Why do Jamaicans think Americans always need something?

[RockRobster]

I come to Jamaica to relax on the beautiful beach, not to buy worthless trinkets and illegal drugs from obnoxious hustlers who won't leave you alone and have difficulty taking a polite NO for an answer. Think I'll stick to the all-inclusive resorts from now on and never go outside the gate.... Then the locals won't get any of the grand or so spending money that I normally drop while on a week's vacation...

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?

Wow. OK, I am going to try and be positive here.

USC, if you want an "exclusive" vacation, then an AI is what you need. "Exclusive" as in "all locals except employees are excluded". But, I believe JA beaches are public up to the high-water mark, so there's no "guarantee". However, AI's on Bloody Bay and in more remote locales have no beach vendors. AI's aren't for everyone, but you seem to be their poster child. You can even do all of your shopping there! Like a cruise ship on the beach! Now that you know what you want, it is going to be all good in the future! JA has some AMAZING AI's with the Couples properties really top shelf in every respect. You seem to like cruising, so AI's are going to be the thing for you.

My second response has to do with your misconception of what is going on with vendors.

They don't "think" you need anything. That is why they ask you if you need what they are selling. If you don't need it, they won't keep after you, usually. How do they know that you know what they are selling? How do they know you won't want what they are selling? They have to tell you what they are selling and see if they can make a sale. That is their business. They have to find someone that DOES want what they vend. For us, we like to get vended on the beach by the patty guy, the jerk pork guy, the baked goods guy, the pineapple lady, and the lobster guy, if it is in season and its early in the day and the bugs are still quite hot.

We don't like to get higgled for weed, blow, viagara, vicodins, xanax or any other drug, but a shake of the head and a "no way mon, I don't do drugs EVER" or a "got what I need and got no more money" seem to work well in those situations. YMMV.

So, USC, now that you know, you can go! Check out Couples, you won't be disappointed.

[freezin]

There are alot of angles to this issue. First, you need to support "local business" However, amny of these beach hagglers are trying to make a living, and lack the capitol, skills, know how to operate a ligitimate storefront businers. The flip side of that, is that, I assume, the majority are under the radar on taxes, goverment regulations stc. Most importantly not paying taxes, whether it is sales or income. A poor country like Jamaica needs tax revenue to build and maintain school, roads, and other social needs. The thought that hots me most, is when all of us meet someone who has been to Jamaica once and wont go back, often the largest issue is the constant beach hagglers. So the short sightedness of the hagglers is often hurting all of the people. Buy local, from a legitimate business.

[MissBlue]

well freezin i can't say i agree with you on this one..... imho there's room for both.

one of the things i love most about going on vacation, anywhere i go - is individual craftspeople and vendors. i'm not always interested in going to a formal store. i LOVE sitting on the beach and having things come right to me; it's a constant entertaining parade of colorful characters, and i can buy anything i want without moving a muscle from my chair, LOL. i LIKE it that i can buy something from someone and the money goes in THEIR pocket directly - not to the company, with the artisan receiving only a pittance for their work. i LIKE it that i can buy fresh fish directly from the person who got off their behind and did the work to get it out of the ocean - i feel that person deserves ALL the money they earn from doing that work. and i like it that this type of free enterprise still exists in some places on the planet, and that everything in this world has not been legislated and taxed up the wazoo.

i personally find individual craftspeople, fishermen, artists, and vendors to be some of THE most interesting, creative, self-motivated, hardworking people on earth. One of my greatest delights about traveling is that there are still places in the world where they can do their thing and make a money. i almost never buy anything, but i truly enjoy chatting with them as they pass by. I don't think it's an annoyance, i find it enjoyable and interesting to talk to people and hear their stories... and i gotta hand it to 'em for being persistent salespeople; they're some of THE most highly self-motivated individuals i've ever met.

[Living_the_Dream]

just a note of Interest. We do buy some trinkets to bring home for ourselves and friends but unless you actually watch the person make the item most are not homemade and not even made it Jamaica. Yes some or the painters and carvers do there own work and or course fresh fruit vendors. But anyone could open a craft store overnight.

I am in the outdoor retail business and go the the Surf Expo show every year. Last year walked into a booth and thought I had just walked into a jamaican craft store. The had almost every item you might see at any craft vendor in Jamaica or any other 3rd world country. Check out the website and see for your self www.guatemalart.com the wholesale price on the average rasta bracelet $4.00 per dozen and $3.00 per dozen when buying a gross.

Everyone has a right to a opinion and uscgamecock was only expressing his. and we are in the same boat that we have friends that have come to Jamaica with us and had a great time and return often but have taken others that will never go back for this very reason that some vendors are just too pushy.

Timm {Don't Tread On Me}

[Marko]

Just venting a little bit here...

I love visiting the amazing beaches of Negril, but it would be great to be able to walk down the beach without 100 hustlers trying to scam me. It would also be nice to be able to take a nap in a beach chair without someone waking me up every 5 minutes. Just because I am walking down the beach or down the road does not mean that I need anything at all. I just like to walk. No, means NO. Leave me alone scammer.

Respect? I will respect you when you back off and give me some peace & quiet. When I need or want something, I will go buy it. I spend plenty of money every visit, but won't give these fools on the beach a dime because they annoy me.

Beaches in Jamaica are like the internet: full of annoying spam!

lol.......guess everyone knows why Marko escapes to the Cliffs........lol

mi think it's time for uscgamecock too......lol.......lol

too fonny.......lol

believe it or not........
back in the 80's there weren't many vendors and higglers walking up and down the beach......
nuthin compared to today

back in the 80's they were so infrequent that wi jumped for joy when wi saw dem.......
cause that either meant food, fruits, ice or cold beer was on it's way for a snack or lunch or dinner......lol
there were no HiLo or ValueMaster or neither many restaurants back then.......
and no ice cubes..........just blocks of ice wi use to chip with an ice pick......
oh da memories...specially dat one time mi missed the ice and hit mi hand with da pick...ouch

Cool Runnings, Marko

[spottycatz]

As a non American tourist of 25 years, I can understand the fear of walking the beach and being hassled along the way, but the saying 'when in Rome' is really apt here. Give back as good as you get, spend a little when you want to and smile as though you're in Jamaica. It's amazing how the beach becomes a place of fun and games with the right attitude. Our walks from one end to the other are what our holidays are about. Husslers, nah! Citizens trying to earn a dollar, yes!
And don't tell me it only happens in Jamaica either. I've experienced just as much drug pushing and pimping on holiday in the US!!

[Michele Beisser]

Never had anyone wake me up before and a simple NO Thank You should suffice. Most of the vendors will remember that u said NO and respect that.
Also most hotels on the beach have security, if a vendor won't take NO for an answer let your security guard know. At the Treehouse, Moses has came to my rescue a few times.
There are some annoying characters who keep bugging you but they are the minority.
The Majority of vendors are just trying to make a living. If you don't want to be hassled in their country maybe you are better off at an AI.
I've been to Mexico a few times and can remember being hassled by children selling chicklets gum ALL Day!!!!
Resort towns are all the same, tourists=revenue.....Don't go to a touristy town?????
Oh yea even walking down the street in NYC's touristy areas you get hassled to buy anything!! I got hassled a few months ago by street vendors selling cds the guy wouldn't take no thank you for an answer even after I said I don't own a cd player !!!

[suzengrace]

Miss Blue..If your talking about my response..Where did I say I agreed with his conclusion/attitude??? I merely gave him an option..

My boyfriend worked in Negril as wood carver for over 10 years(he recently left)-so I know what is going on..It's called survival...I sympathize with everyone affected by the islands economical situation..The locals trying to survive and the tourists just trying to enjoy there time ...Bottom line, there are other places to go in Jamaica just as beautiful if not more so and that the "environment" of the hustling is less to not existent..Jamaicans from other areas of Jam. go specifically to major tourists(negril, MBJ,ochie) destinations because of the opportunity to hopefully make some money...Just as people come to America and other countries to make a better life/living for themselves...
BTW: My first visit to Negril was 1983-and yes, things sure have changed as far as some of the aggressiveness....

[rastagirl777]

"back in the 80's there weren't many vendors and higglers walking up and down the beach......"

Back in the 80's there weren't as many TOURISTS walking up and down the beach lol.

[gerryg123]

BTW, most of the vendors say they thread their own rasta necklaces, but I dont think they're being truthful -- they buy them wholesale, right?