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My street food tour guide spent more time on his phone than talking about food | Street Food Tours - Vivisector

My street food tour guide spent more time on his phone than talking about food

I joined a tour downtown last month and it was so frustrating. The guide kept checking his social media and taking videos for his own page. He barely told us about the history of the dishes or the vendors. We rushed through each stop so he could post updates. I remember this amazing taco stand, but we didn't hear who made them or why they're special. It felt like we were just extras in his content. Street food tours should be about connecting with the culture and the people, not boosting someone's online presence. Can we please get back to the real reason we take these tours?

7 comments

7 Comments

felixmoore7mo ago

Isn't the guide just trying to spread the word about these spots? @samrodriguez might disagree, but all that posting could help the vendors get more customers. It's kinda how tours work these days lol.

the_ben7mo ago

Read a podcast say some tours are just content farms now, @samrodriguez.

kevin3317mo ago

Wait, he RUSHED through a TACO STAND just to post updates? That is INSANE. You go on a tour to learn about the FOOD and the PEOPLE behind it. Skipping the story of who makes those amazing tacos is missing the WHOLE point. It turns a cultural experience into just background noise for his social media. How can someone call themselves a guide if they care more about LIKES than about sharing the REAL deal?

wren2307mo ago

What turned it around for me was just stopping to ask one real question. Last time a guide tried to rush us past a market stall, I waited until he was done filming and asked the woman how long she'd been making her chili paste. She lit up, told us about her family's farm, and suddenly the food tasted completely different. That ten minute chat was the whole point.

dakotahayes7mo ago

Ever think guides rush filming because they're bad at small talk? Just ask your questions anyway, they'll usually step back once a real conversation starts.

samrodriguez7mo ago

Seriously, what kind of guide thinks a taco stand is just a backdrop for their video? Like, @kevin331 said, it's insane to skip the story behind the food. That guide must be getting paid by the like, not by the experience lol. I bet that chili paste chat was way more tasty than any clip they posted. Some people really need to put the phone down and smell the chili paste, you know?

riley_jenkins277mo ago

That bit about smelling the chili paste hits home for me. I had a guide who was always filming, so I just asked the cook how she learned to make her salsa. Hearing her story turned a quick stop into the best part of my day.