I am Marc, a professional tour guide who has spent four intense summers navigating Europe, and most of my excursions run exactly like clockwork. This year, I was thrilled to lead my first Roman itinerary, a route that is always a favorite. The group of twenty-nine travelers seemed friendly and engaged, eager to explore the city’s hidden corners and grand landmarks. I anticipated a seamless and easy week with this spirited bunch. However, group travel always has the potential to bring out the worst or the best in people, and when one person decides the rules do not apply, tension quickly surfaces. My easy week was immediately complicated by one particular traveler who treated the established schedule as entirely optional.
From the very first day, this one traveler treated our strict schedules as mere suggestions. She constantly wandered off without telling anyone, disappearing into souvenir shops, boutiques, and perfume stalls at every single stop. Each time, I politely but firmly reminded her to stay with the group or to return promptly at the agreed-upon time. Her response was consistently dismissive; she would simply brush off my necessary reminders with a careless laugh, saying, “Relax, Marc! I’m on vacation!” Meanwhile, twenty-eight other tourists were continually forced to wait, often standing under the blazing Roman sun, because of her selfish lack of consideration. By day two, anticipating potential future trouble, I began meticulously logging every interaction—location, time, and the exact content of my reminder.
My instincts, unfortunately, were completely correct. On day four, we were scheduled for a mandatory journey from Rome to Florence. We had strict, timed reservations and travel arrangements that were impossible to adjust. I gave her the departure time three separate times that morning, and even messaged it again for absolute clarity. Everyone else boarded the transport early, ready to go. Except her. I knew she was out shopping somewhere near the Trevi Fountain and was neither picking up her phone nor responding to any messages. I held the entire group for a full fifteen minutes past the scheduled departure time, but eventually, I knew I could not justify delaying twenty-eight paying customers any longer. I made the hard, professional decision to leave without her.
About twenty minutes after the bus pulled away, my phone finally rang. It was her, and her voice was not confused or upset, but absolutely furious. She immediately accused me of abandoning her, claiming I had endangered her safety and acted irresponsibly. She ranted that since she did not speak Italian and was unfamiliar with the city’s transport, I had intentionally left her completely helpless in a foreign country. Her conclusion was clear: I was nothing more than a “terrible tour guide” and responsible for ruining her entire trip. I listened to her unwarranted rage, reminding myself that my professional priority was the group, and that her solo choices were not my personal responsibility to fix. I simply told her the schedule had been explicitly clear.
Later that same day, she miraculously managed to arrive at the Florence hotel and immediately escalated the situation. She filed a formal complaint against me with the tour company, demanding a full refund, monetary penalties, and disciplinary action against me. She wrongly expected the company to automatically side with her simply because she felt unjustly wronged. My only defense lay entirely in my meticulous preparation. The company’s management reviewed the complete communication log I had compiled: eight documented reminders, clear instructions, and the departure time repeated multiple times. Because I had followed every established procedure, the company’s response was swift and simple: I was supported, there would be no refund, and no disciplinary action would be taken against me.
The matter was finally closed in my favor, and she quietly departed from the tour shortly after, leaving her seat empty for the remainder of the journey to Florence and beyond. I won the professional battle, but here is the part that is not easy to admit: I still feel a tiny, lingering guilt that I effectively ruined her holiday. I never wanted things to end so dramatically. However, I also genuinely do not know what else I could have done; twenty-eight people could not wait indefinitely for one person’s constant lack of accountability. I understand that sometimes in group travel, one individual’s selfish choices unfortunately force a difficult decision, and as a professional, you must choose fairness for the group and live with the uncomfortable consequences.
