if someone says they were treated badly or rudely. People automatically assume they are unsophisticated, overly sensitive, elitist, or did something to cause it, none of which may be true.

"...some breathtakingly gorgeous natural beauty within a 2 hour drive...>

Jack, there might be one or two in the climate controlled buildings too ;)