UPTOURIST

Watch this video to learn how restaurants use language barriers and a tourist’s need for a convenient meal to basically steal money from unsuspecting travelers:

The “No Menu Scam”…

I’ll admit to having this happen to me once in Barcelona. The waitress was pretty slick too! No menus anywhere and she knew just enough to communicate with my friend and I to take our order quickly so we didn’t have the presence of mind to ask prices.

While it isn’t out and out theft, these business owners know that:

1. You’re only in town for a short time and are likely just a one-time customer to begin with.
2. You don’t want any trouble with local law enforcement, so you’ll likely pay what they ask without too much arguing.

As indicated by the video host, this sort of this is very popular in Urban tourist hotspots.

Always ask for a menu!

And remember that if you’re in a popular tourist area and the person serving you claims they don’t speak English, they’re more than likely lying.

Do you have a tourist scam you’ve experienced that you can share? Leave a comment and warn everyone.