Lying to Tourists for Fun and Profit

Well, Not Profit

Today on PQliving.com, "Five Fibs We Tell Tourists" opened our collective mind to all sorts of wacky hijinks.

Aside from outraged locals bellowing "Welcome to Washington! Now stand to the right!" during cherry blossom season, we realize we're missing an potentially intriguing source of amusement.

Two of PQliving's faves:

"The Washington Monument has two different shadings in its stone due to the Great Patowmack Flood of 1854"

...which, as they point out, would have made those floodwaters 150 feet high, and

"If you buy an FBI hat or shirt, you get a free tour. Walk through the front door with the hat on and they'll let you check out the building."

(Never try this, unless you enjoy seeing hapless tourists in handcuffs. Which, well... you just might. We're not here to judge.)

Granted, we've been tempted to inform tourists there simply is no Burger King in the District because Obama outlawed them, but somehow we've refrained.

Also...

  • The Green Line is the most environmentally friendly Metro line.
  • The Blue Line is free on weekends because a Democrat is in the White House. When a Republican is in office, the Red Line is free.
  • Because of America's obesity problem, they're turning Georgetown's "Exorcist" stairs into an escalator.
  • And the statue on top of the Capitol was originally supposed to be the Statue of Liberty, but New York underbid us.
  • When the Redskins win, everyone gets a free half-smoke at Ben's.
  • And although Smithsonians are free, you can usually tour the attic if you slip the security guard a twenty. Umm.... yeah.


So what's the best and/or worst little white lie you've ever told (or wanted to tell) a tourist?


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