how to handle touts?

jivan

well put but could u explain it in detail what u mean by the last part "double agenda's " isn't very clear to me.

kavindra

As long as there are touts in India, this thread remains interesting and relevant. Thought I'd share something that happened to us us at Sangam in Allahabad. For the context, I am originally Indian and my wife is German - both living in the US.

Sangam (where Ganga and Jamuna meet) in Allahabad is a beautiful place - if one can ignore the man-made ugliness. After enjoying our walk on the river banks - when a tout approached us with a snake (cobra) in his basket. I guess he just wanted us to admire it and give some money. I, for one, have a bit of phobia of snakes - and seeing one so close was unsettling. I and my wife both just ran to get away from this tout. Once he (and others watching) realized that we were scared - he (and a few other kids) ran after us with the snake basket. Was an unsettling experience, even though we felt foolish afterwards.

To this day, I remember this encounter with some trepidation and wonder what we should have done differently.

Watson

wow i havn't visited god ol india mike for ages!!! it's so fun seeing a post from chiroswacka at the top. Wow that just takes me way back. Alright useless point. It'sw nice that you havn't changed india mike

jivan

you are partially right but then we've been hypocrites whether that's on women or money for ages. Most of the people live in very close-knit communities & its nothing to do with sincerity. Most of us do need a mask as the real us/me wouldn't be accepted in India. A simple example Mahesh Bhatt- a great director & Pooja Bhatt is his daughter. When she was young there was one picture when he was shown kissing his daughter on the lips. Now he(Mahesh) was a fellow oshoite as well as had been to various parts of the world. Just like osho even he has lot of controversial thoughts on various things including relationship between father & daughter. By the masses the ideology is/was never accepted & there is some kind of loss happening for long period of time. It's not that's indians aren't sincere or straight but more often than not look where the wind is blowing. Nobody wants to be stood out. Those who do are known as fools & there are recurrpersions for them. That's why u won't see many-a times Indians helping a foreigner out in some dicey situations concerning an indian because he has to live here while most of u except expats will go for sure. And in a country where murders happen over 5 rupees or less I think it's very presumptous to talk of 'double agendas'

sirensongs

Truer words were rarely spoken, Luckywoman. Lack of sincerity and honesty seem to be the real poverty of India. Then you see how they don't even trust one another, it's truly sad.

__________________
"Why do people go to India to find themselves? India is where you go to lose yourself."
Feringhee: The India Diaries

Ikuru

I wonder you think the touts have a thread in their forum saying "how to handle tourist"?

__________________
http://www.ikuru.se My art.

Ikuru

Too True...

They will tell you whatever necesary to get cash from you. It all comes down to buisnes.

Nothing wrong with that really... Why do we think its a ugly thing to wanne make loads of money really?

jivan

I hate to agree with you but it's true. Whenever I go to some other city I know I'll get taken for a ride unless I use the public transport. However tired I'm & even then be aware of my belongings. One moment & whoosh! So unless we've series of interactions over a period of time most of us don't trust one another.

rangers

Its bit strange that travelers comments about Indian in general comes out of their exprience with cheap travel expriences.
Look for cheap things,cheated by a street smart tout and they put a Stamp on INDIANS in general.As if the rest of the world is just decent and clean.
why not they properly educate themselves before they travel to India and be carefull.Age of internet gives that much of freedom.

nanstallon

Friends

I am coming to the end of my India trip - a short one, but best I could do.

The touts problem is one which does upset me, espercially at new Delhi train station when I've had a long journey and don't appreciate bveing set upon as soon as I leave the station. But it is part of the Indian scene, and I have to make a decision for myself whether I am prepared to put up with the less pleasant aspects of India as well as enjoying the high points of this country. If I wanted to have a quiet time, I'd have gone somewhere like Austria or Norway. They are both great countries with nice people and amazing scenery. So why did I choose India this time?

I suppose because it is such a different culture. So, many things I'd not have missed for the world. I'm sure I have been 'taken for a ride' because of not knowing the 'going rate', but let's keep a sense of perspective. Even 100 rupees is just over a quid. Most Indians have to struggle for any sort of a living, and know that we are rich even if only because we can visit other countries. So, I can't really blame them for wanting to make a bit extra. But no-one likes being played for a fool. My policy is to keep it all light hearted - if I can see they are trying it on, I haggle but there is no need to call anyone a thief or even 'insincere'. Always keep smiling! Sometimes I have bargained people down, and then given them half the difference as a tip; that way I keep my self respect as not a pushover, but not a tightfisted spoilt brat either!

Touts and two tier pricing shouldn't stop anyone coming to India, but we should just try to see things from the locals' point of view.

Regards

John

jivan

rangers, I'm also an indian although what u may say is true but equally true is that people cheat. And people cheat not just because they can but because there is no deterrant. I can recount umpteen cases where cheating has happened (small ones or big ones) but the cost of recovery is so much that we let it be. Right from going to the bank to rightfully get our interest (wrongly calculated so many times even with comp's.) to whatever most of the time (read productive time) is spent arguing with people as there are no speedy recourse in law.
There were the fast track consumer courts which were inaugurated with so much fan-fare & they're still functioning similar to our other civil courts. I know of cases in the U.S. (for e.g.where somebody sold something on Ebay either on false pretense or with false photographs) the money was sent & the goods were found to be defective. The guys came all the way to the jurisdication where the crime could be tried & in the same afternoon were able to get the hearing, get their money back+transport fuel & charges & harrasment. The guy was also reported to Ebay to take any further action & his credit report had a black mark against him (or whatever the credit companies do). Here people create companies & vanish overnight. For yrs. I've been hearing of they creating a database of companies in 'Z' category but nothing happens.
I guess enough rant for a day. Hope it doesn't offend anybody but would surely advise caveat emptor

rangers

Jivan U have the answer now.We are just a 50+ a country.Our reality now reflects a lot from what we have learnt from all the invaders.
read.BEING INDIAN by Pavan Sharme.
Indians cannt be generalised from tourist point view.

rangers

How much money has a tourist to spend to become a reliable experienced traveller???

perhaps a good rich man travel firstclass maharaja style.(he cannt even smell the dirt and poor?
perhaps a wise man will travel with his knowledge and open mind less tahn USD 5 a day.

jivan

Wow Good attitude & perspective John. Another thing I should point out is no goverment jobs. There has been a dearth of goverment jobs from the last 10-15 years. About a yr./ yr. & 1/2 back there was a tender for around 239 odd police constable/hawaldar (class 4 the lowest post). Somewhere close to 35000 people came to the police grounds to appear for the test. 12,746 people gave the written tests after qualifying from the physical exams.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fulls...?newsid=125203

If u read the same newspaper preceding days to the one on which this story was filed u'll fine people had come from all over the state as well as some from the outside & only the people who'll be selected will get the coming & return fare. Also if one reads then can also see the scams.

Similarly my mother remembers when the road-laying used to be done 40 yrs. back. It used to take 30 men a whole week to relay the road. This time the road was relaid after x number of years (don't remember the last time when it was relaid) but this time the whole activity needed 3 days & 3 workers 2 supervisors & 1 machine which had a roller & some other attachments.
Now 40 yrs. back India the population of India was 25 million, today it's more than a billion. Also in that the ratio of education is bismal. Govt. records don't show the real nos. NGO's are somewhat more realistic.
In background of all this with rising unequal incomes what/where/how we should behave?

jivan

sorry missed the little interlude there but for sure will keep it in my 'to read' list 'BEING INDIAN by Pavan Sharme' or should it 'Sharma'.