From inconsiderate passengers to social media over sharers, travel-dating site, MissTravel.com releases its list of “The Biggest Travel Pet Peeves of 2015.” According to the survey, it’s time to leave the Selfie Sticks at home, with a majority of respondents complaining about other travelers using the device while on vacation.
Travel can be an exciting, often life changing experience, but sometimes other travelers can be very, very annoying, nearly ruining your fun if you let them. For anyone who’s been a touristy city or locale during the peak season, they will understand what I mean.
Travel-dating site, MissTravel.com asked more than 58,000 people what annoyed them most this travel season. For some awful reason, the Selfie Stick was Once declared one of TIME magazine’s “25 Best Inventions of All Time,” but has since began it’s decent out of favor over the year. Outlawed from most historic sites and even The Happiest Place on Earth (debatable, but that’s Disneyland), respondents agree this tool is “The Biggest Travel Pet Peeve of 2015.”
The Biggest Travel Pet Peeves of 2015 (based on responses from 58,325 members*)
Rank Pet Peeve Percentage of Votes
1 Selfie Sticks 42%
2 Hogging overhead compartments 20%
3 Using an iPad to take photos 17%
4 Distraction with Social Media 12%
5 Smelly food on airplanes 7%
6 Other 2%
*These are pretty good numbers to consider since MissTravel.com is a dating site specifically for travel lovers whose members are frequent flyers, with most commonly taking more than eight trips each year.
Awww…cute. Now put that thing away.
“The Selfie Stick was a staple at popular tourist destinations this year” says Brandon Wade, founder and CEO of MissTravel. “Although you may have good intentions, carrying a Selfie Stick around could be seen as a sign of narcissism and self-absorption by your travel companion. Enjoy your vacation by allowing yourself to experience everything in the moment, instead of obsessing over capturing it in the perfect selfie.”
Inconsiderate passengers taking up too much room in overhead compartments also ranked high on the list. However, respondents were most frustrated with distractions such as selfie sticks, large iPads and overuse of social media, which often detracts from the experience of travel.
It seems like most places I travel to, if the crowds are thick and restaurants are full, at least half the people around me are on their cell phones. How can we appreciate a place with a phone in our face? I’m not sure, but I agree I’m somewhat guilty. I mostly use the phone when I’m alone, out of nervousness, and if I’m with people, I try to pay full attention to them and enjoy my time.
And, it’s bad enough that so many airlines restrict your baggage allowance and charge you for everything they can – I understand that we’re all in the same boat in that regard but that’s no reason to take up more than your own allotted space in the overhead storage on a flight. Make good use of the space in front of your feed and if you really can’t, then suck it up and pay for a checked bag. No one likes to do it but sometimes our trips just take more packing than we expected.
