Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - NO GRACIAS! explain to me

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Some body in a restaurant at any beach in Zihua, many people including children come to sell and always you say no thanks? :-| what do you think of this?. :-P

Some body thinks this is great because is the culture. :vivamexico:
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But others... :nono:
that's too bad but many foreigners on the beach I see and I walk to them with a warm smile for say hello or practice my English and I say: Good morning friends! and immediately they say: No thanks, or just ignore me. This gives me anger, :rant: to feel it is disrespectful.

Anyone know what's happening here? And why this attitude?

Feel the nature... Eco tours in Barra de Potosi

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Hang in there Sharkboy.
Many people on vacation make a decision that they do not want to hear any sales pitches for anything. So, they assume your approach may hold nothing beneficial for them other than a sales pitch.

With you, they miss out on the chance for a good conversation with a friendly local person.

Thanks for all your posts and great fotos.

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Oh, I'm so excited to be visiting Troncones for 2 weeks at the end of February - March. We've been going to Melaque in Jalisco for years and are trying a new Mexican place this year. I will be so happy to have the chance to practice my Spanish and meet the people who live in Troncones. I've been hoping that there will be vendors on the beach, because I love to bring home little gifts to my friends. I'm a retired school teacher. When I still had my own classroom, I always brought a small gift back to each of my students. Lots of them tell me they still have the gifts I gave them!!!
B-) Debbie T.

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¡Muy buen comentario, Avi!

Es el precio que pagamos por vivir en un destino turístico. Aquí los lectores de mi foro son mayormente buena gente y muy respectuosa ya que aquí los educamos si les hace falta. Pero hay otros que, por si acaso toman la molestia de leer algún foro, aparentamente leen otros completamente ajenos a Zihuatanejo, o sea, ni siquiera participa un costeño, y esos traen p'acá todo su prepotencia y prejuicio. :loco: ¡N'hombre! ¡Está mal! :nono:

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Avi, I can't speak for others -- by the way, my impression is that most tourists are quite polite to vendors -- but I don't mind a few people coming by my table while I'm having lunch and/or talking with friends. But it can get so invasive that you can't finish a thought before being interrupted again.

I know people have to make a living, so I don't know what the answer is. I do know that excessive vendor pressure turns visitors off -- which hurts everyone.

As for your attempts to practice your English, if it's clear that's your motive, I can't believe people wouldn't be willing to chat for a minute or two. If they just ignore you, that, I'd agree is not very polite.

But remember, most visitors come to I/Z to relax and enjoy the quiet natural surroundings. Yet they're assaulted by every kind of sales pitch, from the moment they step out of customs at the airport. This also happens on the streets and on the beach, whether the pitch is for condos, fishing, restaurants, parasailing, you name it. Many of them act like they just want to be your friend, help you, etc. -- but they just want to sell you something or even rip you off.

I'm not suggesting that's what you're trying to do, but just realize that this is why some tourists may choose not to give you more than a polite "No, thank you!"

One Man's Wonder

--
http://www.OneMansWonder.com

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Well said Jeff, my thoughts exactly. I would add that it is my observation that those who are the most dismissive of vendors and gum/candy peddlers are domestic tourists, not 'gringos'.

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While I realize that these folks are trying to make a living, I prefer not to be accosted by trinket sellers. It seems to me that "No Gracias" is a lot more polite than "Get Lost".

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I think the best, gentlest response is:

"No gracias...muchas suerte"

No thanks, good (much) luck.

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Well said Jeff, my thoughts exactly. I would add that it is my observation that those who are the most dismissive of vendors and gum/candy peddlers are domestic tourists, not 'gringos'.

I guess you missed the part where Avi said he approached English-speaking people to practice his English. Those would not be nationals. Avi carries no gum, candy or other trinkets except perhaps for his personal use. Just a friendly smile.

It's fine to be dismissive of vendors. Being dismissive of vendors is not necessarily being rude. Personally I find it rude that folks disturb me to try to sell me something when I am obviously not looking to buy anything.

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I guess you misread Jeff's original post- the one I agreed with- where he said "If they just ignore you, that, I'd agree is not very polite."

I would add that a greeting of "Good morning friends!" accompanied by a "friendly smile" is not unique, and is in fact common among fishing coyotes and beach activity salesmen.

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We were sitting at Antelia's one night when the Mexican lady sitting across from us, seeing my wife smoking, leaned over and asked her, in Spanish, for a light.
My wife, whose Spanish then was a tad more limited than it is now, automatically replied "No gracias"
All of us, including my wife and the senora, had a good laugh.
No harm, no foul.

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.......It's fine to be dismissive of vendors. Being dismissive of vendors is not necessarily being rude. Personally I find it rude that folks disturb me to try to sell me something when I am obviously not looking to buy anything.

I realize business is slow, especially for taxis, with 'way too many permits issued, but....

A foreigner can't walk along the street, or stand waiting for a bus, without every taxi that passes - in either direction - honking its horn, flashing its lights, calling "Taxi?" out the window, or all three. What's with these guys? Don't they realize that if we wanted a taxi, we would somehow indicate that fact by waving, or calling, etc?
One night in Mazatlan four of us were standing on a sidewalk having a conversation. A pulmonia pulled up to the curb and honked his horn at least a dozen times, not satisfied until he had forced one of us to interrupt our conversation, turn around and inform him that, no, we didn't want a taxi.

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A foreigner can't walk along the street, or stand waiting for a bus, without every taxi that passes - in either direction - honking its horn, flashing its lights, calling "Taxi?" out the window, or all three. What's with these guys? Don't they realize that if we wanted a taxi, we would somehow indicate that fact by waving, or calling, etc?

It isn't the same in every town, but the taxis here are definitely out of control and clueless that they are quite irritating to folks. You just have to tune them out.

It took a little while to locate one this morning, but again we managed to run errands without using UTAAZ taxis, though we decided to walk across town to get back home this morning when the place to where we had gone had a line of over half a dozen UTAAZ taxis waiting their "turn". The excercise felt great and we bought some fresh squeezed OJ and some fresh bananas with the 20 pesos we saved! :brilliant:

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We took an APAAZ taxi last night and the best encouragement I could muster, with my limited Spanish, was to tell the driver:
APAAZ Si ! UTAAZ no!

As he pulled away from the line of (mostly) UTAAZ taxis, he called out the window to his buddies: "APAAZ Si! UTAAZ no! "

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I would also like to add that in our own countries, wether it be Australia, Canada, USA, Enland or France we also get many many people trying to sell us things.
It is normal for us to just politely say " No, thank you " if the item being offered is not wanted. I'm affraid it is neccessary for sales people at all levels to expect that some people will not want their products, and indeed, get quite frustrated if they are continually telephoned, door stopped or approached to buy shares, cosmetics, time-share, cleaning products or ceramic toys etc.etc.
So, whether you like it or not, if you plan to make your career in sales, you will need to learn to sometimes be 'thick skinned ' and take the rebuffs with a smile and just move on. Also if you interrupt, or expect immediate attention just because you are speaking to them, you must understand that people have no obligation to reply to you.
However, do not accept downright rudeness from them.

--
Graham Felipe'

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I agree with the posts ..... unfortunately we are all gun-shy when we get off the plane.... it starts right there in the airport.. time share sales people behind nearly every smile. Kind of like the story of the Little Boy Who Cried Wolf. If something happens too many times it becomes expected. I would give a golden wishbone to be able to sit down and talk with you Shark Boy.... you could help my espanol and I could help your Ingles. This is why the time share people have the approach they try... they are trying to appear to be a "best friend" who is very interested in where you are from and what your name is and and and.... They need to get your door open, once in.... they are HARD sell and it is very disruptive to the traveler. It is NOT you Shark Boy.... it is our knee jerk reaction to a situation that happens all too often. Very sad that it ends up hurting the wrong person. I know we are all very sorry you were that person. :-D

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I think you are correct, NoName. Unfortunately, the time share salesmen are the "friendliest". I admit I am not as polite to them and, Avi, since you come without some trinket to sell, you may be taken for a time share salesman.

Avi, if I were you and wanted to meet visitors to learn about us and our language, I would look for the following things: a friendly face, you can tell who is (how do you say in Spanish) cranky. Avoid cranky-looking people. I do. I would avoid people who are eating or reading. They may not want company. A woman alone might not want to be too friendly to a man she doesn't know.

When you see someone you think could be friendly, say to them right away something like "I live here. I like to practice my English and I wonder if you have any questions about Barra that I can try to answer". Or say that you want to know something about where the visitor comes from. And be honest. Don't try to sell them tour services. Come as a friend or come as a businessman but be very clear about which Avi you are when you talk to them.

And if you don't get a friendly response, just keep trying. There are people from Norte who do want to know more and would bevery happy to have the chance to meet you. And I am sorry that people can be rude. Especially to someone like you.

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Avi - I think Fran has given you the best advice in this thread. I believe your use of the phrase "good morning friends" sets off the immediate and almost involuntary reaction – “oh no another time share salesman ” which results in the automatic response no gracias. As tourists we are bombarded by them and after awhile it gets very annoying – despite the fact that we know that they are just trying to earn a living.

I think Fran’s idea of saying something like she suggested ("I live here. I like to practice my English and I wonder if you have any questions about Barra that I can try to answer") is a much better approach for you. I also agree that you will have more success if you don’t try to sell them tours as part of your conversation. On the other hand if they ask you what you do for a living then I think it would be OK to simply hand them your business card and tell them that if they ever want a very good tour of La Barra then this is how to get hold of you. Then leave it at that. If they don’t ask what you do, then don’t do it. The next time they see you they will be happy to sit and talk awhile knowing that you aren’t out just to sell them something. Good luck amigo. :-D

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Tambien comparto los comentarios muy atinados de casi todos,ponte en el lugar de ellos, si vas a la playa vas a descansar, a tirarte en la arena y tomar el sol, buscar relajación, pero eso de que los vendedores lleguen uno tras otro, pues es molesto. Y como alguien dijo, eso de NO GRACIAS! ya lo tienen por default, pues si ven a alguien a acercarse, lo primero que piensan es....un vendedor.
Entiendo que la gente tiene que ganarse la vida,pero creo que les hace falta un poco de respeto...... inclusive aqui en México eso de tomar los alimentos, es sagrado, que no?. :-D

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Two different things, Avi.

First, at any restaurant I have ever eaten in in the USA, I have never had someone come up to my table and interupt my meal trying to sell me gum, trinkets, time share, turtles, braid my hair, or any other thing. So for it to happen here is not what people are accustomed to. (I have been here a long time and understand what it is about but newer people might not). When you are trying to eat a meal and you have 20 or so people interupt your meal, you get tired of it and sometimes you are no longer happy to see others. I think a polite no, thank you is proper. You must realize when you come up to someone you might be #21 in the last 30 minutes so you get the no, thank you without them hearing you out. That is just life.

Second, is how many necklaces, plates, hats, can one person buy? I have bought all this stuff in the past but no longer need any of it.

I know lots of the vendors and talk to them about their daily lives, but then there are days I don't want to be bothered with any thing except to read my book.

You, on the other hand, can bother me whenever you want to and I will be happy to practice my Spanish with you.

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First, at any restaurant I have ever eaten in in the USA, I have never had someone come up to my table and interupt my meal trying to sell me gum, trinkets, time share, turtles, braid my hair, or any other thing. So for it to happen here is not what people are accustomed to.

You're reply would make sense IF THIS WERE THE USA. But it isn't and that wasn't the question Avi asked. He offered nothing but a friendly smile. :-D

We used to joke in Florida that folks from NYC were the same as Avi is describing. ;-)

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We all know where we are. If this kind of thing happened in the USA, Americans would be used to it. People who come here are used to things like at home and this is not it.

My reply makes perfect sense.

I answered him perfectly and he understands.

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We all know where we are. If this kind of thing happened in the USA, Americans would be used to it. People who come here are used to things like at home and this is not it.

My reply makes perfect sense.

I answered him perfectly and he understands.

Read what you're saying. It is a typical cultural-based or ethnocentric response. So how would someone from a different culture understand or know "what Americans are used to"? The Americans from south of the Río Bravo have no idea what the Americans north of the Río Bravo are used to. Here folks figure if you come here then you must like it or else you wouldn't be here. But more importantly, the folks here believe the Americans from north of the Río Bravo should respect Mexican culture instead of expecting Mexicans or any other Americans from south of the Río Bravo to change or behave differently just to suit Americans from north of the Rio Bravo. Get it yet? :stirpot: :smoking:

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I got it first time around. He asked why this was happening and I told him. Most people here for the first time do not know what to expect, but it is not being interupted 35 times while eating a meal. 20 times, 7 times. 50 times or however many.

A good example is when Julio and the family went with me to one of the beaches in Acapulco he got a good dose of what it is like to be a tourist. I had gone to get a massage and he and the family was there at the table trying to enjoy an afternoon at the beach. When I came back he asked me if I could guess how many people asked him to buy something while I was gone. I guessed 35. I was low. It was almost 70 people in an hour. Mexican people are supposed to like this, why?

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I got it first time around. He asked why this was happening and I told him. Most people here for the first time do not know what to expect, but it is not being interupted 35 times while eating a meal. 20 times, 7 times. 50 times or however many.

A good example is when Julio and the family went with me to one of the beaches in Acapulco he got a good dose of what it is like to be a tourist. I had gone to get a massage and he and the family was there at the table trying to enjoy an afternoon at the beach. When I came back he asked me if I could guess how many people asked him to buy something while I was gone. I guessed 35. I was low. It was almost 70 people in an hour. Mexican people are supposed to like this, why?

Must be that different-colored crystal thing.
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We have a problem, no doubt, but it isn't the poor folks trying to earn an honest living, it's the corrupt public officials who allow beaches, sidewalks and markets to become way past saturated with vendors, in this case wandering vendors. It's not unlike our taxi problem or why some folks think there should be a cruise ship pier in the bay or Barra de Potosí (or some such similar nonsense).

As to their behavior in the environment in which you placed and observed them, I suspect Julio and family were imitating the social setting into which they found themselves and were imitating the folks around them to avoid cognitive dissonance. It's a common enough observable phenomenon, especially in vacation resort destinations where it is easy to observe the behavior of different "groups" mixing. ;-)

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Since I did not want to look up all the big words you used. :-) I will just say that Julio and his family were doing no differently than they do at Las Gatas or La Barra at the beach. I did not "place" them anywhere and I was not observing them. I was having a massage. They were just having fun at the beach like they do here. How can one Mexican tell the difference in another other than the comments about Chilangos occassionally that I hear.?

The government has very definitely allowed too many taxi's. Another taxi story for you. Second time in three weeks I have used a taxi was Saturday night when we were invited to a party and since I was going to have a drink or two I did not want to drive.

I had to walk down to almost the end of La Concha to find a cab that was not UTAAZ. When I asked him how much to where I wanted to go and he told me, another cab driver came up and told me I would have to go with him as he was next in line. I looked at his cab and said "no, I am not going with a UTAAZ cab". Another guy said why and I told him I was not going with a cab company that blockaided tourists who had the right to pick whatever transportation they wanted to take. He looked confused. I told the guy I asked the price from to "let's go" and away we went. I talked to him a bit on the way to our destination and he actually loved listening to me tell them I would not go with them. He also said I was not the first. He said that the last person who took a cab from there told them all the same thing and would not go with UTAAZ.

I NEVER GIVE A TIP to a cab driver and I told this guy that as I gave him more than he had asked for. He looked at it and laughed and said he liked me. My husband just thinks I am a little on the nutz side.

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¡BRAVO!

We also took several taxis yesterday for various errands, not one of them was an UTAAZ taxi. Little by little more folks are finding that it is fairly easy to avoid using UTAAZ taxis. Meanwhile, the UTAAZ taxis are still insisting on being allowed to extort from their competition as if it were some constitutionally guaranteed divine right. They believe that the taxi "next in line" deserves the fare he would have earned for taking passengers to the airport each time an airport ground transport retrieves a fare from the hotel where the taxi parks. WHAT A SCAM!

If they can get away with it then why not the rest of us businesses? I guess I should go around collecting "my fees" from local webmasters each time they design and host a website that I determine should have been my client! That'll teach'em! B-)

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Rob, your scolding tone w/Carol is misplaced. She never said Mexican vendors should know what Americans are used to. What she meant, I think, is that if they did understand, then they'd know why they sometimes get the curt response they do.
The same might apply if tables were turned. Imagine a Mexican tourist visiting here in Minneapolis. At a restaurant he finds it rude and pushy that the waiter brings him the check as soon as he's finished his meal. The waiter (or owner) doesn't know that Mexicans are used to, shall we say, not being rushed to pay the bill, and wonder why the diner seems so upset. If they understood the cultural difference, they'd understand and maybe even try to handle things the way the customer is used to.
Seems to me it should work both ways. Why should Americans be the only ones expected to understand cultural differences?

One Man's Wonder

--
http://www.OneMansWonder.com

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Rob, your scolding tone w/Carol is misplaced.

Jeff, that's just how Southerners address each other on occasion. I'm sure Carol and I both can see the wry little smiles on each others faces while we address each other. :stirpot:

Until message boards incorporate VIDEO we'll just have to best guess each others' attitudes. :3stooges:

She never said Mexican vendors should know what Americans are used to. What she meant, I think, is that if they did understand, then they'd know why they sometimes get the curt response they do.

See? There you go wanting to make sense when making sense makes no sense. :beatwall:

The same might apply if tables were turned. Imagine a Mexican tourist visiting here in Minneapolis. At a restaurant he finds it rude and pushy that the waiter brings him the check as soon as he's finished his meal. The waiter (or owner) doesn't know that Mexicans are used to, shall we say, not being rushed to pay the bill, and wonder why the diner seems so upset. If they understood the cultural difference, they'd understand and maybe even try to handle things the way the customer is used to.

You want to run that scenario about the Mexican tourist in a posh Minneapolis restaurant past me again? First thing that's gonna happen is a dozen squad cars are gonna pull up with an ICE SWAT team with tasers drawn demanding to see their papers! The Mexican tourist would then lose their appetite and afterwards only order room service from their hotel.
:vivamexico:

Seems to me it should work both ways. Why should Americans be the only ones expected to understand cultural differences?

Is this a trick question? :warning:

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Jeff, that's just how Southerners address each other on occasion. I'm sure Carol and I both can see the wry little smiles on each others faces while we address each other.

Is this a trick question?

No, just how we Northerners address you Southerners when we want to confuse you ;-)

One Man's Wonder

--
http://www.OneMansWonder.com

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Is this a trick question?

No, just how we Northerners address you Southerners when we want to confuse you

I deserved that! :spank:

BTW, we still call'em Damn Yankees! :devil:

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Sometimes I see your smile like more of a smirk. Could I be right? :devil:

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Last guy that smirked at me got thrown out of my house!

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Sometimes I see your smile like more of a smirk. Could I be right?

¿Moi?

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Us small town folks are receptive, and the bigger the city of origin the less communicative the people are. Something I noticed years ago. And those from Eastern Canada can be really abrupt.

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Part of the reason is culture as you suspect. In the US, approaching people eating in a restaurant to sell them something is generally not acceptable behavior and is rarely done. Most restaurants by far in the US will not allow vendors to try to sell to patrons. That is because restaurants are private places of businesses, not public places like beaches. So when Americans travel, they do not want their meals interrupted by strangers trying to sell them something.

I think most travelers understand it is OK for vendors to try to sell them stuff in public places like the beach. The vendors in all the towns and beaches of Mexico all sell mostly the same things, so unless a tourist is visiting Mexico for the first time he probably has already purchased all the carved wood billfish and silver jewelry he or she wants.

Then it becomes a matter of being approached over and over and over again. It is not pleasant to have people trying to sell you things constantly everywhere you go. Thatʻs why the response is a simple "No, gracias."

Craig

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I think the hectic pace most Americans live plays a role as well. After
being inundated in your work life with calls on land line phones, cell phones, pagers, emails, faxes, dealing with coworkers, employers, customers, every work day some folks simply want peace and quiet while on their vacation. They don't want to deal with people on any level regardless of the persons
reason for wanting to interact with them, they just want to enjoy their meal, their book, their conversation with old friends, just be able to chill out for
a bit.

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Tal vez la próxima vez que te acercas a los extranjeros en la playa como que al menos debe ser con pantalones.

Maybe the next time you approach strangers on the beach like that you should at least be wearing pants.

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Yes, many people do that.

I don't tho. Anyone that approches me I stop and talk with for as long as they care to converse, including ALL timeshare people.

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Yes, many people do that.

I don't tho. Anyone that approches me I stop and talk with for as long as they care to converse, including ALL timeshare people.

Hence the monicker "D-Loco".

Like this emoticon I found JUST FOR YOU? :loco:

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What ! Jehovahs Witnesses and Mormons too ?

--
Graham Felipe'

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Jehovah's Witnesses are the BEST workers!

But they're also like sharks awaiting their next prey along the Andador del Pescador every morning.

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What ! Jehovahs Witnesses and Mormons too ?

Sure, even here in the states I'll give them the time if they knock on my door. At 53 I've heard all the sales pitches many times over so there is no chance of me buying a time share or being converted to cult.

Even tho Rob thinks I was being a wise guy which I am in a lot of cases, my reply to the OP was serious.

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Even tho Rob thinks I was being a wise guy which I am in a lot of cases, my reply to the OP was serious.

That's funny! My family and friends always ribbed me about talking to the door-to-door Jehovah's Witnesses when I was still a Floridian.

They weren't the only folks I used to talk with a lot.

Bck when I moved to Florida in the mid-70's one of the first things I noticed was ALL THE OLD PEOPLE. Seems like in Florida there are basically 5 types of folks: crackers, tourists, snowbirds, transplants, and retirees. Crackers are locals. Not a lot of those and they tend to congregate in the boonies away from tourist traps and condo commandos, so don't worry, you're unlikely to run across them. Tourists you already know about. Snowbirds are the folks who spend their winters in Florida, mostly from Ontario, Quebec, New York, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. Transplants are the normally growing majority, though the spate of hurricanes a few years ago and the recent real estate crash have put a damper on their "enthusiasm" the past few years, and since they seem to be mostly motivated by "dreams of living in paradise" they are also the most fickle and the first to call it quits when things get tough. Then there are the retirees. They certainly APPEAR to be the majority of Floridians, but I'm sure it must be some kind of illusion or Yankee trick. :stirpot:

There are also a lot of migrant workers but for the 17 or so years when I lived in Florida they were kept well hidden by their employers almost like slaves so you hardly ever saw them.

Nevertheless, it seems like everyone else in Florida is always complaining about the retirees. How they drive slow and move slow and dress funny and do silly things and how they're always cranky. But the truth is most other Floridians seem to simply avoid them, so they don't really know them. It was a trend I also followed for a few years, just like everyone else seemed to do. Then I started to speak with them, a little here, a little there, mostly with folks whose lawns I took care of or whose cars I washed or who were friends of my grandparents. Eventually of course I became fascinated listening to so many lifetimes of stories and experiences, and I always looked forward to seeing my elderly acquaintences. I found them to be one of the true undiscovered treasures of Florida, like a hidden secret that few ever noticed or developed a "taste" for. That's really what they are anywhere.

Good thing for me, too, because it looks like I'm closing in on that age group slowly but surely, and some of my favorite family and friends and rock stars are already there! :omg:

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[image]

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hahaa..yes the old people in FLA. They live up to every stereotype that has been put out there about them. Seinfelds TV parents and condo inhabitants played it right on.

I remember going to Morrisons Cafe in Saint Pete beach in the late 70's and you would hear from the old folks how wonderful it was to get all that food and choice for so cheap and not have to leave a tip.

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My general rule of thumb is to assume that anyone who approaches me speaking English is looking for money. Using the words amigo or friend make it almost certain, and if they resist efforts to speak Spanish back to them, then I pretty much don't trust them at all. Asking where someone is from is generally a dead giveaway that the person is looking for something besides a sincere chat. This has been my experience in both Mexico & Cuba. On my last trip over Christmas, I was asked where I was from so many times that I damn near wanted to turn around and tell the people to get lost whenever I heard those words. My friend, however, engaged all these people in conversations, invited them to sit down and have a beer with with us, and so on, and my general rule of thumb didn't fail me. Eventually they pull out some trinket or offer to provide some sort of service. The worst offender during my vacation in Cuba was getting an under the table commission off the drinks we were being overcharged for, but sometimes its worth it, even if as a fairly savvy traveller I have a pretty good sense of when those sorts of things are going on. But I digress....

If you want to have a genuine conversation with people visiting your town, I would suggest starting your conversations with them the same way you would with other people from your area - a joke, interesting observation, the weather or whatever is normal for you. But if you approach them sounding like a sales person ("Hey, where you from, amigo?" it wouldn't be surprising for them to ignore you.

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I was backpacking a few years back and took a train through Washington, DC to get to my destination. I approached a local commuter at 7 AM to ask where he'd recommend I go for breakfast and received a brusque response. He assumed I was begging -- probably very reasonably.

Avi, creo que casi todos los extranjeros que usted encuentra estarian amable si entienden que usted solo quiere ser amistoso. Solo es que es casi nunca el caso en las playas, restaurantes, etc. Por favor, dinos el beneficio de la duda. Muchas gracias.

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Yes, I think these people think you are trying to sell them something. But, some people are just rude, Avi. There's no explaining it, except maybe they never learned any manners when they were children. You read this board, and you can see that even here among friends there are often rude posts. I just shake my head. See you soon.

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hello all, thanks for explaining. :yawn:

the truth and I gave me the idea why that happens, there are many aspects and I think that we all end up with Your agreements and disagreements could understand at all because "NO GRACIA"S. :-]
thank you all for commenting. Now when a stranger tells me: No thanks, I will say thank you with a smile as they speak to you. :kingtut:

Thank you! :like:

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¡Eres buena onda, Avi!

One Man's Wonder

--
http://www.OneMansWonder.com

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https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/387238_2964991850604_1435873018_33201392_120520476_n.jpgHey Sharkboy, I speak Spanish and when I am in Canada and sometimes hear people speaking Spanish I usually make an attempt to let them know I speak their language and I imagine they are a little freaked out at first and not sure if they can trust me and maybe wondering why I singled them out, but usually they are happy that we talked when we go our separate ways. I can see why this could be scary for someone in a strange place where everybody speaks a different language, so it's probably a defense mechanism which humans have to avoid danger of the unknown.

I noticed during my time in a big Canadian city that the most common way for people to avoid communicating with another human being (not even saying Hi!) is for them to avoid eye contact with everyone while they are in public. The other one is rapidly growing popular, which is for people to pretend to answer their cell phone when they think a situation may bring about random communication or acknowledgment of the existence of a complete stranger. Also I saw something else that was really strange, that neighbors did't know all of their neighbors on their street some knew none! Maybe it's these strange cultural traits of foreigners you're seeing? It probably has something to do with the 'big city' culture and not necesarily the individual people. I suggest you try making conversation with people who look like they are from smaller towns who are also making eye-contact with other people and if the put their hand up to their ear, like to use a cel phone, it might meen they are not wanting to be approached. Also, look for people that have been in Mexico for more than 2 or 3 weeks, chances are they will be happy to talk to you after having some time to get used to the friendly culture here in Mexico.

In your case, Sharkboy, you speak English and I imagine you are a friendly guy... so on top of the above problem you can be classed in a stereotype by the same type of people described above as 'a fast talker' or a 'hustler' and somebody to be wary of (fast talkers are not just in Mexico, respectively). Unfortunately you are also a salesman, which means you have something to sell, in other words, chances are you have an underlying motive, reason or 'need' to be striking up conversations with strangers which people tend to pick up on quickly and usually shy away from once noticed. You DO have a very good reason to have the confidence to speak to strangers in English seeing as you speak English and are a friendly local person and this benefits your chances of making sales and friends easier than those who don't speak English (the majority of Mexicans, con todo respeto) and also greatly benefits the people you talk to with a 'real' experience while vacationing in Mexico. If you realise you may appear to have the word 'salesman' printed on your forehead and try to be original and genuine in your attempt to start up a conversation with someone, it might be a good idea not to mention right away that you are a tour guide, maybe wait for the person to ask what you do for work and you can reply that you are a tour guide in a casual way.

When I am in Canada and hear people speaking Spanish I usually make an effort to let them know I speak their language and I imagine they are a little freaked out at first and not sure if they can trust me and maybe wondering why I singled them out, but usually they are happy that we talked when we go our separate ways. I can see why this could be scary for someone in a strange place where everybody speaks a different language, so it's probably a defense mechanism which humans have to avoid danger of the unknown.

As far as beach/street vendors go... I have witnessed that most of the family and friends that we have invited to experience the area usually make eye contact with the vendors when they are walking by and end up buying stuff off of them at the end of their 2 or 3 week stay in Troncones because they wanted to spend some of their money to help these people who work sooo hard in the hot sun every day. I don't have lots of money or a need for more bowls or necklaces, so I don't buy anything unless it looks tasty, but I will invite them to sit down and rest in the shade for awhile and make sure they don't think every foreigner is rude(which can happen sometimes because of the constant rejection), by engaging them in some chit-chat after I made them understand politely that I wasn't going to buy anything from them today or quite possibly ever. Once they know that I'm not going to buy anything, conversation seems to come quite naturally and not forced because of a potential pending sale. I have given advice in the past to people not to give money to the very young children who work in the streets because of my experience in Mexico City and first hand knowledge of the abuse suffered by some of these poor kids at the hands of their parents (who the money is usually going to) and because I don't think it is a safe or healthy environment for them to be working in to say the least. But then I remember the time I was in a fancy restaurant in Columbia and a local said to me that you have to give money to the people who come in to the restaurant to ask for money because they are so desperate for drugs that they will kill you if they don't get some money. Maybe the guy who told me that was stereotyping and maybe I am stereotyping. Shortly after he told me that, a transvesite drug addict b-lined towards our table of 20 in the fancy restaurant and some brave soul handed her (respectively) some pesos. The moral dilema is, are we hurting more than we are helping by encouraging poor behaviour in order for us to feel better or safer? Here is a really good article for you to read if you want to be confused on the subject even more... http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2010/10/11/101011crat_atlarge_gourevitch?currentPage=all

I hope this helps you to not be angry at all of us foreigners ;-) You should come and check out Troncones sometime!

I used to sell this stuff and actually heard some of my old lines in this video... SO FUNNY!!!

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