Why do Jamaicans think Americans always need something?

[suzengrace]

Some thread their own(my friend use to sell them Bamboo pieces he hand-carved,painted ,etc-he sold them to many of the vendors in the craft market for them to make jewelry,etc out of) but yeah, you can buy wholesale too-not far from the craft market (round the corner) is where a a couple of wholesalers set up a tent, etc and sell things from Sav., kingston,etc wholesale to some of the vendors as well...They will gladly sell to toursits too..It's where you can get the stuff the cheapest but its also just mass-produced stuff from china, etc.(key chains,that kind of thing)...Nothing special that is hand-made from a local artisan...

[Bnewb]

Gerry....many make their own jewelry...you'll often see the vendors doing this.
Some items can be purchased at wholesale places also....depends on the vendor.

[Rambo]

"empathy is best felt, by "walking a mile" in the shoes of someone else....I would NOT want to walk in those vendors shoes (if any)............

to wake each day knowing the competition that is out there, just to EAT!

How many of us can say " we started just like that, and look at me now".................?

[MissBlue]

suzengrace - no - what i said was not about your response.

do you not see i quoted the OP at the beginning of my post? - THAT is whom i was addressing.

[SLP]

I know that "Juicy" makes his own jewelry and I have bought many pieces from him. He does NOT like to bug tourists either. He is located in a small board store close to Alfred's. As a matter of fact he now has his kids (I bought one of his daughter's first pieces) involved with both the making of and selling the jewelry.

[BR Mon]

This thread reminds me of a while back I went to the ballgame....I am sitting there trying to enjoy the game then comes this guy yelling "Hot dogs, Hot dogs, I got your hot dogs"..later in the same inning another guy comes by " i got soda, I got soda" then another one comes by "Cold Beer" I got cold beer"...Next is the peanut guy then the cotton candy guy. It was never ending...vendors everywhere..and it was all part of the game...I came to the game to relax and vendors selling everything under the sun...If you think we get hit on hard on negril Beach go up to Brownstown or Sav on Saturday to the Market...Not a tourist in sight and vendors walking through the crowd selling everything you ever saw...Not to tourist but to locals...Actually I can't wait to encounter them and see what new approaches they have now...I look forward to the interaction as it is just another ball game...

[MissBlue]

yah BR Mon, that's my point also. it's not ABOUT the buyer .... it has absolutely NOTHING to do with who they are, what they want or need (or not), where they come from, or if they are green, blue, rich, poor, or polka-dotted. it's about the SELLING ... it's their job to sell. Everything they can, to anyone they can.....

[negril dave]

"empathy is best felt, by "walking a mile" in the shoes of someone else....I would NOT want to walk in those vendors shoes (if any)............

to wake each day knowing the competition that is out there, just to EAT!

How many of us can say " we started just like that, and look at me now".................?

Well said Rambo

[Ohio_Buckeye_1]

But, alas... no one has really answered my question yet. Why to Jamaicans think that tourists (Americans, Canadians, Germans, or wherever) always need something when we're on their beach?

To answer your question directly - because many times they are right that many of us do want to buy something from some of them.

On a day when the sand-gravity is particularly strong, I actually ask the beach guard that if I miss them, to please send Neville the Patty Man, or the Fruit Lady, over to me. Granted, those are 2 of the few who do the beach selling right - they come by announcing to everyone that they are there, but not butting in to anyone's privacy. But I don't mind looking at what some of the others walking by my beach spot are trying to sell.

I agree it can get annoying being approached every five minutes when you are walking the beach - and it took me a few trips to figure out how to deal with it. Basically, it comes down to YOU having the right attitude - noone can ruin your day if you don't let them. Just stay positive, say you don't need anything if you don't want to be bothered at that moment, but with a smile and in a friendly manner. Believe me, after a short time they will remember you and know you are not a good prospect to waste their time on.

But maybe you could try another approach. Since you ARE on vacation and have some time, actually go into a few of the craft stalls during your walk and chat with them. If they can talk knowledgably about making their crafts, and have several in various stages of being made - you can be assured it's not wholesale stuff but is what they do for a living. How do you think so many of us on here got to be friends with many of the locals - we actually took the time to meet them - even if we didn't buy something from them. THAT is why so many of us keep coming back. But I agree it's not for everyone, and you certainly are entitled to your opinion - as are we to disagree.

And, like most others have said, I do disagree about calling them "scammers" - they are "hagglers". If you manage to haggle a 1/2 hour on a jet ski for $35, while I paid $40, was I scammed? I would not call it that, you were just a better negotiator. If you do think that, then the airlines are scamming everyone except the few who got their seats at the lowest discount price - their prices fluctuate daily, if not hourly. The same with hotels and concerts and sporting events, etc. There are a few trying to actually cheat you outright - which is what I would limit to calling a scam - but only a very few.

[Buff]

We have had a TV programme aired just yesterday here in the UK called Holiday Hijack. Basically people who are used to staying in luxury AI's are taken to live with a family and see how they live for a few days.
People with views such as yours would benefit from such an experience - a real eye opener to 'how the other half live' so to speak. Sometimes the wood carver can go all week without a sale, a woman who makes just 16p per bird for raising, killing and preparing a chicken for hotels.
In Jamaica now there are so many beautiful new hotels been built, less and less do people want to leave their resorts,possibly making each sale the difference between you putting food on your families table or not. Put yourself in that situation and what option do you have ?