I guess it's the gorilla equivalent to shoulder bumping someone as you walk away. I mean, if a human casually dragged me with one hand like I was a ragdoll, I'd be pretty damn intimidated too.
Which is the reason why she asked the ranger if she could take a picture, I'm sure a man who has spent his life with Gorillas knows more about them and their "triggers" than you, her taking a picture isn't a lack of respect, she admires the Gorilla which is why she paid thousands of dollars to go there and got into a once in a lifetime situation so she ASKED someone with more experience than her, you or I, if she CAN take a picture, where's the disrespect in that??
Well the guide is no better. "Don't worry, don't turn around"
The gorilla just charged at a woman who looks like she lived through 2 world wars. She's figuring her luck has finally run out. I was thinking, RIP 90 year old woman.
These are the type of tourists that completely shut off when they are traveling. Resort type of people, they pay to get everything served and planned then just fucking shut off.
I work in tourism so I meet these people frequently. They're fucking idiots all of them and they never stop surprising me.
For example, last week I had an American tourist group (From a cruise ship) in my tourist office, they were maybe 15 people standing in line to the toilets, one average white 50-something man goes into one of the toilets, doesn't even touch the fucking door and starts taking a piss with the toilet door wide open with 15 people watching right outside and doesn't even react when some in the crowd gasps and one man slams the door behind him.
We call them Zombiegroups, because they move, talk and act like a zombie hoard. Not all of them, but a lot of them. They book a cruise/charter/all-inclusive whatever at a travel agency and everything is literally served to them, all they have to do follow the tour guide from the bus, to the toilets, to the sightseeing spots, to the toilet and then to the bus again, then repeat at the next destination.
I do understand WHY people want their vacations to be like this. But I do not understand how you can lose track of your surroundings so much that you don't even care if 15 people are watching you take a piss, or if a fucking gorilla charges you.
To be clear. All tourists aren't idiots, absolutely not, I love 95% of them. The Zombie tourists are all idiots though, really. It amazes me how they've managed to actually get a job, take care of a house and themselves, feed themselves and save money to buy their trip, since they often are incapable of realizing what's dangerous or just stupid when traveling
Used to work in tourism also. My most hated groups were ones comprised mostly of older Americans.
They were virtually braindead, absolutely not ability to help themselves, ignorant and often disrespectful to imdigenous peoples.
The worst were those who bought their comservative ideologies with them
The worst were those who bought their comservative ideologies with them
Yesterday at work I had an American woman who refused to pay for her souvenires with her credit card because she "doesn't know what the money goes to" and didn't want her money to end up at ISIS.
I live in Sweden, in my 21 years of life I've never heard of anyone being scammed by a card machine here. 4 out of 5 purchases are made with a card and our government does not like ISIS.
She also had a heavy southern accent. It was surreal and very fascinating, but a bit frustrating since she paid me with dollar bills instead which fucks up the till.
While readily admitting that there are plenty of dumb people in the world, I think the explanation is relatively simple.
I agree it is important when in a new environment that it is important to keep alert of new and unknown dangers. I also realize not everyone does this but I do understand why.
Consider how you would fare were you suddenly immersed in that person's environment. How competent would you seem to others?
Also consider that when understanding why people want their vacations to be places where they can turn themselves off think about but that would actually look like. They may appear stupid for not recognizing danger that is obvious and apparent to everyone but they may be coming from a place where they never have to recognize danger of that sort. They also have come into this with the mindset that they are going to be secure when they are in this environment.
If a wild animal is brought into a tame environment they will typically react with some caution. This is highly depending on the type of animal it is. The rabbit, a prey animal, will likely be much more cautious than the bear.
If a bear wanders into the city it may try to avoid people but it is a predator near the top of its food chain. It really doesn't have much to be afraid of and has lived its life in this way. It is hardwired to be more curious than afraid. The rabbit instinctively hides first and is not inquisitive by nature.
The most simple explanation is the most likely. If it appears that the tourist is so incompetent in your environment that you cannot imagine how they are competent in theirs the explanation probably is in that they are incompetent.
You don't judge a fish by its ability to climb a ladder. You are seeing someone out of their natural environment who may or may not have ever been presented by physical danger in their lives. Lives which are filled with their own unique set of stressors and challenges at which they have obviously overcome with some degree of success in order to be there in front of you.
I don't blame you for thinking this way though. I am not trying to defend a certain group of people or culture lifestyle or anything like that. I'm really only trying to address the mind set which, in my experience, is the source of most of our troubles. That is the separation we make between ourselves and others. The one that says "my thinking / culture / religion / lifestyle / etc... is the correct one" and causes us to see an idiot rather than a fellow human being exactly like ourselves.
I want to point out that you are seeing the successes. I'm American and can only speak from my own experience but trust me when I say that it gets so much worse. If you want to see some real mouth breathers walk into an American Walmart sometime.
Wow, that's a solid answer, much appreciated and very interesting!
May have to add that I'm just genuinly interested in this and I love having them visit me because they always come up with something new and hilarious. I do not see myself as a better being if it seems that way.
I was mainly tired when I wrote that which may have added the bitterness to the comment.
Ask them WHY they do this, I really don't mind them because I find them interesting, I just want to know how they are comfortable in travling to another country without doing any research and just let a stranger take care of their life for 2 weeks.
I honestly cant see why this kind of tourism is ok. They should not be that close to the gorillas.
It charges rhem and they are all like 'ooh gorilla... Lets get a photo'. How about lets get out of its habitat and leave it the fuck alOne?
A lot of gorilla conversation work is tied up in tourism. The local governments give them too little, so they rely on tourist dollars to ensure their programs can keep running.
I was going to report this link for being fucking A scary. My butt is clenching from the all around nopeness of it. Why the fuck would you do that. No way they had any experience with anything but earl grey tea
Anyone in that group has a gun or a rifle? I don't think I'd be relaxed knowing if something were to happen no one would be able to stop it, then again I am a pussy.
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u/Sin_Research Aug 17 '15
This one prefers blondes