In an effort to help future travelers learn from others mistakes, The New York Times asked readers to share examples of instances in which they ve committed a travel foul or have acted against good tourist etiquette and, maybe, their better judgment.
Sometimes the most effective lessons sting a bit. For Nadia Caffesse, that pain came in the form of a number of tiny needles lodged in her hands, forearms and chest. In September 2006, Caffesse, now 45, and her family were driving through Big Bend National Park in Texas, where she found herself admiring the native blind prickly pear cactuses jutting out along the rocky roadside. One of them would make a nice addition to her garden, she thought, so she decided to ask her family to pull over so sh
We’ve all seen misbehavior while traveling and some of us have even been that tourist. But every misstep can lead to a lesson, so we asked readers to share their stories.