Going on vacation seems to bring out the worst in some people.
For every family happy to hit the beach, enjoy a buffet dinner and take souvenir photos, there always seems to be another family dedicated to embarrassing themselves and annoying everyone else.
And bad behavior from tourists can cause friction for locals who are fed up with vacationers treating their homes poorly. Which is just what happened to a British family called "worse than pigs" by angry New Zealanders.
Since arriving in the country a week ago, reports from Auckland and Hamilton say the family of tourists have made a nuisance of themselves. They've been blamed for littering, threats, assaults, and even dining and dashing at restaurants.
The family gained national notoriety and viral infamy after they were taped leaving beer bottles and other garbage on the ground at Takapuna Beach.
In a video of her encounter with the family, local woman Krista Curnow filmed a child in the group threatening to "knock your brains out."
"Even grandma and the child got involved, saying they wanted to punch my head in," Curnow said.
Posted by Krista Curnow on Saturday, January 12, 2019
A journalist also reported that they were struck by a shoe after approaching another family member for comment.
The New Zealand Herald even spoke to one passenger who was onboard the family's flight to New Zealand, who reported they were acting badly even before they landed in the country.
"After leaving the plane they even left one of her [their baby's diapers] in the overhead that we think had actual poop left in it, because it smelt like death," he said.
Auckland's mayor, Phil Goff, lead the charge to kick the family out of the country, calling them "trash" and "leeches" in a radio interview.
He also detailed how the family allegedly avoided paying for meals: by insisting there was a problem with their dish and refusing to pay.
"If you say one time 'I found a hair or an ant in my meal' you'd believe it," said Goff. "But they find it every meal that they have as a way of evading payment. That's a criminal activity."
He went on to call the group "worse than pigs," and said he wanted "to see them out of the country."
And, in a surprising turn of events, Goff's wish came true.
Peter Devoy, the country's assistant general manager of immigration, broke the news that the family had been would be deported because of "matters relating to character."
The family were issued a notice of their deportation after a 26-year-old member pleaded guilty to stealing from a gas station.
While they have the opportunity to appeal the notice, the family have reportedly chosen not to.
Before the notice was given, an online petition to send the tourists home collected more than 2,500 signatures online.
In an interview with the Herald, the group announced they would end their holiday early and return home, but denied leaving restaurants without paying.
"We're English citizens and we were attacked on that beach, we left and they videoed the mess and then put it on Facebook, you see what I mean?" family member David Johnson said.
He added that leaving garbage behind is "not the end of the world."
Another family member, John Johnson, insisted his grandfather was the "10th richest man in England" and that he came from a good family.
[H/T: NZ Herald, News.com.au]
