A plea to SLO County tourists: Behave like you’re at home
Quick — what’s your first thought when I say “tourist?”
Do you envision having a lovely chat with someone from Savannah, Scotland or Sisquoc?
Maybe you think of the shops and cafes that you love to frequent, some of which can only survive here yearround because they serve us and our visitors.
Or perhaps your mind flashes to the grumpy vacationer stopped in the middle of the street, staring at his smartphone because the GPS stopped working and he hasn’t a clue where he is or where he’s going.
Spoiler alert for tourists: Cell phone connectivity can be dodgy in some Central Coast spots, even in the middle of our cities.
I can understand people having such strong, widely varying opinions about tourism.
Some of us absolutely love it when people choose to vacation in our area, or visit those of us who live here.
Those residents delight in sharing San Luis Obispo County’s gorgeous and varied scenery — including the Pacific Ocean, the forests, the seashore and piers, Parks, trails and open spaces can be such mental manna for visitors who live in a concrete jungle.
Other county residents have mixed thoughts about tourism. They recognize that a strong tourist industry can provide community vitality and jobs, along with all those lovely services and shops that might not be available if fewer people vacationed here.
But we may also have moments of tourist-related frustration when, all of a sudden, our hometowns have metropolitan-style traffic, far fewer available downtown parking spaces and visitors who bring their uppity, entitled attitudes with them.
That leads me to those fed-up locals who say, flat out, that they wish the tourists would all go home and that communities shouldn’t be advertising and publicizing the area to attract even more people.
That’s not likely to happen.
But with a few simple steps, our tourists can help make their visits nicer for them and for us. Toward that end, this is a plea to anybody who is visiting the Central Coast or anyplace else.
Just remember what your parents, guardians and various religions taught you: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you in your own hometown.
Conserve water
A long, hot shower, or soak in a deep tub or Jacuzzi, can be a lovely luxury in your vacation lodging.
But what if you were visiting a drought-stricken area like San Luis Obispo County? Would you want us, as your guests, to indulge in lavish water use at a time when residents could be paying more for extra units of water on their bills?
No, of course not. You’d want us to conserve water at the same pace being required of you.
It’s only fair.
Be thoughtful and tidy
The same goes for your behavior on the beach, in a park or in any public place.
On your turf, you’d want us to be respectful, to take with us anything we brought in, right?
As the adage goes, “Haul it in, haul it out.”
That means picking up used to-go cups, plates and other picnic table trash, as well as cigarette butts, used diapers and empty cans and bottles.
Those are among zillions of random and often unsavory things that volunteers frequently find during cleanup days.
Whatever it is, please don’t just leave it where it lays or drop it beside an overstuffed trashcan.
Be kind
If we’re the sort of people we want you to be, and we were in your shops, restaurants and lodgings, we’d channel Mom 24/7.
We’d be gentle, patient and kind to the overworked servers, clerks, housekeepers and sales people — even when it means our meal or purchase might take longer, or we might have to wait longer to get into our motel room.
Repeat after me: It’s. Not. Their. Fault.
All over the country, businesses are operating shorthanded as they try to rebound from coronavirus pandemic closures and restrictions, coupled with a mass exodus of employees.
Please be considerate and understanding to those wonderful souls who showed up to take care of you.
Pay attention
As visitors to your town, we’d also watch where we’re going as we stroll or drive around.
We’d put down the darn phone as we drive, walk on the sidewalk or stroll across the street — ideally at a marked crosswalk.
We’d watch for and obey traffic signs, such as for one-way streets.
We want your vacation to be filled with wonderful, happy memories. For all of us.
But for that to happen, we need your help and consideration. Please.
