@ Craig, from my experience it's better to be perceived as a polite person that does not buy anything than a rude person. Most of the vendors talk to each other and that is why most people that don't buy notice a drop off in the requests over a few days or a week. Give me a day in Negril and almost nobody hits me up after I crossed their path or that of their friends. Flip that around and watch the trip reports of those that buy buy buy...give give give and watch their mileage. Heck, some of my best vacation friends are vendors/hustlers/pimps/d_ug dealers/s_x workers....cause I didn't buy but treated them with respect. On the flip side...the rude a holes that treat people in a rude manner might have interesting stories to tell if they explore remote places or even in town after dark.

IMHO the best defense for the higglers is selling them something. They have played the game 100-100,000 times but it ruins their game if you try to sell them whatever you don't need....in some cases they will actually buy it. In other cases you might break down their offensive exterior and learn a bunch about why they do what they do and get a few good laughs with them. In the end, they are trying to put food on their table (excluding the crackheads) and we are trying to relax on a vacation.

@Bnewb, I'll agree about most speaking English but a good share of my time on the island is far away from tourist areas and they don't speak English. While these places can be a challenge at times, the joy of meeting kids that have never seen a white person is sooooo cute and rewarding!