Curry Touts.

beach · May 21st, 2004, 19:05

The ‘culinary culture of British natives’ related post at Recipe of the day thread & a BBC program shown today prompted me to post this. BBC shown this street somewhere in the UK where there are a number of curry restaurants.

Touts approach and offer up to 30% off, if you are standing in front of a door and read the menu list.And if you agree, he will take you to another shop. The owners have installed CC camera to watch outside his shop to tackle the touts. It said there is an unhealthy competition among the establishments.

They shown an argument with a shop owner and a man they claimed a tout. The tout wanted to lure customers from one shop to elsewhere. The program was show in today’s ASIA TODAY news magazine.

cyberhippie · May 21st, 2004, 19:53

Multiculturism at work. He He

beach · May 21st, 2004, 20:20

It is illegal, which was the whole argument about. Some official (I assume a police man) came to raid the street. The man whom the shop owner accused as a tout pleaded otherwise.

But it doesn’t look like people are being misguided, but lured with lower prices offers to elsewhere. Another customer who was interviewed said that he landed up paying more at the second place!

Alan D · May 21st, 2004, 20:20

I know a little bit about this. Back in 76 when I was opening my record shop on a shoestring budget I had some leaflets printed and went to hand them out at a rock concert at the local venue.

The management called the cops saying I was on their property - I don't know what they were worried about as I was in no way interfering with their business. The cops arrived and told me I couldn't do it but explained that if I stepped a few feet off the venue's property onto the pavement then I would not be breaking any law.

It was just a pity that Van Der Graff Generator were not the most popular band in the country

In this situation with the curry restaurants the police could probably stop this by charging people with behavior leading to a possible breach of the peace.

May 22nd, 2004, 01:23

Wow! the BBC must reaally be out of ....um...things to do..

steven_ber · May 22nd, 2004, 05:51

I guess the place is Brick Lane, Whitechapel (sorry, the trendy name now is Shoreditch), East London.

I live about 1 km from Brick Lane.

There have been articles this week in the daily, evening and local newspapers about the touts, though I just say a polite 'no thanks' and never have a problem with them.

It is an interesting area, it's nickname is 'Banglatown' because about 70% of the residents are of Bangladeshi origin.

There are about 40 mainly Bangladeshi owned 'Indian' restaurants in and around brick lane, and sadly most of them are awful, yet Brick Lane is the 6th most visited 'tourist place' in London (Must be in the Lonely Planet guide).

A few years ago it was a wonderful place to go for a walk, close to the bottom you have the East London Mosque and the famous Jewish cafe - Blooms (now closed), as you walked up Brick Lane there are Sari shops, travel agents, prostitutes, 'Indian' sweet centres, fantastic shops for ethnic vegetables and spices, Bangladeshi music shops, you could almost imagine you were in India when you walked through the area, at the top there is still the cheapest and best Bagel shop in London and it's open all night, (the area was a Jewish area many years ago).

It's also on the edge of the City of London, right next to 'Petticoat Lane' Market and close to Columbia Road Flower (& plant) market, (a wonderful day out in the whole area would be a Market day (Sunday)), Brick Lane is also in the heart of the 'Jack the Ripper' area,(a famous Victorian era killer).

The place has changed a lot now though, and not for the better (if your Bangladeshi), after many problems years ago, the area was given lots of re-generation grants, and suddenly it attracted a lot of middle class white people, now there are trendy clothes shops, bistro's, picture framers, trendy bars, none seem to employ or be frequented by Bangladeshi's, the house prices have gone up enormously, and the whole place seems to have lost it's character.

I better stop here before my true feelings come out.

tstan · May 22nd, 2004, 17:08

It is a sorry state of affairs Steve that urban renewal has caught up with Whitechapel, an area of London that has been welcoming to waves of immigrants for many generations.

In 1970 I lived near Essex Road station and liked the area around Bethnal Green - great pubs! - and Whitechapel very much.

Sydney has similar areas that are close to the centre of the city - and the harbour - which were,until the 1970s, predominantly peopled by dockers, transport workers and factory workers who had lived there for donkeys' years. Property values have gone up so much in recent years that humble service workers who were not astute enough or in a position to buy properties in the early 1980s can no longer afford to live in the area - it is being taken over by yuppies and spivs!

You paint a nice picture of the old Brick Lane and those of us with fond memories of the East End thank you.

IainC · May 22nd, 2004, 21:13

"Lagbe Na", is what you say to the curry touts in Brick Lane. It's Bengali for "not needed". If any of you are headed that way and want reccomendations for where to eat cheaply and very well, then give myself or Steve a PM/E mail, as we both know the area very well.

May 21st, 2004, 19:05	#1
beach Lost in translation Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: India ! Posts: 2,234	Curry Touts. The ‘culinary culture of British natives’ related post at Recipe of the day thread & a BBC program shown today prompted me to post this. BBC shown this street somewhere in the UK where there are a number of curry restaurants. Touts approach and offer up to 30% off, if you are standing in front of a door and read the menu list.And if you agree, he will take you to another shop. The owners have installed CC camera to watch outside his shop to tackle the touts. It said there is an unhealthy competition among the establishments. They shown an argument with a shop owner and a man they claimed a tout. The tout wanted to lure customers from one shop to elsewhere. The program was show in today’s ASIA TODAY news magazine.

May 22nd, 2004, 05:51	#6
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 9,647	Brick Lane. I guess the place is Brick Lane, Whitechapel (sorry, the trendy name now is Shoreditch), East London. I live about 1 km from Brick Lane. There have been articles this week in the daily, evening and local newspapers about the touts, though I just say a polite 'no thanks' and never have a problem with them. It is an interesting area, it's nickname is 'Banglatown' because about 70% of the residents are of Bangladeshi origin. There are about 40 mainly Bangladeshi owned 'Indian' restaurants in and around brick lane, and sadly most of them are awful, yet Brick Lane is the 6th most visited 'tourist place' in London (Must be in the Lonely Planet guide). A few years ago it was a wonderful place to go for a walk, close to the bottom you have the East London Mosque and the famous Jewish cafe - Blooms (now closed), as you walked up Brick Lane there are Sari shops, travel agents, prostitutes, 'Indian' sweet centres, fantastic shops for ethnic vegetables and spices, Bangladeshi music shops, you could almost imagine you were in India when you walked through the area, at the top there is still the cheapest and best Bagel shop in London and it's open all night, (the area was a Jewish area many years ago). It's also on the edge of the City of London, right next to 'Petticoat Lane' Market and close to Columbia Road Flower (& plant) market, (a wonderful day out in the whole area would be a Market day (Sunday)), Brick Lane is also in the heart of the 'Jack the Ripper' area,(a famous Victorian era killer). The place has changed a lot now though, and not for the better (if your Bangladeshi), after many problems years ago, the area was given lots of re-generation grants, and suddenly it attracted a lot of middle class white people, now there are trendy clothes shops, bistro's, picture framers, trendy bars, none seem to employ or be frequented by Bangladeshi's, the house prices have gone up enormously, and the whole place seems to have lost it's character. I better stop here before my true feelings come out. __________________ . How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions. Train information. RAC & Waitlists explained.

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May 21st, 2004, 19:53	#2
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,012	Multiculturism at work. He He

May 21st, 2004, 20:20	#3
beach Lost in translation Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: India ! Posts: 2,234	It is illegal, which was the whole argument about. Some official (I assume a police man) came to raid the street. The man whom the shop owner accused as a tout pleaded otherwise. But it doesn’t look like people are being misguided, but lured with lower prices offers to elsewhere. Another customer who was interviewed said that he landed up paying more at the second place!

May 21st, 2004, 20:20	#4
Alan D Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Southampton UK Posts: 1,866	I know a little bit about this. Back in 76 when I was opening my record shop on a shoestring budget I had some leaflets printed and went to hand them out at a rock concert at the local venue. The management called the cops saying I was on their property - I don't know what they were worried about as I was in no way interfering with their business. The cops arrived and told me I couldn't do it but explained that if I stepped a few feet off the venue's property onto the pavement then I would not be breaking any law. It was just a pity that Van Der Graff Generator were not the most popular band in the country In this situation with the curry restaurants the police could probably stop this by charging people with behavior leading to a possible breach of the peace.

May 22nd, 2004, 01:23	#5
albaruni Posts: n/a	Wow! the BBC must reaally be out of ....um...things to do..

May 22nd, 2004, 17:08	#7
tstan power brake keep distance Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: sydney Posts: 196	It is a sorry state of affairs Steve that urban renewal has caught up with Whitechapel, an area of London that has been welcoming to waves of immigrants for many generations. In 1970 I lived near Essex Road station and liked the area around Bethnal Green - great pubs! - and Whitechapel very much. Sydney has similar areas that are close to the centre of the city - and the harbour - which were,until the 1970s, predominantly peopled by dockers, transport workers and factory workers who had lived there for donkeys' years. Property values have gone up so much in recent years that humble service workers who were not astute enough or in a position to buy properties in the early 1980s can no longer afford to live in the area - it is being taken over by yuppies and spivs! You paint a nice picture of the old Brick Lane and those of us with fond memories of the East End thank you.

May 22nd, 2004, 21:13	#8
IainC Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London Posts: 194	"Lagbe Na", is what you say to the curry touts in Brick Lane. It's Bengali for "not needed". If any of you are headed that way and want reccomendations for where to eat cheaply and very well, then give myself or Steve a PM/E mail, as we both know the area very well.

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