# Negril.com Message Board Forums > Negril Message Board >  Higglers !!

## Highlander

My Wife and I have been going to Negril for many years and We Love It.....
Maybe it's just me getting Older and Cranky ??  But the amount of Folks on the Beach that were constantly aggressive this Trip was unbelievable !!  
Totally in your Face at all times on my Beach Walks and General time on the Beach. Even the Bartenders weren't too Happy....
You all know what goes on... With the Higglers..
Have you noticed a difference ???  They stressed me out Big Time...   
 BTW. Don't Smoke... But do like Rum !! hehe.                      Maybe now it's just time just to stay on the Cliffs ?   I kinda know that's what you'll say ... Ha.Ha.     Thanks Folks....

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## original spanky

well i have considered bringing this up and after seeing ur post i will. have gone to Negril since 74 and have had a couple incidents in the past but it was in Red Ground with part of the family i stay with and love.
this last trip was the first real shouting match and could have seen it developing into a real problem.
i attended the Margaritaville friday night happy hour so had a good buzz so i will admit i was part of the problem. on the way back to the hotel a guy very aggressive handed me a bud which i know i should have held. after many i dont want it he walked away. in hindsight i should have dropped it in the sand. i did not open the baggie . the next day he recognized me at Rasta Ade. sd i owed him 20 . he got loud and aggressive and cursing at me and my wife. (the guy who owned Rasta Aid was there but did not offer any help). i sd i was going to walk back to the hotel (about a mile) and bring it back. he said he would not take it.. i brought it back and gave it to Juliet. we saw him again the next day and he came over and started to hassle us and the guard chased him away. i know i could give him the 20 and i know you should never take anything unless you intend to by it . i am guessing i will now have to deal with him if he continues to hang on the beach on our next visit.  i do agree some of the people on the beach are more aggressive and much more Americanized. long for the old days but still love Negril.

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## Flipadelphia26

I actually think it has been less this trip.  Although I now walk with headphones on. Even with no music. Might make a difference.

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## original spanky

i have thru the years tried no nabla ingles

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## harrison

I guess I will find out one way or the other in a couple of days!

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## Captain Oil

We had a wonderful 10 day vacation on the beach and zero issues with higglers.  Most of the regulars know we are frequent visitors who buy very few "souvenirs".  With the others, they are handled with a firm but polite "NO, thanks" and just keep walking.

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## original spanky

you will be fine. if someone tries to hand you something you dont want to buy whether it be ganga or a bracelet dont hold it .

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## SLP

I have just returned from a month on the beach and the only ones who kept coming were the fruit vendors.  I just said "No thank you", and they moved on.  Be polite but firm. If i can do it at 70 then yu should have no trouble.

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## LivinInThe603

I feel like I had less hassle this trip than any other. Some of the guys on the road at night were annoying, but it certainly wasn't as bad as it had been in the past. In general, I felt that this past week was incredibly slow all around. I was able to spend more time in red ground this week, and spend a day and a half day away from the beach, but the time I was on the beach, no problems.

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## rooster

After my 26th year 6 week & my daily beach walks I've found the higgers not a big deal..some remember me year after year..dark sunglasses help a lot too..ie no eye contact...or the usual..i don't smoke or i got it all work very well & i just keep on trucking...but it makes living in the cliffs all that much better at the end of the day.

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## Kold Ass Mofo

The harassment of people trying to simply walk the beach has changed over the past 30 years. It seems like there are way less 'higglers' than there was 15 years ago but the ones that are left are behaving more like pests and beggars. 

I am not talking about the licensed vendors or dudes who have their regular beat, their regular customers, and know not to make a negative impression on the tourists. You know, the tourists, the people who bring all the damn money to the beach. 

In my opinion, the new breed of overly aggressive pest-like vendors are just one bad situation away from harming the Negril tourist scene. Welcome to the new world where a bad trip-advisor or facebook post can cost a hotel a season. A firm "no thank you" was all that most of these cats needed to back off. Unfortunately , in the past 12 months I have witnessed some problematic encounters, screaming matches, and begging. 

A group of us were walking the beach to breakfast early one morning and an attractive young lady jogged past us. One of these unlicensed vendors of nothing (but crappy dope) ran in front of her blocking her way past while reaching out for a hug. She was clearly not interested. She spun herself around and started back in the other direction. The dude runs after her and grabs her arm from behind nearly taking her to the ground. A bunch of people started yelling for the guy to backoff and he starts verbally abusing everyone. 

Great morning, welcome to Negril. Clean this $hit up Negril or suffer the consequences of less and less tourists every year.  

The new breed of beggars go something like this:

wanna buy some smoke? NO
come on look at my stuff man. NO
dont you like me mon? NO
how about some money for food mon? NO
what have you done for the Jamaican people, you voted for Bush!

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## original spanky

i agree with the cold ass mofo post. for a while we saw a group patrolling the beach. i thought it was silly  at the time but think they need to bring them back. i am guessing the new group are not local  but come to Negril from Mo Bay or Kingston.

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## MikeyNYC

Was there for five days at the beginning of this month and thought it wasn't too bad but I also didn't do much night time walking, which I've done a lot of in the past. I only had two annoying run ins. One dude just wouldn't take no for an answer. After telling him no four or five times progressively louder with his replies "listen" "listen LISTEN" "LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN" I stopped acknowledging him as he cursed me and finally stopped trying to walk with me. 

The other was some guy that started following me down the beach and was basically just trying to beg a beer. I'll get a beer for my taxi guy if he wants to hang out for a bit or for some people i've become familiar with over the years, but I'm done buying beer for randoms for no reason. After telling him no a few times, he sucks his teeth and says "you just gonna bring all that Jamaican money back to America?" I told him not to worry about what i do with my money.

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## brownsd54

The best thing Jamaica did to curb the negative higglers was the Jamaica Tourist Board Security Police.  Those people with the white uniforms and the white pit hat.  That's what they did, was to stop aggressive and annoying higglers and beggars on the beach.  They watched out for the tourists.  If they came across an unlicensed seller or an aggressive higgle on the beach, they would ban that person for a period of time like a week or so.  The higglers paid attention to these people because they want or need to higgle, so banning them was a big deal.  Where are they now and what can we do to bring them back.  Perhaps a work or two to the Negril Chamber of Commerce.

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## Captain Oil

We did not see any of the  Jamaica Tourist Board Security Police while on the beach in Negril for 9 days earlier this month.  WTF ? ?

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## Highlander

Negril needs to address this Chronic Problem !!     I spoke with several of my Jamaican Friends and a Beach Hotel Owner I've known for years and they all agreed.. It's Really Bad !!
 And it is not simply trying to sell Smoke... They just seem to want to harass the Tourist. I saw this all the time on the Beach they were relentless... Coming up to your Beach spot also trying to stop everyone that strolls down the Beach !!  No one needs that...  BTW..  Folks that want Smoke . Are going to Get it anyway !! No Problem with supply and demand .  I have no issue with that... So why they need to Bother Everyone.... Aww ! well just venting ... Till the next Reach. Love Ja...  P.S. Bring back the Beach Police !!!! Haha..

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## original spanky

as i mentioned in an earlier post i at first thought the beach police was a silly idea. not anymore though. do not recall seeing them in a few years.

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## Caferacer59

90% seem cool to me, the 10% you just need to handle, but it is a drag when folks get aggressive with women who are alone, not cool.

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## fargoman

My experience has been the licensed vendors are pretty respectable..it is the non licensed husslers that are the pain the the buttocks...

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## billndonna

We had a very fun but uneventful week for Easter week with no problems from the Higglers!!

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## jamaicabnd

We never had with the normal higglers in March. Always a polite no thank you and that was it. We did encounter something that we had never seen before in the 20 years we have been going to Negril. We were walking back on the beach after dinner when we were approached by two kids. The proceeded to beg big time, calling me boss and saying they could not go to school if we did not help by giving them money. They were insistent following us down the beach. Very uncomfortable.  I did not want to encourage this behavior by giving money. We bring school supplies down and are very giving but this was too much.

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## jojo p

Wasn't going to bring this up, but since you did jamaicabnd, I feel I need to.  I actually felt there was less hustlers this past trip. Also, which was really good, less of the crazy bikes on the road. With that said, these younger boys ( average age 10 to 14 ) are getting worse. They get in your face, do not take no for an answer, use the line that obviously someone has taught them ...'' please for money to go to school ''..... I had one actually call me a bi.....ch.….my mouth just  dropped as I was pretty stunned. Parents or someone are  sending these boys out and instructing them. I fear how they are going to turn out being so aggressive at this young age.

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## SLP

Jojo. I did see quite a few of these kids.  They are selling woven bracelets and you are correct, they can be persistent.  I blame their parent/s for sending them out instead of having them in school.  Yes I know it is not cheap to go to school there, but there is always a way.

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## irie always

There are certain areas on the beach that when walking as a woman alone or with another woman the hustlers stand in your way as you go by. Normally not an issue to just reply politely that what they are offering is not of interest.  One guy kind of got to me, when he said "what's the matter, you don't like chocolate!"  My mind drew a blank but I thought of a number of replies afterwards. Sometimes though, it's just not worthy of one.

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## original spanky

the vendors selling their goods is part of what makes Negril different and in my opinion enjoyable. we look forward to seeing Norn, the patty man , the cigarette guy , the guys advertising the shows , the aloe guy . (may he rest in piece ) and many others. 
as i mentioned earlier when a guy gets in your face screaming and cursing it makes you reconsider unless you are a long term visitor , whether Negril is a safe place to visit.

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## Highlander

Yes !! Those Kids were something else....  Money for School ? Right !!

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## original spanky

ok let me share a story. many years ago in my red ground days say late 70's . we had a  group staying in the yard where i stayed. there was a band and some friends.all Jamaicans  one of the guys had a nickname it was dummy. i had asked about the nickname but did not get anywhere. one day one the beach i saw dummy coming  with a sign. please help i can not speak or hear . seemed like he was doing pretty well i did nort give it away.

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## Kold Ass Mofo

> ok let me share a story. many years ago in my red ground days say late 70's . we had a  group staying in the yard where i stayed. there was a band and some friends.all Jamaicans  one of the guys had a nickname it was dummy. i had asked about the nickname but did not get anywhere. one day one the beach i saw dummy coming  with a sign. please help i can not speak or hear . seemed like he was doing pretty well i did nort give it away.


I hope there is a special place reserved in hell for people who pretend to be disabled.

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## Irine

I find it very interesting how so many of us are having such different experiences. We have only been going for 10 years but one of the things we really look forward to is getting out on the beach to find our boys. We have met some fun guys out there and we always take time to talk with them and ask how this year is going. Most of them remember us and they are way less likely to bug you on the beach when you have already visited them. This year was an oddity for us though. We like to walk the beach around 9 or 10 at night and see what music is going on and have a couple drinks after it cools down a bit. In the past sometimes we can walk for awhile before some dark shadows emerge. Depending on the vibe we usually couldn't walk too long without ducking into a bar, then we would decide beach or cab to go home. This year however no matter what night or how long we walked we were not approached by one single salesman. It was peaceful and quiet. We were however amazed.

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## Rob

To address the hassles some of our visitors are having on the beach, there are now two Police ATVs operating on our Seven Mile Beach. I am trying to get a photo of them, but they are cruising by a bit too fast to catch a picture so far - soon come!

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## 68Stang

thanks for the heads up Rob!

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## Highlander

Irine.     Nice !! You were Lucky..

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## Highlander

Yes !! Rob..  Keep us all posted if that security tour Helps ..

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## HarryS

In the past, I have been one of the people who complain about the higglers on the beach.  Have had trips in years past where it seemed like every time we started to walk, it was an almost non-stop barrage of people trying to get our attention, sometimes even standing in our way, not taking "no thank you" for an answer, and getting aggressive when we tried to move on... so much so that I had a group of guys ask me if I was scared - and when I said no, they said "you should be" and continued to follow me until I stopped at a bar.  At times it was so bad, it would make my wife so upset she would stay at the hotel and not want to leave the hotel grounds, and then not want to return - it's the main reason we hadn't been back in 3 years.

This trip, the first day or two we got a lot of attention from the higglers, and for the most part a "no, thank you" was enough to move on... one or two talked **** as we walked away, but that was it. The "Remember me" guy (who I had not met and didn't remember) didn't react kindly to me telling him that no, we hadn't met... but after the first day, we were able to walk just about anywhere on the beach and while we were approached multiple times, it was no hassle to just say no thanks and keep moving.  It was much improved over years past.  I even had a couple interesting conversations, and ended up spending a good bit of time with Dokta Kush talking about the state of Ganja in JA and the USA.  I didn't buy anything, and wasn't pressured to.  (I did check out his wares and was somewhat impressed - but I'm not gonna pay $10 US a gram in JA, no way).

I didn't see any police presence to cause this, but our trip was a lot more relaxing than the last one.  Already looking to return later this year - hopefully there's been a change and it wasn't a fluke!

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## harrison

I have just got back to a wet and cold England this morning after spending what has to have been one of the best weeks of my life but more of that to follow. This was our third trip to Negril, our first trip we had a run in with a local who was begging money for food who got obnoxious when I went to the food seller and told him to give the man whatever he wanted to eat and I would pay for it. 
Our second visit passed smoothly.
I did say that I would post when we got back so here goes.
We arrived late last Tuesday so I didn't get on the beach till Wednesday morning, I had the beach to myself until a guy turned up offering me weed or a boat trip, I explained to him that I didn't need weed or a boat trip, he accepted a hand rolled cigarette and we chatted for a few minutes before he left to go about his business and I went back to enjoying the solitude. 
My next encounter was when a guy called me down to the waterline which upset my wife a little that I made the effort to walk down to him, we exchanged greetings and he said that he recognised me from a previous trip so I apologised that without my glasses I was pretty much useless at recognising faces however if we had met before then I would certainly remember his name, he told me his name to which again I apologised that we had never met. He then asked me if I wanted to buy some ganja to which I said No thanks Mon, I have plenty and with that we went our seperate ways.
We were on the beach every day for a week and not once did we ever feel hassled by anyone.

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## Rasta Animal

> To address the hassles some of our visitors are having on the beach, there are now two Police ATVs operating on our Seven Mile Beach. I am trying to get a photo of them, but they are cruising by a bit too fast to catch a picture so far - soon come!


All right...the Kawasaki Police are back!

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## JaJodi

We saw several police cruisers on the beach last week. Lots of vendors, all pleasant. Few higglers, just the bracelet ankle guys. The lobster guy was still out trying to sell lobster on the beach, he really didn't like it when I said it was out of season and illegal. Probably the least hassled trip in 10 years.

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## Highlander

Great Beach Patrol !  Never saw that.. Hope it Help's .

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## brownsd54

> I have just got back to a wet and cold England this morning after spending what has to have been one of the best weeks of my life but more of that to follow. This was our third trip to Negril, our first trip we had a run in with a local who was begging money for food who got obnoxious when I went to the food seller and told him to give the man whatever he wanted to eat and I would pay for it. 
> Our second visit passed smoothly.
> I did say that I would post when we got back so here goes.
> We arrived late last Tuesday so I didn't get on the beach till Wednesday morning, I had the beach to myself until a guy turned up offering me weed or a boat trip, I explained to him that I didn't need weed or a boat trip, he accepted a hand rolled cigarette and we chatted for a few minutes before he left to go about his business and I went back to enjoying the solitude. 
> My next encounter was when a guy called me down to the waterline which upset my wife a little that I made the effort to walk down to him, we exchanged greetings and he said that he recognised me from a previous trip so I apologised that without my glasses I was pretty much useless at recognising faces however if we had met before then I would certainly remember his name, he told me his name to which again I apologised that we had never met. He then asked me if I wanted to buy some ganja to which I said No thanks Mon, I have plenty and with that we went our seperate ways.
> We were on the beach every day for a week and not once did we ever feel hassled by anyone.


That's actually pretty funny about the "I know you" scam.  We live part time at the Point Village and a few years back, prior to catching on to what the foot in the door scam was all about from the higgler's, we would always be asked, where do you stay, the higgler's would always respond, OH!!! the Point Village, I used to be a life guard there.  Well, back in the hay day, Point Village must have had 30 life guards working at one time or  another because everyone we ran into was a pool boy there. It wasn't until after we caught on that we discovered the first rule about Negril, is never, never say where you stay.

I'm not trying to be critical but just giving some friendly advice.  Harrison, I think you might be your own worst enemy.  Buying food for the beggar is the last thing you should do just to get rid of him.  First, he will remember that for ever and never leave you alone again, and secondly, it makes it hard for all that come by after you.  The message is....just bug people enough and you get what you want.  I have yet to see a thin emaciated Jamaican beggar that really really needed the food.  Secondly, if they wave you over or stand in front to talk to you, you should never never walk over to engage in conversation.  Once you have stopped and say the first word, the hook is in.  They may not be able to reel you in but it puts you on the defensive.  No..I don't want to buy ganja, no...I don't want to go on a tour, no...I don't want to go parasailing, that kind of defensive.  Just a friendly wave, maybe a no thank you, maybe a look on your face like you don't speak English, anything, but don't engage in conversation unless YOU want to.  If the higgler's start walking beside you, just stop short and when they are one step in front of you, make a turn to walk behind them and walk to the closest bar.  My wife and I have found many a good bar with a good vibe by doing just that.

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## rtitle

I've been going for 20 years and Negril has always been a hassle in that regard. 

Everyone claims to have a magic formula for dealing with it, but they're lying. If you're a long-time visitor, the long-time hasslers will recognize you and not hassle you. But there are always some annoying newly-minted hustlers to deal with. Nothing works against the really aggressive ones. Once I got into a fist-fight with one before the hotel security guard broke it up. Another time I made it back to my rental car after being really aggressively followed/hassled/threatened, then came really close to running the guy down (he had to dive into the bushes to get out of my way). I was really mad, obviously. That was satisfying but not a good idea really. Winding up in prison would not have been a good way to spend my vacation.

These days I always stay in Airbnb's outside of Negril (e.g. Lucea, Sav) & just go into Negril when I want to be hassled, kidding!, really I just go to Negril when I want to partake of its beaches or restaurants or clubs. Then I go back to the regular Jamaica. The hassling only exists in the tourist towns. In regular Jamaican towns like Sav or Lucea I can just walk around calmly like a regular person, same as I would in any US city.

Richard

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## captaind

I feel for you guys.  It doesn't happen to me but I see it on the beach

Cap

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## Accompong

*Thinking back, I remember how nice the higglers used to be and how they used genuine (or well acted) friendliness to get you to buy their goods.  The goods back then were usually handmade or homegrown and although not the highest of quality at times, they were genuine and the kind of things you felt proud to take home as a remembrance of your vacation.

On my first trip, I remember vividly my wife dragging me along to the Vendor's Market to do a little shopping.  It was very hot and I was very tired from the night before.  The very last thing I wanted to do was look over stuff that I had no intention of buying.  I shuffled along behind her and stood back with hands on hips watching her talk and laugh with it seems like every vendor.  Buying a little woven basket here and a colorful placemat there; she was having the time of her life and I was hot and irritated to even be there.  What I needed was a place to sit preferably in the shade.  I noticed a step in front of a shop that would work so I wandered over and asked the middle-aged lady shop owner if I could sit for a spell.

I was shocked when she shook her head in disapproval and went inside only to come out with a wicker chair.  She placed it on the small shop verandah and told me to come and sit.  I immediately noticed that a lot of people who worked there were watching me to see what I would do.  I said thanks and walked up and sat down.  She brought out a souvenir hand fan and started to fan me and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a lot of people were watching so I hammed it up a little but unbuttoning my Hawaiian shirt.  She asked me if I was looking for a girlfriend and I pointed over in the general direction of my wife and told her I was married.  She said that was no problem and that my wife would say it was okay.  I laughed and said she didn't know MY wife.

We joked back and forth a little about meeting later all in good fun.  She asked me if their was anything I was looking for and I said a tropical shirt maybe if she had my size.  She called over to another stall and an extra large shirt with pineapples was rushed over to my seat.  It looked like it would fit and I didn't want to take off my shirt to find out so I asked the price.  The two ladies got into a discussion over the price and I could tell that my host was negotiating a better price for me even while she continued to fan my neck.

Just then, my wife came over with a quizzical look on her face  and asked me how I was doing.  I said fine and introduced her to the two ladies who were by now sizing her up for a matching pineapple printed shirt.  Another chair was brought out for my wife and she we both were intermittently fanned by our host.  After an hour or so, we were ready to leave.  With two pineapple printed shirts and a slightly used fan in hand, we walked back to Secrets Cabin feeling good about our day in the market.

*

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## 68Stang

Thats a great story!  Much better than our first time..we were told to watch out and be careful and still got taken advantage of.  But lesson learned.  Now we just say no thank you and respect and move on.

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## Sophie2012

A couple of years ago I was practically surrounded by women with their little stalls all together all expecting me to buy from each of them and they were so aggressive.  It was honestly a little scary and our last reach I steered clear of them.  It's sad actually, that the more they are in your face the more you will avoid and not buy, but if they relaxed and were more friendly their chances of a sale would increase tremendously.

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## rjonsun

Accompong, what a wonderful story and after all these years a great memory.
Regards,
Bob

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## Maryann

That's a sweet story/memory, Accompong.  Thanks for sharing.

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## original spanky

also enjoyed the story and it brings me to mention as a over 50 time visitor i love Negril and love the people. i have has maybe 3 bad experiences in all those trips and they were all in the last couple years. this last year was the worst but it was just the one guy and he was an *******.

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## rtitle

> A couple of years ago I was practically surrounded by women all expecting me to buy from each of them and they were so aggressive...


I had a similar experience at The Jungle. Except what *they* were trying to sell me was not jewelry ...  :Smile:

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## qwerty

What I noticed this year was that the security guards where we stay were more protective of the guests than in past years.  The minute they perceived that a higgler had "outstayed his/her welcome" they were right there making them move on.  Similar thing happened to me at a restaurant at lunch time.  My companion had gone back to the hotel to get some money to pay the CD vendor and a young higgler approached me.  I don't even remember what  he was selling, but I said no thank you.  He tried to say something else, and the owner of the restaurant (who was sitting in another area but obviously watching closely) lit into him to leave me alone, I had said no.

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## jojo p

querty, 
 I noticed that as well, where I stay, they have a new security guy, and when vendors approach the chairs of the guest, he goes  up and stands right next to the chairs, and watched and listens while transactions are made.  If it  gets to much, he tells them to move on. Also, I always every year, try and walk the beach, the whole beach at least a few times . I always start out at Cosmos. ( I know they are closed now ) I purchase a drink at their bar, and sit outside on the table, and drink it before my walk.  When dudes come up and try and talk, the manager, or owner , not sure which, will come up and tell them to move on. I think years of complaining about this has been heard by the hotel owners.

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## rtitle

That's a long beach walk, if you mean from Cosmos (now defunct) all way into town. I sometimes take beach walks almost that far, e.g. from Footeprints (on the big-resort end of the beach) to Travellers (on the town end). My approach to avoiding higglers on such a walk is different: Carry nothing! No wallet, no cash, nothing. If a higgler approaches and says he wants to be my friend, he usually loses interest once I tell him I'm carrying no money. So much for "friend".  :Smile: . If I get thirsty I stop at a hotel bar and ask for a glass of water.

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## Irine

Hey Jojo. I think we might stay at the same place. I found the new guy was overdoing it a little bit. We struck up a conversation with him and he was worried he would not be taken seriously if he did not impose his will in the beginning of his new position. I guess I can understand that. After the two weeks we were there he was getting a better read on the people. Usually daily my wife and I would walk from our hotel down to Nirvana to visit friends and back again. We were parched after that but Paul would fix us up at the bar. :Friendly Wink: 




> querty, 
>  I noticed that as well, where I stay, they have a new security guy, and when vendors approach the chairs of the guest, he goes  up and stands right next to the chairs, and watched and listens while transactions are made.  If it  gets to much, he tells them to move on. Also, I always every year, try and walk the beach, the whole beach at least a few times . I always start out at Cosmos. ( I know they are closed now ) I purchase a drink at their bar, and sit outside on the table, and drink it before my walk.  When dudes come up and try and talk, the manager, or owner , not sure which, will come up and tell them to move on. I think years of complaining about this has been heard by the hotel owners.

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## Marko

yeah since mi spend most of mi time in Negril....and know the runnings better than some Jamaicans
 mi can personally say that the begging and hard sell on foreigners has gotten worse.....even on the Cliffs
these people working you aren't usually from Negril.......they come as far as Kingston to try their luck....
there are 30% less Negril police compared to 15 years ago......and there should be least 30% more police
as far as the Tourist Police go.......dunno what has happened.....but they aren't hardly seen at all these days
wi all know about the crime problem now because of the State of Emergency..... 
if mi was to say things have gotten out of control....
most locals and expats and frequent travelers would agree with mi
Respect

Cool Runnings, Marko

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## jojo p

Irene...
Yes, I get what you mean, he seems to come on a little to strong, but I assumed it was his first security job, and he was over doing it a bit.....I am sure he will mellow in time, although I do the fact I can leave my stuff around, and it is always watched over..

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## brownsd54

> yeah since mi spend most of mi time in Negril....and know the runnings better than some Jamaicans
>  mi can personally say that the begging and hard sell on foreigners has gotten worse.....even on the Cliffs
> these people working you aren't usually from Negril.......they come as far as Kingston to try their luck....
> there are 30% less Negril police compared to 15 years ago......and there should be least 30% more police
> as far as the Tourist Police go.......dunno what has happened.....but they aren't hardly seen at all these days
> wi all know about the crime problem now because of the State of Emergency..... 
> if mi was to say things have gotten out of control....
> most locals and expats and frequent travelers would agree with mi
> Respect
> ...


there are 30% less Negril police compared to 15 years ago......That's a pretty bold statement and I'm not sure if I agree.  I have seen more JCF beach patrol walking the beach and on Beach Drive than ever before.  Roadblocks up on Cliff Road and patrols on foot all the way up to Rick's.  It seems like way more JCF on bicycles and I've seen a lot more motorcycle cops than ever.  Just wondering where you got this information Marko.  I have met the Superintendent in charge of the Negril police and he said the safety of tourism in the Negril area was a top priority for JCF.

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## SVW

I thought things seemed more aggressive in certain areas this past trip in Dec. while walking the beach but not enough to keep me from coming back. We're thinking of staying deep west next trip, possibly in Nov. this year. I'm wondering, is there much of a presence with higglers in that location? Thinking of Westender Inn. I actually thought of going there this last trip but opted for the beach again instead but seriously thinking WI for next trip. The more I keep looking into it the nicer it looks.

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## Bnewb

SVW...
You won't see any higglers "deep West End"...maybe the odd person if you choose to walk the road.
There's not really anything around the Westender, so you're pretty much staying on the property until you want to visit the rest of the West End and/or beach. 
You'll then use the Westender's car service or hire a cab when you're ready to go.

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## SVW

Thanks Bnewb. That's what I thought. Sounds pretty relaxing & something different & we can have them take us to the beach when we feel like some action  :Smile:

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## Marko

> there are 30% less Negril police compared to 15 years ago......That's a pretty bold statement and I'm not sure if I agree.


just stating the facts plus what mi see from personal observations......

Dr Wykeham McNeill, member of parliament for Western Westmoreland states the fact recently from a stakeholders meeting;

There are now 60 police officers deployed in Negril in 2019...
And in Negril 20 years ago you had over 100 police deployed in Negril.....
And now there are 30 murders a year in in Negril.....and 20 years ago there were 5 or 6 murders a year......

Also retired Deputy Superintendent of Police Arthel Colley told the stakeholders’ meeting;
 another factor affecting Negril’s level of control over crime is the lack of trust in the police force.

Cool Runnings, Marko

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## Accompong

*The thread is about Higglers and people's interaction with them both positive and negative.  Somehow it devolves down to murders and crime as if the Higgler's interaction with a tourist has something to do with a tourist getting maimed or murdered by them.  No one is saying that murders are not a problem but it is almost exclusively a "Jamaican problem" and Westmoreland Parish is much larger a problem than Negril.

Part of the colorful allure of Negril is the interaction with Jamaicans and Higglers too while on vacation.  Discussions about the SOE had a thread and seems a more proper place to discuss that problem.*

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## Highlander

Marko.. 
 As all the Boardie's  and We have spent a lot of time in Negril over the years and love Jamaica and the Culture so much ... 

As you say.  I totally agree that the Criminal Element has gotten so Bad !!  And my Wife and I were certainly affected this Last Trip personally..  That's another story..

Also Mi friends in Town say that that (The Rude Boys) come in from Far and Wide !!   To exploit the Tourist's!!  
As I said in my original post this needs to be addressed by the Local Town Government... 

Negril need's more Police protecting The Locals and Tourist's  Alike...  If you have a Town or a Country that Tourism is the Main Source of Income ...  
Shouldn't you protect it ????  

As Outsider's..  It is so Sad to see it going this Way...  I do hope that S.O.E. works and it can be Cleaned Up soon ..  And bring some Order Back ..          Just my Two Cents !!

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## Rob

> yeah since mi spend most of mi time in Negril....and know the runnings better than some Jamaicans
>  mi can personally say that the begging and hard sell on foreigners has gotten worse.....even on the Cliffs
> these people working you aren't usually from Negril.......they come as far as Kingston to try their luck....
> there are 30% less Negril police compared to 15 years ago......and there should be least 30% more police
> as far as the Tourist Police go.......dunno what has happened.....but they aren't hardly seen at all these days
> wi all know about the crime problem now because of the State of Emergency..... 
> if mi was to say things have gotten out of control....
> most locals and expats and frequent travelers would agree with mi
> Respect
> ...


Marko...

I can understand where our Member of Parliament, Dr. Wykeham McNeil, is coming from. He is trying to get the government to pay for more constables for his constituency. Every MP is doing the exact same thing as numbers of police are down from 20 years ago in every precinct. 

So in shear numbers of JCF, that sounds about right. But I do know that 20 years ago many officers were part time, having other jobs. I would be curious to see the number of hours worked per shift compared to 20 years ago. Productivity per officer has surely gone up. Twenty years ago there was virtually no transportation for the constables in Negril. Everything was done on foot. That is not true today.

As an expat... I don't agree with your last statement that "things have gotten out of control". In the 90's when the large tourist demand for cocaine came to the island, there were times when you couldn't walk up a lane on the West End without "paying a toll" to the strung out "stockies" at the beginning of each lane. Perhaps the ex-pats you are talking with have no knowledge of those times.

I find it interesting that you are making these claims. In another thread you state that the airport users fees and taxes are too high, and specifically "shouldn't be for Mobay airport". One of those fees is the TEF, the "Tourism Enhancement Fund". The sidewalk on the beach and beach patrol ATVs (to directly address problem higglers on the beach) were paid for by this fund. Future projects to be completed through the fees and taxes are increased lighting, security cameras, more policing, better roads, waste management and increased water supply and drainage.

I have had several friends comment to me about your statement that you "know the runnings better than some Jamaicans". I don't know how you can be so bold saying that as a visitor to Jamaica? I've been living here approaching 30 years now and would never make that claim.

I don't see how complaining that "things have gotten out of control" and yet not wanting to pay for it through fees and taxes such as the TEF is consistent with knowing the "runnings". 

Just sharing my nearly 30 years of personal observations being an ex-pat...

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## mwenvlay

i have to agree with rob.  i remember the cracked out 90s being much worse for crime and hassles in negril.

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## JDd

> WTF are you talking white boi?
> 
> Cap


 :Confused:

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## mwenvlay

> WTF are you talking white boi?
> 
> Cap


ha!  

marko be like

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## Russ In Mn

I knew our evening beach walks were over once I was told...  "I can smell the suit case on you" by an aggressive higgler.  Booked for our 17th year next Feb but starting to look at options.

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## sunray

The people giving trouble and stress to the tourists on the beach are not higglers.  Higglers will offer some type of goods or service.  (without hassle or intimidation).  This does not include the low life types coming to Negril to extract money from tourists through intimidation, hassle or other untoward means.  The powers that be, need to wake up to the fact that they are losing tourists and their revenue because they are not doing enough to keep tourists in a comfort zone.  How many first time visitors will never return?  How many long time visitors will retreat behind the AI walls, or just go to another destination that feels more comfortable to them?  I am a long time visitor and over the last decade, when someone asks me if they should go to Jamaica I very much hesitate to say it is a good idea.
Look at how some of the small hotels on the south end of the beach struggle.  there was a time these small hotels were thriving.  Independent travellers aren’t arriving in the high numbers they once were.
The word is out on Jamaica, and sadly, by and large it is not good.  Hurts me to say that!
Where is the 20 year old kid coming to Jamaica for the first time, falling in love with the island and returning 20, 30, 40 times more?  Just not happening anymore, (witness the empty hotel rooms of the small hotels).  We know why.  Jamaica can be a scary place to the newcomer, and old timers adjust and move in smaller, more cautious circles.  Many first timers are one and done.  It is understandable that the AI hotels caution their guests about leaving the property.
More needs to done now!

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## sunray

Various Boardies challenge Marko because of some of the words he uses, but it doesn’t change the fact that he has captured in a first hand way the way it feels to him on the ground in Negril. He is a long time visitor and his message is things are worse, don’t think we can argue that.  (Marko is not the bad guy, right?)
More needs to be done now.

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## mwenvlay

> The people giving trouble and stress to the tourists on the beach are not higglers.  Higglers will offer some type of goods or service.  (without hassle or intimidation).  This does not include the low life types coming to Negril to extract money from tourists through intimidation, hassle or other untoward means.  *The powers that be, need to wake up to the fact that they are losing tourists and their revenue because they are not doing enough to keep tourists in a comfort zone.*  How many first time visitors will never return?  How many long time visitors will retreat behind the AI walls, or just go to another destination that feels more comfortable to them?  I am a long time visitor and over the last decade, when someone asks me if they should go to Jamaica I very much hesitate to say it is a good idea.
> Look at how some of the small hotels on the south end of the beach struggle.  there was a time these small hotels were thriving.  Independent travellers aren’t arriving in the high numbers they once were.
> The word is out on Jamaica, and sadly, by and large it is not good.  Hurts me to say that!
> Where is the 20 year old kid coming to Jamaica for the first time, falling in love with the island and returning 20, 30, 40 times more?  Just not happening anymore, (witness the empty hotel rooms of the small hotels).  We know why.  Jamaica can be a scary place to the newcomer, and old timers adjust and move in smaller, more cautious circles.  Many first timers are one and done.  It is understandable that the AI hotels caution their guests about leaving the property.
> More needs to done now!


the powers that be need to start taking better care of their people and give them realistic career/livelihood options other than dealing with tourists.  i find it sad that you think the government is failing because it's not finding a way to make tourists feel more comfortable.  the government needs to make its people feel like they have a viable future in their own country.

that being said, i live in a neighborhood in nyc that's feeling the exact same squeeze of gentrification that negril is undergoing, and alternate between spending time in haiti (family) and jamaica (just like haiti but with a bit more infrastructure), so i may have a really different view of the situation that you do.

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## sunray

mwenvlay, Since this is a board related to Negril tourism, I tend to keep my contributions related to such.  For the Jamaican government to provide more opportunity to the people of the nation requires money.  A main source of revenue is the tourism industry.  If the government wants to ‘big up’ the country, a great way to start is to protect the tourism industry, whether you find that sad or not.
And I find it hilarious that you believe that Negril is being gentrified, (much like your nyc neighbourhood).  Negril was a small fishing village that morphed into a major tourism development decades ago.  Sure doesn’t fit my understanding of gentrification.
Lose the tourists to government inaction on the problems of the day, then see the means the government would have to provide viable futures to the people.  (apparently non tourist related would be your preference).

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## mwenvlay

> mwenvlay, Since this is a board related to Negril tourism, I tend to keep my contributions related to such.  For the Jamaican government to provide more opportunity to the people of the nation requires money.  A main source of revenue is the tourism industry.  If the government wants to ‘big up’ the country, a great way to start is to protect the tourism industry, whether you find that sad or not.
> And I find it hilarious that you believe that Negril is being gentrified, (much like your nyc neighbourhood).  Negril was a small fishing village that morphed into a major tourism development decades ago.  Sure doesn’t fit my understanding of gentrification.
> Lose the tourists to government inaction on the problems of the day, then see the means the government would have to provide viable futures to the people.  (apparently non tourist related would be your preference).


any place where the locals can't afford to live anymore because the area is catering to a different clientele is an area that's experiencing gentrification.  a small fishing village that's now home to a plethora of all inclusives whose workers have to branch out farther afield to find affordable housing is the epitome of gentrification.  brooklyn, negril- same same.  

and this is a tourism board geared towards folks who tend to spend a lot of time in jamaica, so opinions are going to veer away from the usual "is it safe???" and "which all inclusive would be best for me?" type topics.  and i'm the type of tourist who thinks about what's going on locally, more than what's in it for my first world ass.  if the government wants to big up the country, it could invest in local manufacturing and small business ownership, develop its healthcare system and bolster its educational system.  same as with everywhere else in the world.  tourism is great, but you still have to look out for your own.

but again, i started visiting jamaica tagging along with friends who had family there, and then on business (music industry).  my perspective might be different than yours.

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## booger

This topic is one that comes up on occasion, and one that has varying degrees of understanding. We all deal with what we feel comfortable with, and our experiences shape us one way or another. Rob has done a good job of adding some color to an often contentious topic. I for one used to visit the island 3-4 times a year, however my last visit was July last year for Sumfest, and I likely will not be back until the new year. Why? I'm not 100% sure as I miss Jamaica, Negril, and my local friends a lot. Especially with the sargassum issues throughout the Caribbean, Negril has one of the best beaches out there. The bull$hit hassle has a huge impact, even though I have been on island over 20 times. I have not been to a place with more hassle, not remotely close to Negril. The authorities want to increase tourism? This would be a great start.

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## Irine



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## Kold Ass Mofo

Thank Irene for adding clarity to the topic.    :Smile:

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## hackwriter

My husband (R.I.P.) and I went to Negril 12 times between 1987 and 2006.  In those late 80s - early 90s days, the higgler scene was about guys walking down the beach with you for a while before giving you the pitch.  My husband was always about finding good ganja, so we usually had a lot of interaction.  It really wasn't until cocaine hit the scene that things got dicey, and I blame people who did coke at home and wanted to do it there.  My husband knew his way around mind-altering substances of all kinds, and even he was baffled at why you'd want to do an "edgy" drug instead of a "mellow" one in Jamaica.  We were recognized every year because he was six feet tall and I was under five feet tall, and I had a habit of walking down the beach wearing a T-shirt with this on it, which the Jamaicans found endlessly amusing:


Those of you who were around the area of the T-Water in those days in, say, July through November, may even have seen us.  But once cocaine hit, the beach guys got edgier, grabbing hands and tying "reggae bracelets" on you as a "present", then demanding money and looking for you on the beach till you coughed up the money.  Then the prostitutes became aggressive, and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" came out and the rastitutes became aggressive.  We got older, it stopped being "local color" and stopped being fun and started being annoying. So we started going to Bloody Bay (Couples and SATP) and finally to Club Ambiance in Runaway Bay.  And when I came back last October to have my husband's ashes buried at sea, my sister, brother-in-law and I stayed at SATP.

I doubt I will ever go back.  I am in my 60s now, none of my friends are interested in going, and frankly, I don't want to be hassled.  No, I don't want my groove back, I don't take drugs, and I have plenty of souvenirs from 19 trips to Jamaica, 12 of them in Negril.  I actually think one is safer in smaller hotels where I think they do better staff screening, but being intimidated, yelled at, and have my beach walk interrupted, is not what I want to spend my fixed income on.  This makes me sad.  I wish it were different.  It would be a way to connect with those good times 20-30 years ago, but unless things change, I don't see myself returning.  :-(

All that said, we really loved it in Negril until it got just too funky.

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## rtitle

Wow, sorry about your husband. Haven't heard of a destination funeral before but it sounds really nice to have his ashes buried at sea.

I no longer stay in Negril for the same reasons as you, but I still go to Jamaica a lot. Well, with a Jamaican wife and 3 adopted Jamaican kids (now grown) I guess that's to be expected.

When I met my wife (in Kingston) she had never been to Negril. "It's for the tourists" was her attitude. After a lovely first date in Kingston, she agreed to meet me in Negril for a weekend, as our second date. Seeing Negril through the eyes of a sophisticated young Kingston woman (one with a job/apartment/life in Kingston) was eye-opening. "Welcome to Jamaica" said the higglers with a big smile as they approached. "I'm *from* Jamaica" she'd reply. They'd go into their spiel anyway. She'd tell them to get a job and support themselves instead of begging money. "No jobs in Jamaica" they'd say. "Sure there are, I have one" she'd reply. She didn't have any sympathy for an able-bodied able-minded man her age begging money from her. Later she said she found Negril to be ... embarrassing?! "What do you mean?" I asked. She replied she felt like she had to apologize on behalf of her country for the bad behavior of the Jamaican higglers. "Let's get out of here" I said. And we did, going instead to a lovely little B&B in St Mary where she used to vacation with her family (and we were not hassled at all there).

Wow, that was a while ago. As I said, I don't go to Negril that much any more.

Peace and love,

Richard

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## Ras Walleye

After 26 trips in 20 years I've experienced the gamut of higgler interactions. After a couple trips I developed a strategy. Every 100 yards or so, stop and befriend a vendor. Buy a little, chat a little, maybe buy them a beer. Eventually you have a network of friends that tend to watch out for you in their territory. I have good friends that I met that way on my first trip that are still friends to this day. I know this approach isn't for everyone, but it works for me. I think a lot of it is attitude. The first thing I tell newbies is be careful what you wish for, Jamaica has a way of answering.

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