Why do so many tourists love dangerous countries?

by **Gillipig** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 2:41 am

I'm talking about countries like Thailand, Tunisia and Egypt. Countries with a limited degree of democracy and a lot of poverty. Is it because everything is cheaper there or do they actually get off on going to places they might not be able to get back from? They can go sunbathing in places like Spain, France or Greece, they can view magnificent architecture and historical buildings in those countries as well and they won't have to fear for their lives.
And also why do they get surprised when something bad happens to them in one of those countries? That's the biggest mystery to me. If you go to a poor country and you get robbed, don't be all surprised that you got robbed, you should've known that was likely to happen.

by **thegreekdog** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 6:48 am

Gillipig wrote:If you go to a poor country and you get robbed, don't be all surprised that you got robbed, you should've known that was likely to happen.

Yes, come to the United States where no one gets robbed.

by **chang50** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 7:19 am

Gillipig wrote:I'm talking about countries like Thailand, Tunisia and Egypt. Countries with a limited degree of democracy and a lot of poverty. Is it because everything is cheaper there or do they actually get off on going to places they might not be able to get back from? They can go sunbathing in places like Spain, France or Greece, they can view magnificent architecture and historical buildings in those countries as well and they won't have to fear for their lives.
And also why do they get surprised when something bad happens to them in one of those countries? That's the biggest mystery to me. If you go to a poor country and you get robbed, don't be all surprised that you got robbed, you should've known that was likely to happen.

I've felt less safe in the UK than I ever have in Thailand..

by **Woodruff** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 7:23 am

thegreekdog wrote:
Gillipig wrote:If you go to a poor country and you get robbed, don't be all surprised that you got robbed, you should've known that was likely to happen.

Yes, come to the United States where no one gets robbed.

No joke, I felt immensely more safe in Germany on any given day than I do here in the United States on any given day. It's not even close, and it was one of the things that really stunned me about Germany.

by **loutil** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:12 pm

Gillipig wrote:I'm talking about countries like Thailand, Tunisia and Egypt. Countries with a limited degree of democracy and a lot of poverty. Is it because everything is cheaper there or do they actually get off on going to places they might not be able to get back from? They can go sunbathing in places like Spain, France or Greece, they can view magnificent architecture and historical buildings in those countries as well and they won't have to fear for their lives.
And also why do they get surprised when something bad happens to them in one of those countries? That's the biggest mystery to me. If you go to a poor country and you get robbed, don't be all surprised that you got robbed, you should've known that was likely to happen.

LOL...you do not consider Greece to be a poor country???
While I understand not visiting Egypt at this time it has fabulous sites that you cannot find anywhere else in the world. From the ruins at Luxor to the great pyramids...

by **AndyDufresne** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:51 pm

thegreekdog wrote:
Gillipig wrote:If you go to a poor country and you get robbed, don't be all surprised that you got robbed, you should've known that was likely to happen.

Yes, come to the United States where no one gets robbed.

Correct. I don't think there has been a recorded robbery in the USA since 1870.

--Andy

by **BigBallinStalin** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 2:06 pm

Oh, Gillipig.

by **squishyg** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 2:10 pm

Robbing tourists was invented at McGill University in 1706.

by **2dimes** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:40 pm

Tusken raiders?

by **macbone** on Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:07 pm

I'll be in Thailand at the end of the month, actually, although it's for business.

by **mordigan** on Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:22 am

somalia or the congo are dangerous places to go on holiday. thailand and egypt are not.

by **mordigan** on Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:24 am

even india is pretty safe, rape factor taken into account. 'a limited degree of democracy and a lot poverty' does not = MURDAR THE FOREIGNS

by **2dimes** on Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:28 pm

Rape factor?

by **BigBallinStalin** on Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:37 pm

Is that a new TV show? If so, how frequently do you watch it?

by **Lootifer** on Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:37 pm

Gillipig wrote:I'm talking about countries like Thailand, Tunisia and Egypt. Countries with a limited degree of democracy and a lot of poverty. Is it because everything is cheaper there or do they actually get off on going to places they might not be able to get back from? They can go sunbathing in places like Spain, France or Greece, they can view magnificent architecture and historical buildings in those countries as well and they won't have to fear for their lives.
And also why do they get surprised when something bad happens to them in one of those countries? That's the biggest mystery to me. If you go to a poor country and you get robbed, don't be all surprised that you got robbed, you should've known that was likely to happen.

Crime is pretty uniform in tourist hotspots, regardless of what country you are in.

You get a bit of petty theft and minor corruption/conning but generally most places realise that not shooting their tourists is a great way to line their pockets with cash. Of course if you go treking off the beaten path into dodgy areas then sure. But I am pretty sure I can find places locally that are way more dodgy than, say, a tourist hotspot in egypt.

by **2dimes** on Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:45 pm

But I am pretty sure I can find places locally that are way more dodgy than, say, a tourist hotspot in egypt.

Sure, but there are probably less machine guns there, no? Telling the Muslim extremists you're atheist not christian in broken Arabic probably won't help.

They will think you're American because you don't speak Russian.

by **thegreekdog** on Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:35 am

A few years ago I was in Riveria Maya (near Cancun) with my wife. We stayed at one of those all inclusive resorts. One day we decided to go zip lining. A French ex-pat in a van picked us up at the hotel and drove us to a garage in a random little town. He gave us forms to complete (basically signing away liability). Another couple and a family of four showed up. The Frenchman bailed and we mounted ATVs and, guided by four Mexicans, drove half an hour into the jungle to do the zip lining.

It was great fun. When we returned to the hotel and spoke with my mother-in-law that night, she had grave concerns about us getting kidnapped or killed. Ironically, we never thought about that and I never felt unsafe precisley because the people that live in that town know that driving the tourists away is bad for business.

I was also in Aruba right after that girl was kidnapped or whatever. Never was scared there either. Bad shit happens everywhere.

by **Woodruff** on Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:28 am

It's been quite a while, but weren't there some tourist-bus-gunnings in Egypt around the pyramids? I'm talking ten or more years ago (I think).

by **2dimes** on Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:42 am

I guess no body caught my Star Wars reference? There are many sets left in Tunisia. You can basically stay in the home of several Skywalkers.

Woodruff wrote:It's been quite a while, but weren't there some tourist-bus-gunnings in Egypt around the pyramids? I'm talking ten or more years ago (I think).

As far as I know it was in a tourist spot away from the pyramids. The government created a very well armed tourist police force in reaction. Like is being suggested here they understand the economic value of tourists. It seemed very effective yet at times when we visited, I felt a little apprehensive about them hanging around in black uniforms with their machine guns.

The bus was reported to be a Christian tour with I believe around 56 killed.

The more recent murders of Christians were local people but, if you happened to be in the wrong spot, I figure the bullets from a machine gun, or several in the case of some tourist police opening fire to "protect tourists," are probably not very selective.

by **mordigan** on Sat Aug 10, 2013 4:45 pm

2dimes wrote:Rape factor?

indian man + lightly protected woman (foreign or local) = rape situation. it should be taken into serious consideration before, say, taking your girlfriend on a cycling holiday in india.