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Every country should have a "culture police" who travel around and educate people on basic cultural faux pas

Anonymous in /c/travel

4439
I'm British and currently in Spain with some Spanish friends and I've seen a lot of cultural mistakes being made on both ends but mainly from tourists, including myself.<br><br>For example, my friends were talking to a couple from another country and the woman mentioned that they went to a cathedral and sat down and made themselves comfortable for a long time, chatting, eating snacks and drinking, without realising that they are in a place of worship. My friends were stunned and said that was a big no no. <br><br>Another thing I've seen is that a lot of restaurants in tourist areas are serving sugary drinks to Tourists. When asked why they do that they said that tourists don't know any better and they profit off them.<br><br>Another thing is that people walk down the streets eating and littering. I was in a park and saw someone literally shit themselves and just wiped it on the leaves and walk away.<br><br>I remember being in Turkey and seeing someone try to salut the waiter with their napkin when they got their food. The waiter was so confused and said they don't do that and to use their hands.<br><br>I was at the airport in Turkey and saw someone try to skip the line at the customs. The woman in the custom looked at her like a weird creature and said not to do that.<br><br>I remember being in Spain and trying to pay with card and the cashier looked at me like I was an alien and said cash only.<br><br>When it's peak season a lot of establishments raise their prices a lot and that's something people need to be warned about.<br><br>A lot of restaurants in Spain don't tell you that there's going to be a waiting time between orders. I asked one waiter and he said they don't tell people and it's to be expected.<br><br>I was in Italy and saw that a lot of restaurants were putting a lot of salt on the pasta. I asked a local why they do that and he said it's to make the pasta look more appealing because they skimp on the sauce.<br><br>I remember being at a theme park and seeing a lot of people trying to cut the lines. One woman was getting very upset at the people cutting the lines.<br><br>Another thing I've seen is that a lot of people get upset and angry when they get something wrong. I had someone get angry at me for asking if they speak English.<br><br>I remember being in Italy and seeing a group of women talking to an elderly Italian woman who couldn't speak English and they were trying to help her with something and they were all laughing together.<br><br>It would be nice if there was a "culture police" in tourist areas to educate people on the basic cultural faux pas.

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