Quote Originally Posted by wha gwan View Post
Saying "no thank you" USED to end the conversation. Now you have to say "no" until you are blue in the face ~25% of the time. Just last week a Rasta higgler on the beach threatened me when I became fed up with his persistent & obnoxious behavior - "Hey white boy I'll cut your head off". Encounters like this one have become more common in my experience.
Yes, this... and when people on here say "it doesn't happen!" or "just say no and it stops right away!" they must be either in denial, don't leave their AI resort, or are there so often they are "locals" and aren't bothered any more.

Every trip I've had at least one or two unpleasant experiences. Sometimes more. Being polite, friendly, saying "respect", all that stuff, with some of these guys just doesn't work. I told one guy on my last trip in July who wouldn't stop following me down the beach, after I told him repeatedly I'm not interested, that I wasn't going to buy anything or give him money, after he got more aggressive and demanding, that if he didn't get the **** away from me he was going to have a problem. That made him stop. I shouldn't have to do that! (I'm also not a large or intimidating guy, and for me to do that I was definitely outside my comfort zone). I also shouldn't be cursed at, in English or patois or any other language because I don't want to give money to beggars or buy a bracelet or drugs or be harassed. I shouldn't have guys yell after me and follow me down the beach because for the 100th time that day I was talked to and didn't stop. It's not disrespectful for me to not stop because you want to sell me something - it's disrespectful for THEM to not accept a pleasant "no thanks!" and a wave and keep pushing it beyond that.

How about some RESPECT for the tourists who are there pumping the jamaican economy full of money? Those who are actually outside the AIs are the last people they should be harassing - they are the ones most directly contributing to the local economy instead of giving their cash to AIs for it to be sent back to Spain or wherever the AI owners are from. That money certainly isn't staying in Negril or JA in general.

Yet I still go back, twice a year most years... What's different is when I want to go bar hopping or walking the beach, I do it alone - my wife stays behind and reads her book because she just can't take it. I spend less time looking for out of the way places to eat and drink, and fewer people are getting some of my tourist dollars.

If anything can be done about the harassment it will be a boon for the legitimate businesses in Negril.