Last week, I offered up a candid review of my pet peeves while on the road. Every once in a while, a post generates comments worth sharing -- and this one prompted several hundred readers to chime in. Here are a few of your peeves that I particularly enjoyed:
- Screaming kids, farting kids, seat-kicking kids, and kids with head lice on my flights. -Linda
- TV travel hosts that say "evocative" 20 times a show. -Winston Marshall (Note from Rick: Winston, you might enjoy this game!)
- Lights on a timer in some Italian restrooms. I would be in there for just a few minutes and then it was PITCH BLACK! I could not see a thing as I tried to zip, flush, and open the door! -Kat
- My husband insists on tipping 20 percent even in places where tipping is not the norm (and even frowned upon). He worked at restaurants for a long time and can't really believe it's unwelcome. Maybe that's a husband peeve, not a Europe peeve. :) -Candy
- People reading signs out loud. -Lane
- I once asked a British friend, who is something of an expert on British culture and tradition, about why they continued to use separate hot and cold faucets even though the technology of mixing faucets has been around since the first half of the 20th century. I expected a dissertation about British tradition and the history of plumbing in Great Britain and instead got a blank stare which pretty much said everything. -Lisa
- My Mom always saying, "Well, Rick says..." -- as if she just called you to talk about the trip! -Zella
- The water in North American toilets is wide and shallow, and in European toilets it's narrow and deep. I suppose if I lived in Europe, I would learn to improve my aim, but I have to use the brush every time I poop in Europe. Sigh. Keep On Traveling (travailing?). -Ray
- Selfies. When was the last time you said to anyone, "Oh please let me see all the selfies you took on your trip"? -Nancy
- The silly strip of fabric across the bottom of the bed...what's that about? -Annie
- Trying to think of what bothers me when I'm traveling, but to be honest, travels have been some of the happiest times in my life. -Robert
- ...followed by this note from Diana: As your wife, Robert, I can attest to your dislike of museums, of which there are thousands, in Europe. However, you warmed to seeing the Rosetta Stone and the Egyptian artifacts in the British Museum.
Of course, pet peeves are fun to share. But we all know that a key to traveling well is to embrace the creed that, "If something's not to your liking...change your liking!" Happy travels to all.
-Rick
When a hotel protects their mattress with a rubber-lined sheet, rather than bathe needlessly in my own sweat, I silently promise not to wet my bed, pull it off, and stuff it above the closet. It's just one of my pet peeves!