We regularly see stories about outrageous behavior by foreign travelers in local media. Fortunately these stories are rare, since most foreign travelers are respectful people. Unfortunately there are always exceptions.
Responsible travel
We at Iceland Insider have always believed it is our duty to help contribute to more responsible tourism by shining a light on the kinds of behaviors which either damage Icelandic nature or give tourism a bad reputation and contribute to negative views of foreign travelers. Off-road driving is of course the best example of the former. In many cases foreign travelers who engage in off-road driving simply don't realize they are not only breaking the law, but actually causing irreparable damage to the fragile nature of Iceland.
Going to the toilet in people's backyards is an example of the second problem. We have seen truly outrageous examples of grown men who were not properly toilet-trained as children, and think they can meet the call of nature whenever, and wherever they please. However, unlike off-road driving there can never be any excuse for this sort of behavior.
Read more: Group of travelers fined 1.4 million ISK for off-road driving around Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
A local woman shared the story of an unpleasant experience she and her parents had this past weekend when a foreign traveler went into their back yard in Laugarvatn village on the Golden Circle to go to the toilet. The man, who was a white male in his late 60s, was traveling with a group driving a large Land Cruiser SUV.
Sigríður Jónsdóttir wrote in a post on Facebook that her parents were drinking their morning coffee on Sunday morning when they see a man go into their back yard, pull down his pants and squat to go to the toilet in their flowerbed. Dad decided to go out to keep an eye on the man. The poopypants just pulled down his pants and shat in the garden.
When the traveler noticed that he was being watched he became somewhat skittish, and picked up his droppings before hurrying off. He probably didn't dare to leave it behind, as dad was standing over him, taking photos.
Sigríður's father, Jón Þór Ragnarsson, told the local newspaper Fréttablaðið that he took photographs of the man and the rental vehicle. He informed the car rental of the behavior of the people. Jón told Fréttablaðið that there was no excuse for this sort of behavior. The campsite in Laugarvatn has a public toilet which is open 24h.
After Sigríður's post on Facebook went viral local media covered the incidence. She told Fréttablaðið that this is not the first time residents in the small village of Laugarvatn have witnessed travelers treating the town as a large outdoor toilet. She and many others are totally fed up with this behavior, and wonder if radical solutions are the answer: I propose we stop all foreign travelers at the border to demand they provide documentation proving that they have been properly toilet-trained!
We regularly see stories about outrageous behavior by foreign travelers in local media. Fortunately these stories are rare, since most foreign travelers are respectful people. Unfortunately there are always exceptions.
Responsible travel
We at Iceland Insider have always believed it is our duty to help contribute to more responsible tourism by shining a light on the kinds of behaviors which either damage Icelandic nature or give tourism a bad reputation and contribute to negative views of foreign travelers. Off-road driving is of course the best example of the former. In many cases foreign travelers who engage in off-road driving simply don't realize they are not only breaking the law, but actually causing irreparable damage to the fragile nature of Iceland.
Going to the toilet in people's backyards is an example of the second problem. We have seen truly outrageous examples of grown men who were not properly toilet-trained as children, and think they can meet the call of nature whenever, and wherever they please. However, unlike off-road driving there can never be any excuse for this sort of behavior.
Read more: Group of travelers fined 1.4 million ISK for off-road driving around Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
A local woman shared the story of an unpleasant experience she and her parents had this past weekend when a foreign traveler went into their back yard in Laugarvatn village on the Golden Circle to go to the toilet. The man, who was a white male in his late 60s, was traveling with a group driving a large Land Cruiser SUV.
Sigríður Jónsdóttir wrote in a post on Facebook that her parents were drinking their morning coffee on Sunday morning when they see a man go into their back yard, pull down his pants and squat to go to the toilet in their flowerbed. Dad decided to go out to keep an eye on the man. The poopypants just pulled down his pants and shat in the garden.
When the traveler noticed that he was being watched he became somewhat skittish, and picked up his droppings before hurrying off. He probably didn't dare to leave it behind, as dad was standing over him, taking photos.
Sigríður's father, Jón Þór Ragnarsson, told the local newspaper Fréttablaðið that he took photographs of the man and the rental vehicle. He informed the car rental of the behavior of the people. Jón told Fréttablaðið that there was no excuse for this sort of behavior. The campsite in Laugarvatn has a public toilet which is open 24h.
After Sigríður's post on Facebook went viral local media covered the incidence. She told Fréttablaðið that this is not the first time residents in the small village of Laugarvatn have witnessed travelers treating the town as a large outdoor toilet. She and many others are totally fed up with this behavior, and wonder if radical solutions are the answer: I propose we stop all foreign travelers at the border to demand they provide documentation proving that they have been properly toilet-trained!
