Tourists Go Home: What the Locals are Really Calling You

Travel is a good thing. It gets us away from our desks, pumps money into local economies and exposes us to new cultures and adventures. But for the locals of a particular area, tourists can be a nightmare. Would you want to live in a spot that's overcrowded with outsiders who don't always care what they leave in their path? So, locals have come up with names for whatever breed of tourists frequent their towns. If you hear any of these terms, realize that you might have overstayed your welcome.




goodrob13, flickr
Jersey Shore: Shoobies/Bennys
If you're visiting Atlantic City and south, you're a Shoobie. North? Benny go home. Shoobies are so named because, as the legends go, Philadelphians used to come down the shore on day trips with their lunch in shoe boxes. Bennys means "Bayone, Elizabeth, Newark, New York" – the people who come to the shore in the summer and trash it and its reputation. No, it's not really like on that MTV show. Really.


suewaters, flickr
San Francisco: Fog Hogs
These types are easy to spot because they come to San Francisco in the summer dressed like they're ready for a day at the beach. However, San Fran can be cold and chilly in the summer. Wrap up so you don't stick out.


bluebirdsandteapots, flickr
New England: Peepers
These are the people who drive in droves to peep at the changing colors of fall leaves. While used a lot in New England, the term could technically apply to any place with great foliage. I got swept up with Peepers when at a friend's wedding in Aurora, New York. But, you can't blame the locals for wanting them to get off their country roads.


HBarrison, flickr
Williamsburg, Virginia: Tourons
I don't really need to explain that one to you, do I? If so, consider yourself a touron.