Embassy to Traveling Brits: This is Not a Tourist Information Center

Travel Blog • Eva Holland • 08.13.09 | 12:07 PM ET

The reputation of British tourists sure is taking a beating lately. This week, British consular officials, fed up with frivolous requests for help from their traveling citizens, have released the details on some of the more absurd questions they field. Said Juliet Maric, the British Consul in Alicante, Spain: “If you have a serious problem abroad—maybe you’ve been involved in an accident, have lost your passport or are a victim of crime, we can help you. But we can’t tell you who is allowed to use your swimming pool, pay your taxi fares for you—or do anything about the exchange rate.”