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Thread: Higglers !!

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  1. #1
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    Re: Higglers !!

    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.

    Free Opinions Offered. No tipping required. Hours: Open when I feel like it.

  2. #2
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    Re: Higglers !!

    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.
    [/url]

    Sometimes it's better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

  3. #3
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    Re: Higglers !!

    Yes !! Rob.. Keep us all posted if that security tour Helps ..
    Last edited by Highlander; 05-07-2019 at 05:56 PM.

  4. #4
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    Re: Higglers !!

    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!
    Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!

  5. #5
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    Re: Higglers !!

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
    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!

    Name:  DCP_0862.JPG
Views: 1408
Size:  48.4 KB

  6. #6
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    Re: Higglers !!

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

  7. #7
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    Re: Higglers !!

    thanks for the heads up Rob!
    [/url]

    Sometimes it's better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

  8. #8
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    Re: Higglers !!

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

    Cap
    Linston's Zion Hill Taxi

    Captain Dave

  9. #9
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    Re: Higglers !!

    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!

  10. #10
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    Re: Higglers !!

    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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