8 Truly Embarrassing City Souvenirs

As a society we don't aim very high with our souvenirs. Instead we've reached the following unspoken agreement: as travelers we'll consider the loved ones who haven't joined us on the trip for roughly the period of time between our arrival at the airport and our boarding; as loved ones we'll accept these gifts and tuck them behind other souvenirs on a shelf in the guest room in the basement until such time as our next residential move. The old saying is a bit off here: it's really the afterthought that counts.

With that in mind it's hard to criticize souvenir makers for not exactly giving it their all. Still, sometimes a souvenir falls so far short of even this admittedly low qualitative goal that it merits acknowledgement. When that happens in real life we reassess our friendships; when it happens on the Internet we count our blessings for the Internet. Below we offer a few of the most embarrassing city-related souvenirs you can bring home for someone you purportedly care about. (Special thanks to the Crap Souvenirs site and its creator, Doug Lansky, for some inspiration.)