Tourists : a city's necessary evil

I love to travel. One of these days, I'd like to be a foreign correspondent and just travel everywhere. Or, just take Samantha Brown's job on the Travel Channel and get paid to go from one amazing city to another.

Whenever I go, I consider myself a traveler. The word "tourist" just irks me. It brings to mind those unfortunate souls with cameras hanging from their necks and fanny packs around their waists. Shudder.

It's tourist season in Washington and there are a lot of groups in their bright shirts, traveling in packs of 458, and being herded from one picture spot to another. Yes, they're the ones who forget to turn their flashes off when taking a picture of a Monet in the Art Gallery, the ones whose "Marco" wait for a "Polo" response on the steps of a memorial for one of our greatest Presidents, and, (I saved the best for last) the ones who stand on the left side of the escalator.

I was a tourist here once. And I still don't consider myself a local.

But I think that tourist destinations should conduct a "Welcome to (insert city name here) Tourist Information Session." An orientation. Make this tourist a traveler.

Before I arrived here in DC, I thought living in the middle of downtown Washington would be the best thing ever! You know, sit on the steps of the National Art Gallery and do work with my laptop, see the Washington Monument from my bedroom window all lit up for the night, walk from my apartment to any Smithsonian museum. So when I first found out that I was living in Arlington, VA, about 4 stops in the Metro out of the district, I was kinda disappointed.

Well, not anymore. I love the feel of my little Ballston neighborhood. I didn't even go anywhere near the Mall for Memorial Day weekend, much more the Fourth of July. I didn't want to deal with the tourists who have come to invade ... they're everywhere!!!

So far, my best defense has been my Capitol Press Badge. There was a long line to go through security from the Cannon House Building to the U.S. Capitol, and I was running to a press conference. I proceeded to the front of the line. The security person then said to the other security person, "Let her go. She's press" and motioned for me to go through. Oh the privilege a little piece of plastic can give...

But I guess tourists are important to the city's economy - they are necessary. A necessary evil.

So how about that orientation that I suggested earlier?

Just a little senseless rant. I feel much better now.