An illustrated guide about travel rip-offs. Chapter One. Introduction to Modern Live (in DUAL)

Dear friends and readers,

I watched on TV so many stupid travel series about places I have been a lot of time as a tourist that I decided to share with you some of my “bad experiences” in order to avoid some unpleasant experiences.

Danger is everywhere and hawkers can smell stupidity as dogs do with fear.

Apart from that, walking with sandals and dark socks hanging a camera over your neck and wearing a safari hat – all together but in any combination- could be the recipe for disaster.

First things first, lets define “rip-off” and scam:

Rip-off is a “bad financial transaction” , in other way, “an incident in which a person overpays for something” The term overpays may refer from some extra $, to some hundred times the market fair value.

Scam is roughly the same, but it involves wrongdoing, cheating, and in some cases fraud.

Let’s take a clear example of this two:

While a rip-off is visiting Venetia (Italy) and paying for a Coke 3 euros while clearly and visible marked in big post in the entrance, and whilst other honest barmen applying some or similar prices (they both are robbing you), a scam will be guys yelling you and offering real brick oven pizza menu for 6 euros.

Where is the scam in the second one? That the offer was real but it was the price for the 8 centimetres diameter pizza and the standard 12 cm. is 12 euros plus a beer is 10 euros and additional set up table plus service charge is not included.

How to avoid scams is not the scope of this series but we will say some general rules

-Say no to everyone, and then say not again.

-Read everything and ask for prices (they doubt about it, get the hell out of that place).

-if something is so cheap, probably it’s not true

- HCT is not the same than HTC as Pear is not Apple, and Panascanic is not Panasonic

- Even when the real thing is properly spelled, a Rolex does not cost less than a Swatch watch. Even if the offer you a stolen one (buying stolen stuff is delective) they don’t sell it for pocket money.

And looking for some Rip-off inspiring images I have founded this amazing post about The Ultimate Kings of Rip-off : Low Cost (the so called) airplane companies

Check that “Off Track Planet Tip: Checking in online doesn’t mean you get to skip the lines. So get your ass there early. With budget flights, you’re more likely to get a Blow Job from the clerk than a seat on the next flight out.” Sorry but I have expanded the BJ

 

 Amsterdam airport, but we used KLM (organized criminals too)

 So you think singapore is scam free?

 This is what we never get!

Nice drinks, nice food, prepare a kidney to pay for that Tometaro