I have friends who VISIT the city. There's a recognized difference between Visitors and Tourists. Visitors are the sensible people who can blend harmoniously into the society and not impede its social flow. Tourists are the obtuse folks who walk in a line--four across--on the city sidewalks (as if they're in some imaginary parade).
It should be plainly obvious that you can't do that in a place like this...
Such tourists are oblivious that anyone else might have to pass them or skim around their often too-slow trotting. Tourists exit the busy subway and stop-short, right in the middle of the doorway or stairwell, trying to navigate where they are (often causing disgruntled congestion behind them for fellow passengers). Who comes to an abrupt halt without considering who's behind you? I hope they don't drive like that at home!
Tourists also stop abruptly on sidewalk corners to: 1). look up and gaze around; 2). stand still and suddenly chat amongst themselves; 3.) take pictures. Often, I see other pedestrians bump into them from around the corner! Who stands on a busy corner without realizing that other folks have to move around you or get across the street? Don't they ever think to stand against a building or to "pull over" to the edge of the sidewalk, as opposed to standing right in the middle (or standing in the "bike lane")? They need to realize that they're in the CITY--not a country lane! Didn't they mentally prepare?
None of this would be considered "normal" or "courteous" behavior in their hometown. You always let others have the "right of way", and you get out of other people's way as common courtesy. You don't suddenly stand still (for whatever personal reasons) in front of elevator doors, in front of building entrances, in front of subway staircases, or in the middle of busy sidewalks! Tourists are also the dizzy people palavering around the park, aimlessly bumbling around--causing you to sidestep them and scuff your shoes in doing so, while they continue to look up at the sky--oblivious. Tourists are the ones arguing with waiters about where to store their backpacks and fannypacks at a chic café, or arguing with a park ranger on the Highline about why they can't throw Frisbees along the concourse. They complain about the lack of fast food places in Greenwich Village and the lack of Dunkin' Doughnuts in the Meatpacking District. You see tourists wandering around outside Madison Avenue's office buildings on a Sunday morning, confused that many of the eateries aren't open. (It's been a business district since the 1930s, so everything is closed on weekends.) It would seem that many tourists don't bother acclimating themselves with their destination before their trip. Maybe the city's many pro-tourism authorities could print little handy pamphlets for hotels and hostels to have, educating tourists--and reminding them that the big city never sleeps and that they should SHARE the space with us and not expect us to get out of their way.
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