TOURIST TRAPS
New Yorkers have a long-established tradition of con men selling the Brooklyn Bridge to gullible visitors. Other areas have kindred tales about local folks outsmarting visitors from elsewhere. There was a time when it was a local sport, but no more. Tourism is big business and the major occupation of large groups of people spread afar though the local community. It is no longer a penny-ante game bringing paying visitors in who will never be coming that way again.
Naturally, some attractions are going to be more compelling than others. Much depends on the tourist's likes and dislikes; preferences and needs. Seldom are there two exactly the same and most will talk about what they see to show how intelligent they were in seeking out interesting locations.
No doubt, many tourist attractions have been “dressed up” to bringing passing dollars from travelers. If you think back a few years who can remember seeing advertising signs calling attention to some freak display, a modified natural attraction, or an historical site based on rumor, gossip, hearsay or political fabrication.
Several large cities here in the United States have ethnic areas known as “Chinatown”. A favorite feature of many such areas was guided ours of some dof the dope dens. Eager travelers were escorted through ramshackle quarters where victims of opium smoking, and other drugs were seen groveling and twisting in tortured contortions. The rainbow of odors was present and many a visitor went away unaware that he or she had seen a rigged setup. Street people where hired, made up to appear more emaciated than they were, and they augmented a cast which may or may not have included a known drug addict.
I am confident that the tourism is much more honest today, thanks, I think, to television. Visitors to sites today are pretty well aware of what they can expect to see because they have seen much of it before on TV.
A. L. M. November 19, 2003 [c337wds]
