Vacation Surrogate Will Vacation for You!
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Always wanted to visit San Francisco, but never had the time or money?
Let me be your vacation surrogate! I'll go to the places that you want to see. Take all of the pictures you would take. Send postcards to tell your friends and family all about the beautiful city by the bay.
And so goes the pitch by Sara Thacher, a self-proclaimed vacation surrogate whose Web site promises to provide all the details of a vacation to San Francisco without actually going yourself. Simply fill out a questionnaire detailing the typical activities you'd do if you were to actually visit San Francisco and Thacher will customize the pseudo-vacation experience to reflect your tastes and lifestyle. This ensures that your friends won't receive a postcard from the Castro, for example, if that's not your thing.
I'm not sure what the appeal is about staging fake vacations, but apparently there is a market for it. As reported on Gadling a year ago, a company in Russia will do the same thing for famous destinations all over the globe. They will even Photoshop your smiling mug into all sorts of photographs proving that you did indeed make it all the way to ... ____________ (fill in the blank).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jul 18th 2007 @ 1:17PM
Willy Volk said...
This is the dumbest thing I have EVER heard of.
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 8:10PM
Donna said...
Where can I get this job??? I would love to travel and take photos on someone elses dime.
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 8:28PM
Mary said...
Where do I sign up for this job!!?? I would love to go on a vacation with someone else paying for it!
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 8:30PM
Stephanie said...
I weep for humanity. What kind of crackhead would actually shell out for this?
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 8:30PM
Eileen said...
A few years ago someone placed an ad in a NY newspaper. The ad read "This is your last chance to send your dollar to blank blank post office box."
Apparently there were many, many people perfectly eager to put a dollar in an envelope and mail it to him, even though he offered nothing in return. :-)
I always thought that was funny. And enterprising. This story reminded me of the same kind of thing.
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 8:48PM
veil said...
reminds me of when I got the "Blue Skies on Mars" ego trip from Rekall....
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 9:05PM
Moses said...
Where do I apply for this ultimate sham form of employment?
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 9:05PM
JennyLinskyB said...
If you are tempted to buy this, you need help! Talk about stupid human tricks!
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 9:25PM
JaCee said...
OK...did you actually read the website? She didn't offer to travel outside of San Francisco. She lives there. She states that she is a local, and would make some reccomendations on places to visit.
No where did it say that she would travel anywhere else.
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 9:40PM
V said...
Aww comon' folks. Don't be bitter just because you didn't think of it first.
By the way, I am available to take your vacation on Clearwater Beach, Tarpon Springs, or Tampa, Florida.
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 9:52PM
Sara Thacher said...
Thank you for you interest in my project,'Surrogate Vacations.' As an earlier commenter noted, I live in San Francisco and see this as an opportunity to experience my hometown in a new way. Just to clarify, the is no fee. I offer this service for free because I feel that I get a benefit equal to the time and energy I put in to the project.
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 10:01PM
mnsduds said...
I think you might have misunderstood her website. This girl is smarter than she seems. She does not in fact claim this as her employment... nor does she offer to travel using anyone else's money. She is a local who claims she will visit the places you specify and send pics and details and such... ALL FREE OF CHARGE!!! Why would someone so generously donate their time this way? It is a scam, to be sure. It seems to me the real benefit to her is that she then has your name address and phone number (along with those of family you ask her to write letters to) to sell to advertisers!
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 10:32PM
Ivon said...
Think about what is being offered here, and for FREE.
I don't think so....everything cost. For example,
transportation, be it by car, train, bus, or skateboard for that matter...it cost to get to the different places to take pictures. The going cost for gasoline is no joke. Not to mention the cost of film, processing the film, postage, etc, etc, etc.
Everything cost. Beware, this person has a hidden agenda.
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 10:33PM
Tawfika said...
How can I apply for this job?
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 10:38PM
getflawlesshealth.com said...
Actually this is a marketable idea. Lets say you tell your boss you need 3 days in San Fran for a dead relative... have her send in stuff, maybe find a funeral of someone old and get the handout and meanwhile you get three free days wherever!
Also good for naughty hubby's on "biz trips" or college kids or precollege kids visiting a school on mom/dads dime... say hey I visited Uc San fran hve her send brochures and pix .. meanwhile you are partying with the Dave M Band elsewhere... someone can make money off of it
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Jul 21st 2007 @ 11:05PM
D L said...
Are you serious???? We, as a country, work more hours than most other countries. I think that everyone needs to make the time to take a vacation, even if it's just hanging out at home and not working! Vacations are a sanity saver! By the way, if anyone's looking to visit the Phoenix, AZ area.... :)
Reply
Jul 21st 2007 @ 11:29PM
Tina said...
I can show you how you can have more time and money to go on more of your own vacations. Email to find out how to avoid being in the situation of not having enought time or money to travel for yourself.
Reply
Jul 21st 2007 @ 11:35PM
Tina said...
If you really want to lean more on how to take more of your own vacations see Tina at all4metravel.com
Reply
Jul 22nd 2007 @ 12:06AM
Angel said...
I can't believe how worked up you people are getting over this...if you're so "put off" by the idea, why'd you read the article. Move on and get over it.
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Jul 22nd 2007 @ 12:13AM
Peace said...
Only thng new about getting paid to take a vaction for somene is the indivual is directly footing the bill.
People have been paid to take vacations for centuries. travel agecies, cruise lines, travel magazines, and hotels are just few places that pay people to take vacation and write up reveiw for them.
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