[kpalamel]

Touts: Pit them against each other and get the best deal :-)

Street Traders: Walk away with a friendly 'No thanks' or ' Now now, will be be back later' if not interested in what they are selling. If really interested in something, bargain hard, but within reason. Just remember, they also have to make a living.

Beggars:  There could be many choices based on how you feel about the situation. I would just walk away from most beggars who haggle or follow me. I might get into some shop or business to seek their help too. But I would say, do NOT give money or anything of resaleable value to children. If you feel like, you may offer to buy them food instead. However, if you really want to help, giving to volunteer organizations are a good idea.

Indian men: Lol....this has been a favorite topic for single women travellers to India! May need a separate sticky for it! Yes, some Indian men and their prying eyes can be really annoying, that is why I included them under this topic here. As most experienced travellers know, even some Indian women will stare at you. However most stares are simply harmless, just out of curiosity. As for the rest and your interactions with Indian men, use your commonsense. However imho, 'avoid Indian men at all cost' advise often given by some, is an overkill. I will leave that for you guys to discuss and decide on your own.

[cyberhippie]

Some good solid info there thanks kpalamel

[malkers]

We were at Thrissur during the weekend for the big festival with elephants.

We had to go through these crowded tunnels to get round the place and jen was getting groped the whole time and it was impossible to see who was doing it.

In the final tunnel we walked through it wasn't quite so packed when she told me it was happening again, I looked down and could see this arm weaving around and I grabbed it as it reached its target, lifted it up in the air so I could see who it was then gave the owner a good hard thump in the chest right in front of the cops who did nothing of course!

Then I proceeded to point at him and made sure everyone knew what he was up to and he left in a huff a little embarassed at being caught red handed!  All quite funny really except that nobody groped me

Cheers
Malc

[cyberhippie]

As far as beggars go i've always held the belief that it is purely down to the individual whether to give or not and no one should come under scrutiny if that decide to give, or not to give.

Appraising if a begger is genuine (and there are lot and lots of real needy ones amongst the begging community) is nigh on impossible, so I give when I feel like it and don't think about the consequences. If they go and buy whisky with the money so be it, I guess I'd feel like a drink in their circumstances.

Touts are working people too, annoying at times but they are trying to make a living, in a country where jobs and money are scarce, I've found them very useful over the years in finding good cheap hotels and deals and contrary to popular belief, most hotels only pay a standard 10-20 rupees to the guy for bringing you there and it usually isn't added to you bill!!!!
Don't let them push you around though, a firm no will usually suffice, if they persist just tell them that they are wasting their time and don't fall for the sadness or anger, it's all part of the emotioal blackmail they employ to snare tourists, it's a game nothing more!!

[jyotirmoy]

Some time back at many traffic signals in Delhi I saw children both boys & girls hiding one of their arms inside the clothes pretending as if they have lost an arm. People soon found out and the tribe of one armed beggars have gone now.
Once I was approached by a man while walking along Aurobindo marg. He wanted to know how far is Dhaula Kuan? It is quite far so I advised him to take a bus. He said that he didn't have the money so I gave him some. The same fellow approached me after a week or so & more or less at the same spot. This time I told him that it is walkable & in fact I was walikg to that place. I asked him to accompany me......

[Somerset]

Is it my imagination, or has the number of disabled beggers dropped significantly over the last few years? Ten years ago, lepers with missing digits and beggers with disabling birth defects congregated wherever foreigners were likely to be.  In Bangalore, it was difficult to walk down MG Rd or Commercial St. without being bombarded by people who seemed to be truly in need. They are very rare now, I think. Is this because aid is reaching these people through other ways? Leprosy is well under control now as a disease, but the survivors can not regain lost digits or feet. What has happened, or have I not been looking in the right place?

[ChrisJ]

Somerset, on May 13 2006, 09:11 PM, said:

Is it my imagination, or has the number of disabled beggers dropped significantly over the last few years? Ten years ago, lepers with missing digits and beggers with disabling birth defects congregated wherever foreigners were likely to be.  In Bangalore, it was difficult to walk down MG Rd or Commercial St. without being bombarded by people who seemed to be truly in need. They are very rare now, I think. Is this because aid is reaching these people through other ways? Leprosy is well under control now as a disease, but the survivors can not regain lost digits or feet. What has happened, or have I not been looking in the right place?

I have noticed there seem to be less disabled people begging too. (Particularly lepers) I would like to think this is due to greater access to treatment and prevention. There are lots of hardworking heath professionals and charities in India whose must be credited for this.

[jyotirmoy]

I dont know whether it is true. I was once told that quite a few contracted leoprosy purposely as they would get more alms. There is a racket behind.... I have also heard of racketeers maiming children & making them beg.... its a crazy world out there.

[dzibead]

jyotirmoy, on May 13 2006, 05:20 AM, said:

Once I was approached by a man while walking along Aurobindo marg. He wanted to know how far is Dhaula Kuan? It is quite far so I advised him to take a bus. He said that he didn't have the money so I gave him some. The same fellow approached me after a week or so & more or less at the same spot. This time I told him that it is walkable & in fact I was walikg to that place. I asked him to accompany me......

Not just in India.  A number of years ago in San Francisco I was approached by a guy with a sad tale about just needing five more dollars to get a bus ticket home to see his family up in Eureka or some such place (way the heck up the coast), so I gave him the $.  About three days later the same guy approached me with the same bogus story.  I'm afraid I spoke rather sharply to him the second time around.

[digital drifter]

dzibead, on May 15 2006, 12:09 PM, said:

Not just in India.  A number of years ago in San Francisco I was approached by a guy with a sad tale about just needing five more dollars to get a bus ticket home to see his family up in Eureka or some such place (way the heck up the coast), so I gave him the $.  About three days later the same guy approached me with the same bogus story.  I'm afraid I spoke rather sharply to him the second time around.

Fallen for this number of times and also not helped a number of times.  don't know, just arbitrary hunches I guess.  Methinks, I must have been sandbagged all the times as I going by spot appearance,looks, pleading and all that jazz.

[Shiver me Timbers]

How do I deal with them???

Most days I joke around and banter with them, lots of smiling and head-wiggling......

Some days I just ignore them.......

And a couple of days, I admit, I lost the head with them........

All depends on the mood!!!

[malkers]

Conor M, on May 17 2006, 12:04 PM, said:

How do I deal with them???

Most days I joke around and banter with them, lots of smiling and head-wiggling......

Some days I just ignore them.......

And a couple of days, I admit, I lost the head with them........

All depends on the mood!!!

Absolute ditto with me, if I'm in a good smiley mood then I'll have a laugh, if I'm just in a hurry I ignore altogether, if I'm in no mood they get pushed right outa my space!  

Malc
PS: Oh and for reasons beyond me, the ones that push the map of India right in your face and shake it at you probably annoy me the most, I'm never nice to those!

[Somerset]

Touts bother me less as I get older. Maybe they take pity on aging Americans, but 10-15 years ago it could be bad.  Two of the worst encounters I've had with touts were at Ajanta and Kolkata. I had finished walking around the Ajanta caves and was waiting for the bus back to Aurangabad outside the entrance to the caves. I was the only foreigner in sight, an older man would not leave me alone. Wanted me to go to his café. I walked around the parking area, and he followed me. I told him 'no' repeatedly, and he would not leave. I was rude, and he persisted. I could not escape until the bus arrived after what seemed like an eternity.

More disturbing was my one night in Kolkata in the mid 90s. I was there between flights from Bangalore to Jorhat, and went to New Market in the evening. Passed a man sitting near an entrance into the market; he made eye contact, which I ignored. I went into the market and he followed me. I ducked down a side 'alley,' and he followed. Walking quickly, I went through other aisles. I was unable to lose him. Eventually, he took a short cut and was waiting in front of me. I turned around, left New Market, and disappeared into the crowd. I imagine this incident would have been truly frightening had I been a woman.

[cyberhippie]

Quote

I dont know whether it is true. I was once told that quite a few contracted leoprosy purposely as they would get more alms. There is a racket behind.... I have also heard of racketeers maiming children & making them beg.... its a crazy world out there.

Hey Jyoti you should read Shantaram, the lepers have moved on to bigger things    

[Luckywoman]

It all depends on the mood.
Sometimes they can ruin my whole day.
And sometimes it's just fun to get low prices.
It's just a game, no big deal.
Try to be in the mood to play the game