Budget airlines have opened up the world to the masses, but globetrotting can be a confusing experience and travel myths abound. JOE busts five of the big ones.
By Robert Carry
The myth: Your phone could bring down the plane
Unless you have the know-how and desire to use it to detonate a lump of plastic explosives you’ve smuggled onboard in your anal cavity, using your phone is safe. The idea that phones could interfere with pilots’ instruments goes back to the days when high-tops were making their first regrettable appearance – the early ‘90s.
Back then, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was concerned there might be a risk this could happen and decreed that the use of mobiles should be banned as a result. A 2006 study examined the issue and failed to conclude that mobiles posed a risk. Sadly, because it’s impossible to prove a negative the study also couldn’t prove that phones would not cause an accident so the ban still stands.
How many planes have been brought down by phones? Exactly. That’s why we’re calling bullshit on this particular myth.
The myth: You should change your money at home to get the best deal
Most people assume that our local bank teller will give us a better exchange rate on our money (because we know him?) than the shifty foreigners in our destination of choice. However, this is not always the case and our local bank will often slap a commission on top of its rate.
The more popular tourist regions abroad will often have numerous money exchanges close by – which means more competition and, quite often, a better rate for you.
Specialist bank accounts can mean a great deal but another winner is, surprisingly, the credit card. Assuming you’re in credit, withdrawing money on your card is a good way to go because it won’t charge you a commission for taking money out in a different currency.
Another big advantage this option has over changing all your money at home is the fact that a wad of cash can very easily go for a walk.
The myth: The rest of the world is rife with pick-pockets
There is something about being in a foreign country that prompts people to assume there are new age Artful Dodgers on every corner eyeballing our sky rockets. Tourists come to Ireland and think the same. The reality is that unless you’re hanging around a Romanian slum or a Cape Town shanty, you’re probably no more likely to be a victim of theft than you are at home.
In fact, while we often assume that our destinations are always going to be more dangerous than Ireland, think back to the last time you braved the streets of an Irish city at 3am on Sunday morning. There are safer tiger cages.
The myth stems from the fact that people who don’t have a clue where they are and are carrying lots of valuables are prime targets for thieves – which means tourists are at an elevated risk. Simple precautions and a bit of common sense, however, will stop you from being any more of a target than the locals.
Myth: You get what you pay for
No you don’t. Just because something is more expensive doesn’t mean it’s going to be of a better quality. Whether it be hotels, day trips or bus tickets, doing some research and arming yourself with the right questions to ask will mean you will be in a position both to establish what exactly you’re going to get for your money, and to ascertain how it compares to what else is out there.
Myth: Street food is not safe to eat
Unlike most restaurants, you can actually stand and watch how food is stored, prepared and cooked at street stalls. A good rule of thumb is that if the locals are queuing up at a particular stall, then you’ve nothing to fear. Not only can you piggy-back on their knowledge of what is on offer in the area, but this also indicates that there is a high turn-over of produce which means food is less likely to have been sitting around waiting to be cooked.
Eating the food sold by small street vendors is a great way to experience the cuisine eaten by the everyday people of the country you’re visiting, it tends to be dirt cheap and it gives you an opportunity to support the little guy rather than handing your money to Ronald McDonald.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
