I agree with you but the point is that the organisations who let people ride on their back aren't really honest about it either... I've been to Thailand two times, the first time we thought we did the right thing and they told us but later we found out we didn't do the right thing AT ALL. The second time we went to elephant world, such a great place! They rescue elephants who had worked in circuses, had been abused or had to move wood out of the rain forests (really bad for them). The principe of elephant world is that you take care of them the whole day long; preparing food, feeding them, washing them in the river, swimming with them and sitting in their neck instead of their back.