End of common sense among travelers?

This column frequently zeroes in on the lack of common sense among software developers, wireless carriers and computer manufacturers, to name just a few of its most recent targets.

And deservedly so. There’s a deficit of good judgment among many of our leading technology corporations, and business travelers are often the victims of it.

But consider, also, the flip side – road warriors who leave their brains at home.

Lan Lievense thinks I should spend more time putting stupid techno-travelers in my crosshairs. Responding to a recent series of stories that griped about everything from unsafe maid service to drivers who talk on their cell phones, the manager for an Englewood, Colo., networking company, urged me to turn my critical pen inward.

“The person who got angry because he found his hotel room open and unattended by a maid? Duh! Does this character think that any non-English speaking, minimum wage, low IQ, poorly trained, entry-level staff member will exercise security?” he asks.

“Regarding cell phones in cars and dumb drivers: I’ve been using auto cell phones since they were first available. Some days I’ll put in a thousand miles on the car phone. I’ve never had an accident. Common sense simply dictates that you use the auto cell phone only in situations where there’s a lower demand for driving attention – like during a dead stop or in light freeway traffic,” he adds.

Agree or disagree with Lievense, you have to concede that he raises an interesting question: Do travelers behave like idiots? If so, why?

As a travel columnist, I’m always fascinated by stories about dim-witted tourists. But is there research to prove that many people take leave of their common sense when they’re away from home?

“I haven’t come across any studies on that subject,” says Mark Bonn, a professor of business at Florida State University and a tourism scholar. “I don’t think there’s any data on how travelers act, particularly with regards to their stupidity.”

Well, that response suggests that travelers do act like morons from time to time. True? “I haven’t even heard anything anecdotally,” Bonn insists.

Come on.

I’ll let the good professor be, even though I seem to remember a recent study about travelers acting less inhibited while they’re on the road. This, according to Edgar Herold, a tourism expert the University of Guelph in Canada. His research of college students on spring break in Florida found that during a one-week period, one quarter engaged in casual sex and another quarter students had some form of casual sexual contact. I can only guess why Bonn, who teaches at Florida State, has never heard of Herold’s work.

Never mind that. Personally, I think that if you see another traveler doing something completely irrational – like talking on a cell phone while weaving in and out of traffic – you should keep one thing in mind: there’s at least one good reason for it.

It’s the technology, stupid. The hardware and software that we use day in and day out is so patently illogical that it affects everything we do. Including our behavior.

What’s so counter-intuitive about the technology?

Why, for example, does the “Start” button on Windows 98 not start anything? Why do I have to dial a “1″ before the area code on my phone but no “1″ when I’m using my cellular phone? Why is AOL so popular?

Why do the manuals that explain how to use a Personal Digital Assistant weigh more than the devices themselves? What’s the point of having a light Palm Pilot when the how-to book is going to land you an appointment with chiropractor? Why does my laptop computer cost more than my desktop? Why doesn’t my mobile phone work at the airport?

Why are portable PCs heavy? Why do long-lasting batteries run out so fast? Why does it take everything but an act of Congress to check e-mail from my hotel room? Why does each software upgrade come with an even bulkier manual that takes days to pore over? Why do I just end up doing the same thing with the new program?

When we don’t bother answering simple questions like this, we accept an irrational reality that many technology users live in. We become irrational. We lose what’s left of our good judgment, and then we start doing stupid things. Technology doesn’t always make sense, and when it doesn’t, it turns us into victims in ways we can’t always anticipate.

What kinds of questionable behavior have you seen in your fellow frequent traveler? Do you think road warriors do foolish things when they’re away from home? Why? I’m interested in your opinions. And, I’m curious that if you agree that our counter-intuitive technology has something to do with the way some of us act?

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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