Monday, June 25, 2018

Doofus Of The Day #1,014


This dumbass is incredibly fortunate that he's not a dead Doofus candidate.  See for yourself.





That was filmed in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.  You can read more about it here.

I've lost count of the number of stories I've heard (and incidents I've personally witnessed) of dumb tourist behavior around dangerous African animals.  There are just as many involving dangerous American animals, of course - and not involving animals at all.  There are so many, in fact, that the word "tourons" (an amalgamation of "tourists" and "morons") has been coined to describe such behavior.  Do a search on "tourons" and you'll be amazed at some of what you read.  There's even an entire Reddit subforum dedicated to them.

A tip o' the hat to reader Gerald F. for sending me the link to that story.

Peter

9 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

Oh, brother.

Unknown said...

We were using the term, touron at least as far back as the mid 1980s. Originally to described the hordes in Yosemite who seemingly left their brains at home, then more generally of the idiots which flocked to the beach towns where we lived and the tourist industry began to develop.

Rick

Dave said...

Saw this tale elsewhere.

Shaking my head. When that lion turned around I could read 'piss OFF' in his expression and I don't even own a /cat/.

Brad_in_IL said...

Remember an incident a number of years ago in The Peoples' Republik of mAssachusetts.

In the fall, moose frequently visit the apple orchards to munch on the drops. One day, sure enough, a juvenile (yearling?) moose was having an apple snack. Upon seeing the baby moose (oooh, ahhh, cute, etc.) groups of people stopped their cars and wandered into the orchard to pet and make-nice to the baby moose, clueless that Mama Moose would likely be in close proximity.

And no, I don't recall any news reports of dumb suburbanites getting stomped to death by Mother Nature.

- Brad

kamas716 said...

Wasn't there an episode of "When Animals Attack" many years ago that had a guy get out of the family vehicle to go see the bear alongside the road? And then there was a whole bunch of screaming while the camera shakes and the next thing you can make out is a bear running away with someone's arm in the maw.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

What my older relatives drummed into our young minds, "Don't go bothering something that ain't bothering you".

Uncle Lar said...

Cades Cove Loop Road in Great Smokey Mountains National Park is a delightful scenic drive through forest and reclaimed fields in the park. Always rich with views of wildlife, herds of deer, other critters, and often a bear sighting.
I recall coming upon a bunch of cars parked along side the road with folks all looking and pointing to the tree line along an open field. Mama bear with two cubs out enjoying the sunshine. And not 30 paces from them some idiot touron lady urging her own two kids to geet a little closer so she could get a better picture. She was quite indignant when several of us explained in some graphic detail how close her children were to becoming bear food. Best I can tell she assumed that since it was a National Park that all the animals must have been trained to be safe around people. Yeah, that much of an idiot.
Black bears are opportunistic scavengers, no where near as aggressive as the big browns, but not above dining on flesh if provided to them. And a big sow with cubs, well let's just say mama don't want nobody messin with her babies.

Nuke Road Warrior said...

Every year in Yellowstone somebody is killed or injured petting or trying to ride (yes, ride!) a bison. Then there are the other idiots who want to go for a swim in an inviting looking hot spring, the brittle crust breaks under their feet and they are plunged into 180 to 200 degree water with predictable consequences. Just because it has "park" in the name doesn't mean mother nature isn't in charge.

JohnD said...

Peter, we Aussies refer to DTs, dickhead tourists! And yes, I've been a DT when on holiday in the US.
If only you fellas drove on the correct side of the road, US taxicab drivers wouldn't wear out their brake-pads so much, from DTs like me stepping out onto merging service roads, (not) thinking in holiday mode.