Idiots Abroad: The stupid things we do when travelling!

Years ago when I was still at uni, my final assignment was on the risks of injury or death while travelling overseas. It turned out to be quite an eye-opener and revealed to me the various dangers travellers face while overseas for business or leisure.

Numbskulls on vacation: ridiculous risk-taking not only
 exposes you to injury or death, but your insurance company
 will likely wash their hands of you too.

Disease, violence and accidents all occupy our fears while travelling but often we are our own worst enemies due to risk-taking and plain foolish behaviour. My recent travels in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka reminded me how we can be lured into a sense of complacency.

For example, riding scooters in shorts, thongs and singlets, sometimes after a few beers in the hot sun. Often without a helmet, or a sloppily secured one. Acts we would very unlikely do when at home, despite the illegality.

But the prize for Darwin Award nominations would have to go to the international travellers aboard our train in Sri Lanka who decided it was perfectly fine to lean out of a moving train for a selfy, often with just one hand holding the rail. And we’re not just talking about stupid teens and 20-somethings.

Astonishingly, grown adults also thought it perfectly fine to dangle their portly persons out of the open carriage door while posing for that mandatory social media mention.

Clearly, idiocy is contagious, because before long there was a queue of morons waiting to step into thin air for fifteen seconds of TikTok fame.

Well, I’ll mention you. F_ckwits!

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