I've been talking with another friend who's spent a lot of time in Negril, and asked him how many total people does he thing are actually begging. Neither of us think the total number is that large. 3 guys hanging around the bank asking everyone for money can change the atmosphere and color your perceptions of Negril. So that's a fair question: are you basing your impression of all Jamaicans on a small number of people in the main tourist areas? And how small is the number? Less than 100? Less than 50?

This also applies, I think, to the aggressive higglers. My estimate is that 25 of them can make the beach seem inundated with them.