How to Spot a Tourist

       One day I was riding the streetcar back to school from Downtown, just listening to my iPod and minding my own business. Many different groups of people got on the trolley. It was really easy to tell who were the tourists and who were the locals, just by their behavior on the trolley. You have the locals that always look a little annoyed by the visitor’s overzealous attitudes, but seem to enjoy the scenic ride through their great city. You also have the family-oriented travelers who keep their activities a little more PG. They were most likely heading Uptrown to avoid the more risqué visitors in the Quarter. And lastly, we have the always-lovely drunks who are pretty entertaining to watch. They are the ones who talk so loud that you can’t even hear your music playing and make it impossible for other people not to listen to them. They also are most likely wearing beads and carrying one of the souvenir cups.  Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing an entertaining group of drunks, but I think they should start to try to blend in to locals just so they don’t stand out like a sore thumb.
        After I had seen how easy it was to spot a tourist, I decided to do some research on crime rate towards visitors. Well, there is not a lot of crime as in killing and being held at gunpoint. Rather it is pick pocketing and con artists that get the best of the tourists. Thanks to USA Today, I found 4 pretty solid pieces of advice when traveling to New Orleans. 1. Travel Light, 2. Don’t Travel Alone, 3. Avoid Con Games, and 4. Don’t Visit Cemeteries Alone. These tips are great to know not only if you are going to New Orleans, but also when are traveling anywhere. These are also helpful for other college students to know. We might think we know New Orleans very well, but you never know what can happen. The other one I would add to the list is to act like you know where you are and that you belong. Head up, shoulders back. Confidence makes you look less vulnerable, which is what people look for when they want to jump someone. Note to tourists getting on the streetcar, don’t try to stand out that much; you are just putting a target on your back. Now get out in the city and enjoy!!

Below is the link to the USA Today website with traveling tips!!

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/tourist-safety-new-orleans-104704.html