SpinOn2

Nothing too bad yet.

Only place I was really annoyed was Paris. We went in February and it was their down time of year it seems. I am 6'4 and pretty slim and look pretty American I guess, so essentially anywhere I travel I stick out. A simple but firm "No" with a quick shake of the head would disband any insisting scammer or trickster. It was nonstop in Paris, couldn't go 1 minute around a main attraction without being hounded. Really frustrated me as the police could care less. These weren't simple street artists and people making things, it was definitely scam artists. Mostly the annoying "sign this petition" people and people intentionally blocking our paths trying to sell us knockoff crap. I can tolerate people trying to persuade me from the side to come over as I just ignore it or at times politely decline, but when you try and stop me from walking, I am not so polite in return.

Work well for the gypsies in Italy too. A firm no and shake of the head and they were gone. I would watch as other people would be overly polite and decline and make excuses as the gypsies would keep pestering. Anytime they approached me and I said "No", they would be off to a new target in seconds.

darthbimmer

I'm glad the N-word ("No!") worked well for you in France in Italy. When I've traveled in Hong Kong and mainland China it has not. Touts, knock-off sellers, and scammers are not deterred. Even walking past them does little good. They're so insistent they'll walk along with you repeatedly re-offering the stuff you've already barked "No!" to.

Skatering

The 'sign this petition' thing you noticed in Paris is a pickpocketing scam. Myself and a friend were hounded in Paris (also observed it in a few other European cities). We were left alone once it was obvious we knew what it was, but the first few occasions they were physically blocking our path, using the clipboard as a barrier while they tried to get hands into pockets.

nmh1204

they never stuck their hands in my pockets when they tried the petition thing. I didn't know it was a scam then

CabinChief

I was walking around Jakarta and was approached by an Indonesian who I told that I was American. He quickly became excited and tried to get me to follow him to "the Obama school." Some scam that must have been, I immediately walked away. I understand the appeal of American tourist-buzz-words, but "the Obama school" was surely the least creative thing I had ever heard to trick an American into going somewhere that clearly was a fraud.

Needless to say I regretted everything above following a much-needed history lesson back in the US

BuildingMyBento

Ugh...not a scam. I happened by the Obama statue in Menteng soon after it was finished. At first, they placed it in a small park; now, it's inside the school grounds.

Proudelitist

My trick is to pretend not to speak English. I cough out some germanic sounding gibberish or pigeon Danish and they don't even bother. It's worked well in Spain and Brazil. The aggressive beggar in Spain was not convinced that I didn't speak English, but I stuck to it and he moved on.

If they cannot engage you, you don't even have to worry about being impolite let alone scammed.

darthbimmer

That works reasonably well when you're traveling by yourself. It basically doesn't work when you're traveling with anyone else because the beggars/scammers/shills can observe you speaking English (or whatever language they can beg/scam/shill in) with your companions.

stut

Broad Glaswegian confuses them terribly, however. As it does most English speakers, to be honest.

Skyman65

I would likely be speaking Mandarin with my wife. But I doubt anyone would believe (from looking at me) that Mandarin was my only language.

Proudelitist

The basic rule applies..be suspicious of people that approach you.

If you want to be social and meet people, YOU approach them. You pick who you interact with.

SpinOn2

Not sure it's so much of a scam, but kind of seems like one and I have seen it many times in NY. I'm sure many of you have seen it too.

There will be a few guys and they will have a group of people lined up single file about 5 or so. They usually have bull horns, and they make some reference to "you can escape if you donate $20 dollars" and then they usually put them on the spot with a good 50 people watching and tell them it's all going to some relief fund. This past time it was Hurricane Matthew victims and the time before it was Paris. Then if you decline or don't donate fast enough, they ask about whoever you're with and put them on the spot to donate. I noticed they love to do this with foreigners. They essentially shame you and peer pressure you into donating, because who wants to say no to donating money to "Paris relief fund" when hounded to in front of 50 people staring at you and recording? I highly doubt all or any of that money goes to the charity and not their pockets but I suppose I could be wrong.

KBPflyer

So if you approach me, I would have to be suspicious of you, if I follow your advice. Kind of a dog biting his own tail.

darthbimmer

The foolishness of this advice is that it fails as soon as you meet someone who follows this advice.

Track

A Bulgarian friend was hounded in Morocco and thought that speaking Bulgarian to the hounder would drive him off, but the hounder answered in fluent Bulgarian (he had been there on some sort of fraternal exchange program). My friend then just fled.