Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Things Foreigners Should Avoid At All Costs While Visiting America

Grand Canyon
brown rocky mountain under white clouds during daytime

Reddit user AMGBOI69420 asked: 'Americans of Reddit, what places in America should foreigners avoid at all cost?'

When people visit the United States of America for the first time, they often have a list of places to see and things to do (and eat!).

Get a hot dog in New York City before attending a Broadway show, take in the spectacular views of the Grand Canyon, or soak in the sunny beaches of Florida.

Of course, like anywhere on Earth, there are also some places and things which should be avoided at all costs.

Then too, not all guidebooks can give you all the information on things to be wary of in the most visited places in the country.

Some of which might save you a dollar or two, and some of which might actually save your life.


Redditor AMGBOI69420 was curious to hear all the advice the Reddit community had to offer to first-time visitors to the US, particularly regarding what to avoid, leading them to ask:
"Americans of Reddit, what places in America should foreigners avoid at all cost?"

Those Signs Are Not Just Decorations

"If you go to a national park and you disregard the signs, you're going to die."

"It's not a joke."

"Treat buffalo like field puppies?"

"You're going to die."

"Try to pet the brown bear?"

"You're going to die."

"See that moose and want to feed it?"

"You're probably already dead."

"Oh look, a rattlesnake! "

"*dead*"

"Want to swim in Old Faithful?"

"You're going to die painfully and completely dissolve into a soup."

"Sh*t is dangerous here and if you don't respect it you'll be lucky to die quick."- Xanza

"If you’re in a National park, listen to what the caution signs say and don’t venture off of paths."

"One is because of wildlife and the other is because humans don’t need to ruin everything in nature, just to get a photo."

"Also, don’t fall into the Grand Canyon." - Yawheyy

grand canyon arizona GIF by Go USA JpGiphy

Know Your Limits And Be Prepared

"Don’t hike into the wilderness of Colorado (especially 14ers) without knowing wilderness survival and responsibilities."

"Tourists die on our mountains and in Rocky Mountain National Park all the time."

"Do your research!"

"Altitude is no joke."- eyjafjallajokul_

Some Things Are Worth The Added Expense...

"Not American but as a visitor trying to travel on the cheap, I made the mistake of booking a greyhound bus ride."

"There's a reason why it was cheap lol."- toadkarter1993

The Name Should Be A Clue

"Death Valley in the summer especially if you consider yourself a strong hiker, and live in a cooler climate."

"It has that name for a reason."- FabFrench

death valley documentary GIFGiphy

Or Even Dip Your Toes...

"The hot springs in yellowstone are not hot tubs do not swim in them."- needs_grammarly

"Steaming Acidic hot springs in Yellowstone."- SuvenPan

Every City Has One...

"Anywhere with a Rainforest Cafe and a Wax Museum on the same street is a tourist trap."- Klytus_Im-Bored

homer simpson episode 13 GIFGiphy

Maps Exist For A Reason

"Avoid going to one location thinking another location across the country is a short trip."- Jebediah_Vorbeck

So Much For "Brotherly Love"

"The Kensington area of North Philadelphia."

"Don't."

"Just don't."- amhildreth

Even If You're A Night Owl

"Most of Downtown Los Angeles at night."

"When the streets get quiet and the locals go home, that's your cue to go back to your hotel or a more popular hotspot."- muststayawaketonod·

los angeles city GIF by The Broad MuseumGiphy

Aracnaphobia!

"Pueblo Colorado."- External-Traffic-916

"F*ck Peublo and its mass Tarantula Migration."- paustulio

Not The Where, But The What

"It's not 'places' as much as 'situations' that you should avoid."

"Depending on where you're from, you'll have some of these instincts, but not others."

"It's not all or nothing."

"But here's some situations I can see happening to a European, as an example."

"Getting stranded in the desert."

"Whether you're hiking without water, or driving too far on a single tank of gas, there's a real risk of being stranded without very immediate help, and no cell reception."

"Underestimating travel time."

"You're not going to see NYC and LA on the same trip."

"They're three time zones apart."

"They are exactly as far apart as London, England and Baku, Azerbaijan."

"You'll either be driving for a week, or flying."

"Even things that seem close, like NYC and DC, are not actually that close."

"It would be about 6 hours of driving or train to get from one to the other."

"Trespassing."

"It is taken VERY seriously here, and you could wind up shot if you are on the wrong person's land."

"We do not have the right to roam."

"And we do have the right to bear arms."

"Some states even have 'castle laws' which considers trespassing to be sufficient reason to shoot someone in 'self defense'."

"Any places people are mentioning are places that Americans wouldn't go to either if they could help it."

"But if I can say one place in particular, it would be Camden, NJ."

"It's just across the river from Philadelphia, and has a couple of tourist draws like the Aquarium or the concert venue, but anywhere that's not those specific places is incredibly unsafe."- pHScale

Season 9 Reaction GIF by The OfficeGiphy

Like any country, America has its fair share of underwhelming and unsafe destinations.

Thankfully, most of these places aren't written up in guidebooks, and won't be high on the list of any foreign visitors.

Sadly, guidebooks still might not stop them from shelling out loads of money for very mediocre food at a noisy theme restaurant...


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Senator Chris Murphy, President Donald Trump
Facebook.com/Senator Chris Murphy / Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Dem Senator Drops F-Bomb In Fiery Video After Trump Calls For Congressional Democrats To Be Hanged

Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said "maybe it's time to pick a f**king side" in response to President Donald Trump's call for a group of congressional Democrats who are military veterans to be executed after they reminded U.S. troops that they must disobey unlawful orders.

Senators Elissa Slotkin (Michigan) and Mark Kelly (Arizona) joined Representatives Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan (Pennsylvania), Maggie Goodlander (New Hampshire), and Jason Crow (Colorado), all of whom are veterans. In a video message, they noted that the Trump administration is "pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens."

Keep ReadingShow less
Two people facing each other resting their hands in their heads accross a table from one another
a man and a woman sitting at a table
Photo by Good Faces on Unsplash

Dating Red Flags People Ignored And Instantly Regretted It

Many of us are taught growing up to give people the benefit of the doubt.

A belief many people adhere to when dating.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot from @prissyxoxo25's Threads post
@prissyxoxo25/Threads

Woman Rejects Boyfriend's Proposal After He Bought $900 Ring From Walmart—And The Internet Has Thoughts

Relationships can dissolve for all kinds of reasons, but a key reason that's become more popular with the prevalence of TikTok and Reddit is not staying with someone who doesn't listen to their partner or prioritize their needs.

Knowing a person's favorite song or how they take their coffee might seem like a mundane thing, but it's an intimate detail that shows that you care about your partner's likes and interests.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dr. Jennifer Tsai; Person holding Christmas lights
@drjenandjuice/TikTok; Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

People With Astigmatism Are Flabbergasted After Realizing What Christmas Lights Look Like To Other People

Sometimes you don't know what you don't know until someone shows it to you in a TikTok video.

For instance, a person might not know about the possibility of having an astigmatism, which is an ocular condition that causes blurriness in vision, and the blurriness worsens with bright, contrasting lights. Blurring taillights at night, especially when it's raining, is a common occurrence among those with astigmatism.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @lookitskateeee's TikTok video
@lookitskateeee/TikTok

Family Goes Viral After Throwing Hilariously Dramatic Funeral For Child's Pacifier

All children grow and develop at different rates. Whether they crawl earlier, walk later, have trouble letting go of the baby bottle, or just cannot get behind the idea of mushed green beans, each child will have a journey all their own.

But an experience that more families than not know is the very real attachment many babies and toddlers develop to their favorite beloved pacifier.

Keep ReadingShow less