Comments on: Of pearls and vendors

By: Uptourist

Uptourist — Fri, 08 May 2015 07:40:57 +0000

you just say no. That will be enough to push them away. When they keep on pushing, just say no again and firmly look them in the eye.

By: grannygu (@grannygu)

grannygu (@grannygu) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 11:29:35 +0000

Sometimes saying “sorry, no” accompanied with just a teeny tiny smile doesn’t work 🙁 If possible, it makes the touts even more persistent. I think being bestowed with a smile gives them hope that there’s a possibility that you’re a softie/potential customer-slash-victim . These days i just avoid eye contacts. That’s in tourist areas or while traveling.

But in regular non-travel life, it’s better to do eye contact and gently but firmly say no thanks, in my experience that is.

By: Nina

Nina — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 15:26:00 +0000

In reply to The Guy. Yeah, I think Caucasians especially get a lot of attention in Asia. I also prefer buying from sellers who are less aggressive.

By: The Guy

The Guy — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 22:37:12 +0000

I receive a lot of attention from touts in Asia and in particular China. Mind you having a caucasian face doesn’t do me any favours.

I have the constant “you wanna buy a watch” and other less repeatable offers. To be honest if I’m not in the mood to discuss or be polite I just walk on by and pretend to not speak English. If I’m in a better mood I’ll give a polite “no thanks” – however this engages them and can lead to unwanted attention.

I understand your point about they may depend on your income. In this situation I like to be more wary of my surroundings. The really pushy sellers and touts seem to do okay and want me to buy things I really don’t want at extortionate prices. I’d rather identify the quiet sellers in the background who don’t get all the attention. Since they get less busy they are probably more worthy of my (honestly) limited funds.

By: Filipina Explorer

Filipina Explorer — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 06:19:59 +0000

I smile and just say, “Hindi po, salamat po.” Then I move along na na NR kahit mangulit pa. I find it easier if I let them be and to not just stress about it.