Tourist bashing ... already?

I picked up a co-worker on the north side of the island today before work because her car broke down and she's pretty much screwed. My car was dropped off at a shipping company in Jersey two weeks ago and because of U.S. customs, it won't be here for another two weeks. So it goes.

Anyway, back to my story. When we came above a peak and an amazing view of the bay was exposed, I sighed for a moment and enjoyed the scenery.

"Shit, look at that," she said. "Six boats, are you kidding me? Traffic is going to be a bitch."

The co-worker, a news reporter who has been on the job for only three months, already had a good feel for when traffic would peak based on the number of tourists coming off the cruise ships. Indeed, six cruise boats in the bay at one time is a lot and sure enough, when I was driving to a high school baseball game later in the afternoon, the tourist traffic bit me right in the ass.


Am I starting to resent tourists already? I've only been on the island for 15 days.

It's not like they all come off the boats and rent cars -- some do -- but it's the taxis and tour vans that really get in the way. Most of the vans can hold up to 12 people and those said vans take their sweet time driving through downtown and around the curvy country roads.

If they were taking pictures, then I felt I should too ... while driving my car. And talking on the iPhone. And nibbling on a Pizza Hut personal pan pizza. All at the same time.


I figured that in a land that allows open consumption of alcohol while driving, a little multi-tasking behind the wheel would not attract any road blocks. Not for an old island local like me.