Idle banter forum

Kids today...

Actually kids always.

VV is a place for risk taking. If you're not a risk taker, don't go.

Liz
Laos is a pretty big country, with lots of scenery. There are a coupel of places, with VV at the forefront, that have full on party scenes. The basic arguement you make above is that there shouldn't be any places with full on party scenes. Everyone doesn't like nature. Everyone isn't interested in breathtaking scenery. And everyone doesn't care if someone doesn't like what they think of them or their countrymen. There's room enough in Laos for everyone, but the cultural tourists seem to think that the country (and perhaps all countries) should be reserved for their ilk, and all others are persona non-grata. It smacks of elitism.

VV is the Daytona beach of Laos. And the Laos created it and they profit off of it. So be it.

"Closed shoes and long pants? Hell no, look around you dude, that's totally culturally unacceptable here. Go somewhere else old man, this is our place."

Your place? I thought you didn't like VV?

And yes, I have ZERO interest in VV (although the water sports look like fun), that much is true. But that doesn't mean I want to take it away from the kids who like it. Everyone doesn't have to be me. There are places in SEA that I can (and do) enjoy, like Issan. There are places that the party kids like, like VV. There are places that beach goers like, places that cultural tourists like. We aren't all the same in our likes and dislikes and I don't believe we should be trying to shape the environment for a narrow interest group. Like I said, it smacks of elitism.

"A surprising number of those youngsters (probably deeply insecure with a desperate need to blend in) seem to think that being cool necessarily involves acting like a brain-dead lemming and jumping off cliffs or going tubing while on the verge of an ethylic coma."

That is up to them - not you or anyone else. That's kind of my point.

"Anyone with two brain cells to rub together would realize that such behaviour is bound to result in accidents.... like death, severe injury and permanent disfigurement for the rest of your life . "

You ever box? Tough sport. Could result in any of the above. But that doesn't mean people don't have a right to engage in it. We all don't share the same interests, likes or dislikes. Why is that a problem for you?

"All travel insurance policies specifically exclude self inflicted injuries under the influence of drugs and alcohol. That leaves Mummy and Daddy to pick up the tab and it might cost them their house that they've spent a lifetime working to pay for."

That's between the individual concerned and mommy and daddy, not SBE or any of the rest of us.

"Personally I wouldn't bother saving an offspring who demonstrated that level of stupidity....they might breed. "

My suspicion is you don't have any off spring. There is nothing I would not do to save my daughter.

"Besides if you're old enough to travel on your own then you're old enough to take responsibility for you own safety."

This is true, which brings us back to the basic issue of free will. Something you seem to have a problem with.

"Girls who vomit over their sparkly flipflops and then pass out might not be a particularly attractive proposition but they're there for the taking. Bareback freebie anyone?"

Again, there's no law against being stupid is there? You can disparage the behavior. It's not unique to VV however. College kids often do this kind of excessive crap. It's not my thing, but it doesn't have to be. Who am I (or you) to tell these kids what to do? Not my business. If the Laos authorites think it's a problem (or the authorities at Daytona or the authorities at Ibiza or wherever then they are free to do something about it. But if they are willing to let it go on (and profit from it) and the kids are willing to engage in it then so be it. It sounds like some here simply want Laos to be preserved as their own version of a backpacker paradise and if that means keep the Laos impoverished and keeping out people they consider "undersireable" that's a good thing. And I'm saying it's not.

Hey who you calling old!

Think VV is a mixed bag. There are lots of places with people (of all ages) behaving like ridiculous idiots, but few get quite the press VV does. It would be interesting to read a story that was talking about that.