Comments on: Petty scams: get mad or get over it; it’s up to us https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/ Sharing the world with you Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:36:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Caz Makepeace https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-7388 Caz Makepeace Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:40:28 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-7388 I totally agree. You can't understand someone until you first walk a mile in his shoes. Life is survival for many people in the world. They have children to feed and will do anything they can to do that. I understand why many travelers do get scammed. i always try to think of this to ease my anger and frustration. We once had $100 US nimbly stolen from my husband's money belt by some small children selling coca cola in Cambodia. Once we realized it was gone, we immediately allowed ourselves to feel, instead of anger, a sense of gratitude that the money, relatively small to us, may have gone to feed a family for a month. Change your perception, change your life I totally agree. You can’t understand someone until you first walk a mile in his shoes. Life is survival for many people in the world. They have children to feed and will do anything they can to do that. I understand why many travelers do get scammed. i always try to think of this to ease my anger and frustration. We once had $100 US nimbly stolen from my husband’s money belt by some small children selling coca cola in Cambodia. Once we realized it was gone, we immediately allowed ourselves to feel, instead of anger, a sense of gratitude that the money, relatively small to us, may have gone to feed a family for a month. Change your perception, change your life

]]> By: Chris https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-6971 Chris Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:49 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-6971 Having travelled around the world i see everything in what everyone has written and been in every situation. Alot of the time it depends on your own mood for the day or what has happened before the situation. One good tip i can advise only were possible is... once in Sri Lanka myself and my gf were being approached by a guide/tout, i was in good mood and once he started to speak to us in ENGLISH i started to speak in gobbly goook with the odd eeerrr sorryyy my Ingalish is not good and my gf trying to keep a straight face joined in, he looked confused and soon gave up. My point is, some places you are approached every 20 mins and it can get annoying , this way they give up and it can be fun at the same time without getting into an argument, just looked confused and utter eerrrr ssoooorrriiee ! Having travelled around the world i see everything in what everyone has written and been in every situation.
Alot of the time it depends on your own mood for the day or what has happened before the situation.
One good tip i can advise only were possible is… once in Sri Lanka myself and my gf were being approached by a guide/tout, i was in good mood and once he started to speak to us in ENGLISH i started to speak in gobbly goook with the odd eeerrr sorryyy my Ingalish is not good and my gf trying to keep a straight face joined in, he looked confused and soon gave up.
My point is, some places you are approached every 20 mins and it can get annoying , this way they give up and it can be fun at the same time without getting into an argument, just looked confused and utter eerrrr ssoooorrriiee !

]]> By: Mary https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-6764 Mary Sat, 29 May 2010 01:59:37 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-6764 I don't snap over a few dollars. But when I'm being taken for 10's or 100's of dollars in a transaction, it's a slightly different story. Like the taxi driver in Santiago trying to convince me that 50000 pesos was a "fantastic" deal to a hotel that was less than 5 minutes drive away. I know I can get a private transfer from the hotel for 2000 pesos. The guy then gets aggressive with me and swears at me when I point that out and mention it's not my first time in the city...In spanish. I actually find that the "scams" are less annoying than the fact that they automatically assume you're a total idiot. I don’t snap over a few dollars. But when I’m being taken for 10′s or 100′s of dollars in a transaction, it’s a slightly different story. Like the taxi driver in Santiago trying to convince me that 50000 pesos was a “fantastic” deal to a hotel that was less than 5 minutes drive away. I know I can get a private transfer from the hotel for 2000 pesos. The guy then gets aggressive with me and swears at me when I point that out and mention it’s not my first time in the city…In spanish. I actually find that the “scams” are less annoying than the fact that they automatically assume you’re a total idiot.

]]> By: Fatty https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-6746 Fatty Fri, 28 May 2010 18:19:00 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-6746 I don't think thieves deserve a lot of dignity. Yes, I can understand why people steal. But Donald Trump makes more in a few minutes than I make in a day--does that give me the right to add a couple of hundred bucks to his bill and pocket it if he came into my restaurant? Stop making excuses for jerks. Yes, it's one thing if you and your children are starving. But most of the people that rip me off are living pretty comfortably, they just think stealing from tourists doesn't count. We shouldn't excuse that sort of behavior. I don’t think thieves deserve a lot of dignity. Yes, I can understand why people steal. But Donald Trump makes more in a few minutes than I make in a day–does that give me the right to add a couple of hundred bucks to his bill and pocket it if he came into my restaurant?

Stop making excuses for jerks. Yes, it’s one thing if you and your children are starving. But most of the people that rip me off are living pretty comfortably, they just think stealing from tourists doesn’t count. We shouldn’t excuse that sort of behavior.

]]> By: Benny https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-6739 Benny Fri, 28 May 2010 16:12:33 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-6739 We've been targeted in most places on our way to the World Cup through West Africa. On the whole, we can understand it and we don't blame the locals for trying it on. It's good practice for our negotiation skills. What we can handle is when it's happening with corrupt officials. What can you do when they are going to throw you out of or deny you entry to their country? In Nigeria it destroyed our bank balance but the major issue was how frequent it was and what's painful to see is how it's considered the norm and seaps into daily operations... Pull your socks up Nigeria. We're glad to say though, it was only officials in one country out of the past 12 here that we've had issues with - West Africa is amazing and everybody should go. We’ve been targeted in most places on our way to the World Cup through West Africa. On the whole, we can understand it and we don’t blame the locals for trying it on. It’s good practice for our negotiation skills. What we can handle is when it’s happening with corrupt officials. What can you do when they are going to throw you out of or deny you entry to their country?

In Nigeria it destroyed our bank balance but the major issue was how frequent it was and what’s painful to see is how it’s considered the norm and seaps into daily operations…

Pull your socks up Nigeria. We’re glad to say though, it was only officials in one country out of the past 12 here that we’ve had issues with – West Africa is amazing and everybody should go.

]]> By: Adam https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-6737 Adam Fri, 28 May 2010 15:57:48 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-6737 This was always an interesting conundrum when we were on our RTW, particularly in parts of Asia and India. The thing that we found helped the absolute most was a big, warm smile. Trying to keep your head, even when it's about to blow off, is key in these situations (I know that sometimes it's just impossible, and if you've been traveling for a while or just had a bad day, you're going to blow up sooner or later-it has and will happen to all of us). But smiling and firmly saying, "No, that's not what we agreed on," or "it's not what's fair" or 'that's not what it cost me yesterday for the same ride into town" is helpful. Particularly in SE Asia (at least in our experience), they respond much better to calm, smiling disagreements rather than loud voices and anger. This was always an interesting conundrum when we were on our RTW, particularly in parts of Asia and India. The thing that we found helped the absolute most was a big, warm smile. Trying to keep your head, even when it’s about to blow off, is key in these situations (I know that sometimes it’s just impossible, and if you’ve been traveling for a while or just had a bad day, you’re going to blow up sooner or later-it has and will happen to all of us). But smiling and firmly saying, “No, that’s not what we agreed on,” or “it’s not what’s fair” or ‘that’s not what it cost me yesterday for the same ride into town” is helpful. Particularly in SE Asia (at least in our experience), they respond much better to calm, smiling disagreements rather than loud voices and anger.

]]> By: Lilian https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-6735 Lilian Fri, 28 May 2010 15:40:31 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-6735 I have to admit. It is pretty common in Asia. But hope that this will not deter people from visiting Asian countries. The best tip would be to do some research online so that you know roughly the fair price to pay. That would make bargaining easier and you would also be more confident that you are not overpaying or overbargaining! I have to admit. It is pretty common in Asia. But hope that this will not deter people from visiting Asian countries. The best tip would be to do some research online so that you know roughly the fair price to pay. That would make bargaining easier and you would also be more confident that you are not overpaying or overbargaining!

]]> By: Greg https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-368 Greg Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:06:48 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-368 Great post Andy, well balanced and written with restraint, which I know is hard to do sometimes. I've written on this topic several times on my blog (for instance, http://xrl.in/3mzp) and it's difficult to stop it turning into a cuss-filled rant. In Thailand it seems that this attitude is finally catching up to the scammers - when embassies start to officially warn their citizens off of buying stuff at the country's main airport because of scams, you know it's gotten out of hand. It's as if these guys have no inkling of the concept of 'cause and effect', and are seeing how it works firsthand. Unfortunately, the only way to combat it is by being very street smart, and by being a bit of a hardass, things which not everyone can (or is willing to) do. At any rate, the more we write about it, the more word gets out. Greg Great post Andy, well balanced and written with restraint, which I know is hard to do sometimes. I’ve written on this topic several times on my blog (for instance, http://xrl.in/3mzp) and it’s difficult to stop it turning into a cuss-filled rant.
In Thailand it seems that this attitude is finally catching up to the scammers – when embassies start to officially warn their citizens off of buying stuff at the country’s main airport because of scams, you know it’s gotten out of hand. It’s as if these guys have no inkling of the concept of ’cause and effect’, and are seeing how it works firsthand. Unfortunately, the only way to combat it is by being very street smart, and by being a bit of a hardass, things which not everyone can (or is willing to) do.
At any rate, the more we write about it, the more word gets out.
Greg

]]> By: Andy Jarosz https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-307 Andy Jarosz Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:49:11 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-307 Hi Rhett, I agree that in areas where people are less used to seeing tourists you are more likely to be greeted with hospitality than deceit. One of the best parts of visiting little explored destinations is that curiosity that you can find, something that fades as people get used to the flow of visitors. There's less of those places out there, but there are still more than enough for us to see. Thanks for posting. Andy Hi Rhett, I agree that in areas where people are less used to seeing tourists you are more likely to be greeted with hospitality than deceit. One of the best parts of visiting little explored destinations is that curiosity that you can find, something that fades as people get used to the flow of visitors. There’s less of those places out there, but there are still more than enough for us to see.
Thanks for posting.
Andy

]]> By: Rhett https://www.501places.com/2009/10/petty-scams-get-mad-or-get-on-with-it-its-up-to-us/#comment-306 Rhett Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:43:09 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=937#comment-306 I found that the only way to not have this happen is to become native. I know that is almost impossible with language barriers and if you are a tall white guy like me. But I got so good at blending in while I lived in Brazil that I had no troubles at all. Another good way to travel is to go to places that have little to no tourists then the people are less prepared to manipulate you. They are also in shock of seeing you and that distraction can give you the advantage. Rhett out I found that the only way to not have this happen is to become native. I know that is almost impossible with language barriers and if you are a tall white guy like me. But I got so good at blending in while I lived in Brazil that I had no troubles at all. Another good way to travel is to go to places that have little to no tourists then the people are less prepared to manipulate you. They are also in shock of seeing you and that distraction can give you the advantage.
Rhett out

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