How to Spot a Tourist???

[crazygirley]

So, okay... I have read here that many of you locals can spot us tourists from a mile away.

I am happy and confident that as a veteran "tourist" that I know my way around the Orlando area very well, can drive just as normal as I do at home while I navigate my car around Orlando, and really don't act like a tourist while I am in Orlando other than while at WDW. I usually avoid the "Tourist Traps" and high tourist filled stores, rarely if ever go into an outlet-shopping-center, and act pretty normal.

So, other than the typical things I mentioned above that I DON'T do, what is it that tourists do that stand out? I am just wondering because I am seriously thinking of moving to Orlando when I am done with college and I don't want to look like one of the people from up-north that you all can pick out from a crowd.

 

[Enderikari]

Easiest spot on a tourist, at least for me...

IN October, Nov. Dec.

A person wearing shorts and a jacket.
When peoplepack to go to Disney, they dont think to bring anything but shorts, but bring a jacket just in case, when it gets cold, the tourists have to wear the shorts, but wear the jacket to keep sort of warm.

 

[mkt]

new stylre sunshine state license plate expiring in June with a barcode on the window and a red sticker on the tires..

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by mkt
new stylre sunshine state license plate expiring in June with a barcode on the window and a red sticker on the tires..

So much for dropping the "Y" from licence plates :lol:

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by TAC
I'm NOT a local, but I heard that years ago, that all of the rental cars had a Z in the license plate. I don't think that is the case anymore.

So the locals (and the bus drivers) would say: "Watch the Z cars."

Just a vicious rumor ? Or was there truth to that ?

I think it was a "Y", which explains my previous post. They stopped using that as criminals knew to target cars with "Y" plates as they would be tourists.

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by TAC
Sorry, I didn't mean to steal your thunder. :wave:

No worries, I'm saving my thunder for later in the day :animwink:

 

[mkt]

they don't have a set license plate issue for rental cars... just Sunshine State plates. It's whatever plates are available when they go to the DMV and grab their plates by the bulk

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by mkt
they don't have a set license plate issue for rental cars... just Sunshine State plates. It's whatever plates are available when they go to the DMV and grab their plates by the bulk

Time before last my hire car had North Carolina plates! I booked a bottom of the line economy car and drove away in a Malibu. Very comfy, but I think the suspension was made out of mash potatoes - it could not corner for S*&^

 

[artvandelay]

Originally posted by barnum42
I think it was a "Y", which explains my previous post. They stopped using that as criminals knew to target cars with "Y" plates as they would be tourists.

In NY it was a Z (or Zed)

 

[Woody13]

Originally posted by mkt
they don't have a set license plate issue for rental cars... just Sunshine State plates. It's whatever plates are available when they go to the DMV and grab their plates by the bulk

I think you also need to explain that tags in Florida are issued at the county level (for tax purposes). Each county has its name on the bottom of the tag.

However, people can get "Sunshine State" rather than "Dade" (for example) it they ask for them.

Rental car and other commercial tags are the generic "Sunshine State" tags.

 

[10 min. to wdw]

every rental car I've ever seen down here has had the sunshine state plates on them. Robs right though the majority of the rental cars have the MYFLORIDA.COM plates now.

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by Woody13
I think you also need to explain that tags in Florida are issued at the county level (for tax purposes). Each county has its name on the bottom of the tag.

However, people can get "Sunshine State" rather than "Dade" (for example) it they ask for them.

Rental car and other commercial tags are the generic "Sunshine State" tags.

yes yes yes. There is no real reason for the plates having Sunshine State on them as opposed to the county. I've seen a rare handful of non-Sunshine State plates on rental cars before (even 1 with Orange County plates), but those are rare. I guess that in Orlando, since most cars have OC plates, when going to the tag agency to pick of their box of plates, they issue whatever they have the most of on hand, which would be Sunshine State tags... just a guess though. I know that residents from neighboring counties some by the OC offices to register their cars at the cheaper 6.5% here than 7% their counties charge.

Woody, what surprises me is that they don't get Fleet plates on the rentals. Would there be any benefit to this? or none...


that being said, I'm up for plate renewal this year, and I think the myflorida.com plates are UGLY. UGLY UGLY UGLY. So it's time to decide on a specialty plate. What goes best on a black SUV?

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by barnum42
Time before last my hire car had North Carolina plates! I booked a bottom of the line economy car and drove away in a Malibu. Very comfy, but I think the suspension was made out of mash potatoes - it could not corner for S*&^

I'm guessing you rented either from Alamo/National or Avis :lol:

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by mkt
I'm guessing you rented either from Alamo/National or Avis :lol:

Alamo it was.

 

[barnum42]

They way I spot many a British family is that the father will sport a large beer gut (very different in shape to the American variety) over which is a soccer shirt. Any small sons will also sport soccer shirts and whatever haircut David Beckham is wearing that week.:lol:

 

[mkt]

I'm guessing then that this week Beckham has a mullet :lol:

off topic, I really do like the current England Football Shirts.. simple red and white with the gold star

 

[speck76]

British toursits are the easiest to spot:

Males are wearing a soccer jersey and/or soccer shorts
Males have a crew cut
ladies are very sunburn
males, if wearing a collared shirt, the collar is turned up
socks are pulled up and not white

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by speck76
British toursits are the easiest to spot:

Males are wearing a soccer jersey and/or soccer shorts
Males have a crew cut
ladies are very sunburn
males, if wearing a collared shirt, the collar is turned up
socks are pulled up and not white

The soccer shirt is always a dead giveaway (although I do not own one).
The crew cut is in fashion because A. Beckam currently has a crew cut and B. It is important to many British males to "look well hard" and they feel short hair aids to this effect.

Sunburn - Does not matter how much they are told that Florida sun is a damn sight stronger than the UK the message does not seem to get through.

Not sure about the socks thing - maybe with older folk, though I use that more to spot Amrican tourists. Most people I know go without socks or at least wear the sock liners that do not extend above the top of the shoe.

Speaking of footwear, another easy tourist give away is that they wear brand spanking new shoes/trainers/sneakers

 

[mkt]

- they are wearing brand new shoes that generally don't match the rest of their outfit...

- a whole lotta and VonDutch apparel

- PALE

-nearly hits me head on when going onto the road :lol:

 

[Yellow Shoes]

WHAT!?!?!?

British tourists have abandoned the black socks with sandals look?