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A group of visitors were cautioned against taking self-portraits during a gondola excursion in Venice, but unfortunately, the boat flipped over in a canal and they fell into the water.
Local news reports state that the gondolier’s instructions for passengers to stay seated and refrain from taking photos were disregarded while passing under a low bridge near St. Mark’s Square, resulting in the incident.
On Monday (December 4th), @ienaridens69 shared a video on TikTok showing tourists holding onto the side of a capsized boat or swimming towards nearby boats after falling into the cold waters of Venice.
The boat capsized because some passengers did not listen to warnings, took selfies while standing, and changed positions while the gondola was moving, causing the boat to become unbalanced.
The video, posted on December 4th, has received over 4.2 million views and viewers did not seem to have much sympathy for the Chinese tourists.
A user left a comment saying: “This is the result of not being able to adhere to basic instructions.”
Another person wrote, “They were instructed on what to do…but they chose to disregard the rules…now they can experience being soaked.”
Starting in 2020, the number of passengers allowed on gondola tours has been reduced due to concerns about “overweight tourists.” Gondola da parades, which were previously able to carry passengers across the Grand Canal, can now only accommodate 12 people.
Taking selfies has previously caused health risks for tourists.
The outdoor carriage on New Zealand’s famous Coastal Pacific train was closed in 2019 due to a high number of unsafe selfies. Passengers were endangering themselves by leaning out of the carriage to capture photos and videos of the surrounding scenery.
Furthermore, a female individual who was apprehended for taking pictures while hanging onto a railing on a Royal Caribbean vessel has been permanently prohibited by the cruise company for “carelessly and perilously posing for a photo.”
Source: independent.co.uk
