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Tourist caught on video ignoring safety measures at national landmark: 'Surely the picture isn't going to look that different'

"When one is visiting another country, one is a guest to that country."

"When one is visiting another country, one is a guest to that country."

Photo Credit: Reddit

Capturing the perfect photo on vacation is an understandable desire, but some people push it too far and ignore important signage and barriers meant to protect them and the nature around them.

In the r/VisitingIceland subreddit, an understandably frustrated person shared a video of a tourist who had stepped over a chain to try to get a closer picture of a waterfall. "Another tourist too special to respect barriers protecting the Icelandic landscape," they wrote in the caption.

The outrageous part is that the video shows the tourist could have gotten pretty much the same picture without crossing the barrier, as they only stepped a few feet over. "Surely the picture isn't going to look that different from the path, such bizarre behavior," one person commented.

"'You know, my picture would be so much cooler if I were standing 3 inches to the right,'" quipped another.

When tourists go beyond designated viewing areas, they risk damaging delicate vegetation or other landscapes, ruining them for other visitors and leaving long-term negative impacts on the environment. They're also designed to keep people safe, as some locations, like Yellowstone National Park's geysers, can cause injury and even death to tourists who ignore the rules.

Iceland has had a major tourism boom over the past few years, with over 1.7 million people visiting the distinctive island in 2022, per the country's tourism site. The country has taken measures to educate tourists on good behavior, like creating a video showing them how to safely take selfies without disturbing nature, according to the Nordic Labour Journal. It's also asking tourists to sign visitor pledges before entering the country, per National Geographic. Other popular destinations have done the same, including New Zealand, Haida Gwaii, and Hawaiʻi.

As one person highlighted, respecting your surroundings is a simple thing.

"Really, when one is visiting another country, one is a guest to that country. Sometimes it is hard to learn all ground rules of a new country but things like don't step into places that you are not supposed to or to obstruct traffic or pedestrians is just common sense," one person wisely wrote.

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