A good chunk of my life has been spent traveling. I've lived in a few places overseas. I've traveled for fun. I've traveled for school, and I travel for work. Traveling has really become second nature for me. Sometimes I don't even realize how much I actually travel until it hits me as I step on a plane, or when I'm in an airport going through security, or I'm in some obscure place trying to get from point A to point B. It is at these times that I realize how much I actually travel. Why, you may ask? As a seasoned traveler, you quickly learn tricks to efficiently navigate your way through airports, or  to make your way from the airport to the hotel, or even  how to find a restaurant in a new city. In contrast, it's clear to me when I'm travelling, particularly when I'm getting on an aircraft, that you can  pick out people that don't travel often.

One of the tell-tale signs of someone who is somewhat wet behind the ears is when a person is unfamiliar with the location of their seat assignment. For me, I don't even think about it anymore, for instance, 14G -  I just automatically go to the right hand side of the aircraft. Seating is ordered alphabetically starting with A on the far left side of the aircraft and continues across the aircraft.

Unfortunately , I'm not the only one who can spot a neophyte traveler. I recall a time when I was in line for a Taxi at the airport in Shanghai and an "underground" cab driver was trying his best to persuade a young woman who was standing next to me in line and traveling alone to get in his car:

"Cheap" he said, "I give you discount".

Fortunately she had the sense to say no, and then we chatted about it for a bit and I gave her a little piece of advice about how to safely get around the city. The point here is that people who don't travel much can be spotted from a crowd. Don't get me wrong, this is something that frequently happens to me as well, but I've learned it's better,  instead of engaging in conversation as in the previous circumstance, to simply blow them off. That's a difference between a seasoned traveler and a rookie. It may seem like a rude thing to do, but it's a matter of ensuring your safety, which trumps all else, especially when traveling internationally and especially when you're alone. Of course, you have to somewhat adjust to the circumstances of the place you're visiting and each country will have its caveats, but the bottom line is that you have to use good judgment and listen to common sense when you're in an unfamiliar place.