Don't Be Frustrated By Tourists, Exploit Them!

The desire to experience history is a powerful tool for inspiration. This motivation fuels the popularity many travel destinations. However, too much popularity coupled with advances in technology can create another inspiration - bring to life history from another perspective.

Abby Road is a landmark in music history. We all know this. Our minds immediately go to the photo of John, Paul, George, and Ringo strutting across the white striped pedestrian crossing. However, Abbey Road is first and foremost a real place where people live; a place where local expect the planned flow of people and cars to be fairly normal so that they can get on with their daily lives. Normalcy like this is expected and is almost a right. Right? We, not for everyone.

Just like the Dekota in NYC, where Lennon was murdered, is rarely without tourist presence, I suppose so too is Abbey Road. Only here, tourists don't flock to have a glimpse at the entrance where John was shot. No, here tourists attempt to mimic that famous pose on the legendary Beatles album. There is only on problem: cars and buses where this place with pedestrians. The outcome: traffic (and likely a good deal of frustration).

Now, local residents have a few options to deal with this scenario. There are the unproductive options: They can avoid it altogether and choose another direction, or they can be utterly annoyed and curse at each tourist that rushes into the street to set up his or her camera. However, the productive ones are more fun. They can set up a booth and charge (be it, illegally) a fee. They can get a few mates together, get dressed up like the Fab Four and charge tourists for "Abbey Road Re-enactments". They can take a picture of the actual album, make duplicates, and sell them as original prints from that infamous shooting day to "sucker" tourists. And the list goes on. The main takeaway is that there is more opportunity from a creative use of a potentially irritating situation.

The author of the attached video is clearly one who believes in this. Since tourists are generally quite funny because they believe that they are being original, but more times than not are fairly routine. Consequently, why not shoot these unintentional comics as they demonstrate their "creativity" on the infamous crossing. In doing so, you quickly catch a large volume of people and begin to see patterns: how they approach the crosswalk (some reservedly, some boldly), how they set up their shot (some quickly some painfully slow), how they do a good job, how they stumble, and so on. Ultimately, you create new entertainment, new art. Therefore, the simple act of shooting an album cover of a highly creative and inspirational band, has involuntarily spawned new creativity in other fields. Brilliant.

I love this because it shows that there is so much opportunity out there. You can see it if you just have a positive disposition and an open mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKCG3zMEsYs