Getting hassled on holiday by locals

[LittleMissUnreasonable]

I've arrived on holiday a couple of days ago and can't believe how off-putting to business some of the locals are. The two main examples so far;

• Going to a market to have a look around, and wanting to buy some gifts.

Market trader: "Madam do you want to buy this scarf" Me: "No thanks just looking at the moment" "I can give you a good price" "No thank you" "I can sell for x" I end up just walking away as I have ASD and can't concentrate on what I actually want to buy and it's overwhelming someone getting in my face trying to sell something I'm not looking at.

Second scenario was a taxi ride
"When are you going home, I can do airport taxis"
"22nd, we have a taxi sorted thank you"
"I can do it for 15 ( example amount, much higher than our booked one)
"No thanks, we have it booked cheaper for 10 " (true)
"I can do it for 12.50"
"No thanks , we have a cheaper one booked"
He then gets arsey and moody so we have a quiet journey. 5 minutes later he hands us a business card and asks us to contact him if we need a driver. Yeah sure, a miserable man who tried to offer an inflated price for a journey we already sorted, and got irritated we didn't accept...

I don't want to name the country because I don't want to give bad opinions to someone who might want to go, but it's Asia (the Thailand/Indonesia/Malaysia/Philippines sort of vibe). But Im surprised that people think this is a way to get business. I saw loads of people looking at the markets before being scared off by persistent sellers.

Does anyone else feel the same?

This isn't what bartering is!

Many people in tourist areas speak more than one language.

Oh dear… not sure where to start with this.

They have researched their market…it’s tourists with money to spend and no clue what is a reasonable price. It is people who are more worried about being polite and being ’rude’ than spending money. It’s people who will buy overpriced stuff because they are on holiday.

hmm this is my second Steve Martin share to illustrate a point in as many days. Who knew he’d be so versatile!?

it really is . It’s literally used in quite a few holiday destinations. Doesn’t matter what you what yo call it , it’s up to you to reseach before going away and see if the culture fits your expectations

Yep, totally hate this too, and avoid certain countries as I just did not find it relaxing. It’s their culture, but it made me uncomfortable.

Bartering is trading non-monetary goods or services. Haggling is negotiating the price on a good or service.

unless people are walking around these markets with a sack of potatoes or rice to trade with shopkeepers they are haggling.

This also very common in India. Travelled there a number of years ago with dh and everything was haggled over. I found it exhausting and bought very little my dh on the otherhand loved it and used go on for ages with them haggling. I guess for every person like me there's someone like my dh. It did work with him and he did buy a lot and always thought he'd got a great bargain I wasn't so sure 😂

This. For example in Mexico it is always like this and always will be. Say no thank you and move on

@newamsterdam Not sure how saying I don't like being pestered to buy something in a shop due to my disability and don't appreciate grumpy taxi drivers is racist. Maybe I should just allow myself to get ripped off left, right and centre and smile like a nodding dog so I don't get ripped off.

Also there's a hell of a lot of assumptions here. I am not British. This is my first time travelling outside of Europe. I did research but DH wanted to go and I did not realise it was this full on. I am not a privileged world traveller like most MNers rolling their eyes at me for not being more worldly

Thanks to those who have also shared stories and been a bit kinder.

OP your responses are perfect.

You are saying no in a firm but polite way.

I have heard this is very common and some people will give in when pushed, so they will keep pushing.

But keep doing what you’re doing and being firm but polite.

It can be really off putting. It’s also potentially worse now because Covid did a number on the tourist trade in a lot of SE Asia and if tourist numbers are still down people may be desperate. We went to Vietnam soon after it opened up, and it was not particularly pleasant. Had a lot of sympathy for the people, understood it had been a very difficult time, but being constantly harassed to buy things made it very stressful. We’d been ten years before to the same place (Hoi An) and it had been totally different, much more relaxed, really magical. This time we just felt like walking ATMs.

Don't smile, that's part of the bartering "game" (scam)! I just shrug and pretend not to understand or go with no. I also respond in a different language (if they say great price, I say no thanks either in the local language or a totally different one just to see how quick they change gears and giving me time to walk away. I don't speak much of many languages but enough to say things like no. I do avoid taxis when travelling though. Maybe just shrug and behave busy.

Don't go to Egypt.

You have to remember that many countries outside Europe do not have a welfare state so if they don’t sell whatever they’re touting to the tourists, they can’t feed their families or pay their bills. It’s not personal it’s just how they do business. If you are unable to cope with this then perhaps trips to this kind of area aren’t the ideal holiday for you sadly.

You just beat me to it ... I've travelled widely and never been to a place where it was more obvious I was just a walking wallet

Annd even there a calm smile and a no thank you worked, if folk just kept walking

I loved Egypt btw, and would go back tomorrow ( if not for current events).

You just have to go against the British instinct of politeness and humouring people and be "rude". They won't see it as rude. They'll just realise you're not a lucrative mark and move on.

Don't smile, don't engage, say "no" (not "no thank you"), gesture "no", say no in the local language, or just shrug. Don't take anything, dont let them put anything in your hand or on you. As little engagement as possible and nothing that would make them think they have a chance to sway you. If you can walk away, do.

Always try and remember they're being pushy because they often have families to feed and nothing to fall back on. It's annoying to you but part of life for them.

They rarely have Irish always a great language to start speaking and love the look on people's faces as they try to place the language

Assuming people are "ripping you off" because YOU don't understand their customs, after you have gone to their country, is kinda racist.
Being nasty about their customs, is kinda racist. Assuming you are the right one, and they are doing something wrong, because its different... REALLY kinda racist.

Fixed smile on your face and say no thanks have a great day/afternoon/evening. Just repeat. As long as you say something and it’s polite it’s fine. Used to have this every time I left the house for the couple of years we lived overseas. If you’re offered a guide/taxi driver the answer is no thanks my sister’s husband is driving us, he’s in the (nearest large town) police.

@newamsterdam Well after the hotel said the going rate for an airport taxi is 10, and Uber/Grab apps confirm this, it's REALLY kinda obvious the angry taxi driver was trying to rip me off by saying the ride would be 15. Should I have just handed him the money to not be racist. Am I really being nasty by wanting to browse a market at my own pace and saying no thank you. I think you're clutching at straws here.
As an Eastern European who has had more than their fair share of racism, I think you have no idea what you're on about.

Sounds very much like when I went to Bali.. gave they tried selling you car steering wheels yet? 🤣

I've experienced this and expect it in certain countries but even I, an experienced traveller, didn't expect to be virtually assaulted by a woman in Marrakesh who gripped my hand like a vice and did a henna tattoo which she then demanded €100 for! She didn't get it. Also in Barbados one guy was banned from our hotel as he harassed me non-stop from the moment I arrived.

I know they're just trying to make a living but it's really very tiresome.

Incidentally the tattoo woman purported to write my name which I was secretly impressed about until I went into a shop znd the guy in there took my hand and said "so Sheila...". My name is nothing like Sheila 😂

Sounds like you didn't research before you booked. No one to blame but yourself really. You can't expect places to change how they do things because you are visiting. You sound ridiculous tbh.

Hold your hand up, smile and say no thank you. Repeat as necessary.