Harassment

[captaind & Linston]

Aye, aye, Cap'n!

I'm afraid 18 moths assigned to a destroyer escort chasing the Midway and Enterprise around the Tonkin Gulf and off the coast of North Korea spoiled my taste for cruising recreationally. That and the spectacular mechanical failures and shipboard outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses! Respect --Marblehead.

Hats off mate. 2,300 tons and a hammock ... no thanks!

Thanks for your service!

I spent most of my time driving 75,000 GT panamax full of car parts from Yokohama to Port Newark

Cap

[goldilocks]

It's not the sales tactics, it's the aggressive way some of them act... I've watched a man take my wife's hand, and not let go and grab harder while she's pulling away, and I've had to say something. That should NEVER happen.

That should never happen, and if it happened to me I would be obliged to defend myself and get the guy off me. A whole lot of beach theater would then ensue.

That said, I always do a little research on vacation destinations to make sure it's a place I could enjoy and somewhat prepare myself for the environment.

[Slightly Stoopid]

We toured Kingston ... IE - Trenchtown ..on our last trip ..& were not approched once
I do take down certain ..items - ballcaps , hotwheels & other small gifts ...
I think the Bob Marley tattoo ..let's the hustlers know ..that we are not newbies
Never been to an AI , but, there are many who
Will ONLY stay @ AI's because of the aggresive nature of some vendors

[Flipadelphia26]

We toured Kingston ... IE - Trenchtown ..on our last trip ..& were not approched once
I do take down certain ..items - ballcaps , hotwheels & other small gifts ...
I think the Bob Marley tattoo ..let's the hustlers know ..that we are not newbies
Never been to an AI , but, there are many who
Will ONLY stay @ AI's because of the aggresive nature of some vendors

Definitely. It's not for everyone. I look at the hustlers as part of the landscape. I love visiting NYC, but I hate the traffic and loud noise associated with it. I deal with it though, because there's so much else to offer.

[MikeyNYC]

We toured Kingston ... IE - Trenchtown ..on our last trip ..& were not approched once
I do take down certain ..items - ballcaps , hotwheels & other small gifts ...
I think the Bob Marley tattoo ..let's the hustlers know ..that we are not newbies
Never been to an AI , but, there are many who
Will ONLY stay @ AI's because of the aggresive nature of some vendors

Not to make it personal, but I doubt any locals care about the tattoo, or that it in itself shapes their opinion, but rather, it changes/changed your demeanor and they vibe off of that.

[Slightly Stoopid]

Not to make it personal, but I doubt any locals care about the tattoo, or that it in itself shapes their opinion, but rather, it changes/changed your demeanor and they vibe off of that.

No problem ... nothing personal taken
& Yes, I totally agree - it's all about the vibe -

[Lola]

The first couple times I went to Jamaica I felt somewhat nervous and uncomfortable ~ I wasn't used to people so outgoing, striking up conversations, asking direct questions (that I wasn't as prepared to answer as they were in asking).

The first day I felt maybe we should have ONE person as our go-to resource/verification person, otherwise we'd be like Ping-Pong balls being called this way and that. By evening we'd met someone that felt comfortable and no pressure. We didn't tell him that's what we were going to use him for, we just stopped by for a daily visit and then went on our way. We wanted to do a road trip so we asked him to find a driver and invited him to come along with us. The next year we looked for him and continued the same way.

He's always been the same as our first impression so we stuck with him .... 14 years and countless trips

[Marblehead]

It's hard to be sympathetic to the cruise ship crowd or even their shipwrecked AI cousins. Too lazy to travel seriously because they might have to encounter locals. That's the point of travel! How many do you think did any research before arriving? Prior proper planning prevents poor performance (and experiences). It also helps if you're comfortable around people of color. I've had some uncomfortable moments in Jamaica, but I've had them here in the States, too. Getting out of your comfort zone is when you have your greatest opportunities for growth!

[Rob]

...Prior proper planning prevents poor performance...

And the award for the best use of alliteration goes to.... (grin)

[Slightly Stoopid]

It's hard to be sympathetic to the cruise ship crowd or even their shipwrecked AI cousins. Too lazy to travel seriously because they might have to encounter locals. That's the point of travel! How many do you think did any research before arriving? Prior proper planning prevents poor performance (and experiences). It also helps if you're comfortable around people of color. I've had some uncomfortable moments in Jamaica, but I've had them here in the States, too. Getting out of your comfort zone is when you have your greatest opportunities for growth!

Well said Marblehead !!