IN THIS ESSAY I shall address the way that everyone who goes to any non western market where you have to bargain for prices (like in Egypt or Vietnam idk) then goes on to complain complain complain about how the market guys are “harassing them.” Obviously I’m not discounting anyone who was actually got harassed. I am talking about the majority of people being wimpy and unaware about the way people act and negotiate
You need to learn how these guys operate so you can stop saying that people are so aggressive selling you stuff when they are not. Crazy shocker – cultures are different! Which means body language says different things! And things are done differently! And you will misinterpret the situation!
What westerners do in “normal” stores back home where you don’t need to bargain bc it is perfectly ok to do this in stores when you WANT TO BUY NOTHING:
They turn their face and body towards a vendor or item, compliment the product to their friend, maybe touch the fabric, look at all the stuff for as long as they want, while slightly hesitating to walk away and politely but not firmly declining.
What a vendor expects someone to do when they DO WANT TO BUY SOMETHING:
They turn their face and body towards a vendor or item, compliment the product to their friend, maybe touch the fabric, look at all the stuff for as long as they want, while slightly hesitating to walk away and politely but not firmly declining.
Spoiler alert! YOUR NORMAL IS WHAT BEGINNING A NEGOTIATION OVER THE PRICE OF AN ITEM YOU WANT LOOKS LIKE but of course sadly this is what nervous bitches who aren’t thinking critically do when walking through markets and when vendors talk to them
So that you understand, what it looks like when someone DOES NOT WANT SOMETHING:
They look straight ahead and keep walking and ignore all talk except to maybe say firmly no thank you in the local language.
To be clear-
- If you TOUCH A PRODUCT, YOU ARE INITIATING NEGOTIATIONS on the product
- If you say “oh that shirt looks so cute” YOU ARE INITIATING THE NEGOTIATIONS you dumb fuck
- They assume you want it and are beginning a back and forth
- Idc if you said it to your husband or bestie, the vendor assumes you were dropping hints to start the price lower
- If you smile and compliment the item that you are turning down, YOU ARE INITIATING THE NEGOTIATIONS. I get that you wanna be nice but stop
- If you smile and look at them and turn your body towards someone yelling compliments/deals/offers towards you, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY WEAK and they will target you
My advice:
- If you simply say no properly, THEY WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE
- Put your hand on your heart, say no thank you (preferably in their language)(ex. “No, Shukran :)”)
- Do not smile too big at them, but also you can smile a little bc they’re just dudes,
- Do not compliment something or reach your hand towards it, don’t walk towards them
- Wear sunglasses so they can’t see what you are looking at
- It is literally that easy
- If you learn how to not look at someone talking to you, then you will solve all your problems instantly
- If you are clearly nervous and try to appease a street vendor, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY WEAK and they will target you
- If you are in a couple, you both need to be equally strong bc it only takes one weak link
Do this and they will miraculously understand that you do not want anything
I have literally never once felt overly targeted by street vendors
- This is in a variety of countries notorious for vendors aggressively selling to tourists
- I absolutely look like a foreigner in every one of those places
- This is trips both solo girling and with a guy and with groups
- This is including in tour groups in tourist traps AND I STILL NEVER ONCE FELT LIKE ANYONE TRIED TO SELL ME SOMETHING LONGER THAN WAS POLITE
So anytime I see someone being harassed by street vendors I assume they’re acting dumb or weak and that they very actively gave the vendor the body language and/or words that indicated that they wanted to begin negotiations on the product. Now you know and have to grow up and act right and now suddenly nobody will bother you and you’ll realize you were the problem. I get that we all want to be nice but also nice looks very different everywhere and you need to get over yourself.
Featured pic by an anonymous friend
