Death of the Sociable Traveller

....another problem, Billy, is that you get labelled as an old complaining fart, out of touch with reality and a luddite.
My answer is to understand that this sub species has emerged temporarily and let them be.....the loss is theirs, we should know better than to fret about it and be compassionate instead...or at least ignore them back!

I echo some of the above sentiments having been amazed at the ignorance of many such travellers" as they spend a 20-hour bus journey through countryside alive with excitement, with their nose firmly stuck in a pulp novel, only looking up as the bus draws into its destination. They then immediately pull out their infernal mobile to check for a signal as they push their way through the smiling hordes that surround the newly-arrived transport. I have given up attempting conversation with such children (they mainly seem to consist of 18 to 22 year old, vegetarian passport-stamp collectors with an urgency to achieve something in their private little world) as their disdainful look when dismissing the silly old fart before them riles.

Worldwide I see them, yet am consoled by the certainty that, within 10 years, they will have metamorphosised into married, frustrated, job-stuck nobodies in the mindless metropolises, holding down a high mortgage and struggling to understand unruly kids of their own.

Keep on truckin' you wrinklies !!!

Dave

I live in one of China's busiest tourist sites....heaven (Yangshuo)....but some tourists....wow...I really wonder why they bother coming. I now have a business in a busy tourist street in the small town of Xingping nearby so naturally I get to meet some fantastic, wonderful, interesting people both young & old. But I never ever bother saying hello to anyone passing me on the street unless they speak to me. Let me tell you, older single travelling males R about the worst. I am completely invisable even if there is no-one else around. Now it's not easy to miss me :) Having been here in this area for some years I am immune to it all. I have watched in amazment as they march down the street looking at nothing. The elderly locals are very visiable & they would be delighted if someone took more notice of them other than point a camera at them. It often seems to me that taking photos of everything is more important than anything else.

...while we are having a whinge - please tell me the answer to two irritants that push polite human interreaction aside in travelling ;
Pushing in front of you because they have a camera...
Ignoring your waiting long times in queues because someone has just rung up...

Great for patience practice, of course, but the fellowship of the road seems to be dying.......

As you seem to feel the need to post this again (having put it up in answer to another thread) I'll reiterate:
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Where have all the nice guys gone? - gone to flowers, every one
(Sorry, I just couldn't resist that!)

But I don't really understand what you're complaining about, Billy. I meet really nice people everywhere I go. And I travel a lot. Perhaps you've upgraded to hotels? They're not the places to meet friendly people. To me, hotels are like prison cells.
At my last hostel, in Kashgar, I took about eight people off to a restaurant one evening. Only had to ask two and the rest all asked if they could come too. It was a real United Nations of an evening and we had a whole heap of fun.
Meet plenty of nice locals, too. Rickshaw drivers even took me home to meet their families in both India and Pakistan. I have a Chinese friend coming to visit in January.
I've just said goodbye to a guy from Singapore (met iin Turkey two years ago) plus an Austrian I met and travelled for a week with in Sudan. Standing invitations to visit them any time.

Perhaps you're going to the wrong countries? Thailand wouldn't cut it for me.

I tend to agree with go_2 (which I often do).
But, there are certain things that annoy me with younger travellers, and that happens quite often.
There are too many who are selfish and inconsiderate. Particularly, when travelling on busses I see them, with their iPods on, taking up two seats, and putting their feet up on the headrest of the seat in front of them. They ignore other passengers and free the other seat only when asked, even though they should see the buss is getting full.

But, generally, most of them are nice and polite. Many times I did tours and trekked in groups of young people, where I was the only person in the age of their parents. We always seem to get along very well, find interesting subject to talk about and do stuff together.
Probably, having children myself in that age helps.

Wow, thanks guys....good to see you all have responded to my thread! Where were you in Cambodia and Malaysia recently, we all could have had lots of beer together and then checked out the country on Google Maps on my new Blackberry (ha ha)???
Many truths. One being I HAVE upgraded to flashpacker due to my wife and boy travelling with me. Who are afraid of illness and deprivation and quite frankly a pool is a nice addition to cool down your blood after a hot day!
Spent some time on really nice road trips over the years, meeting wonderful people, some of the most "human" and humble people.
Like I said before, seems like techno-heads or aging pedophiles make up the bulk of travellers these days.
Many Asian young people even though keen on gadgets seem more respectful of others (if they can cut down on the photos a bit).
Ahh....! Before I finish my rant. Did I mension "big country", "small country" mentality? Has anybody noticed high population countries seem to "turn out" VERY pushing people, whilst low population countries tend to turn out more pleasant human beings?? (its probably just another crazy delusion? :-))

Take care fellow travellers and thanks for input.

Truthfully, life is too short and too full of fun for me to get worked up over why other people aren't living the way I see as ideal. Times change and although I don't like or agree with much of it, I see no reason to give it so much energy.
Let it be.

technoheads and aging pedophiles+ - yep! Thailand to a +t.
Add that to hotels instead of hostels - you're in the wrong place, mate., twice over.