Dealing with beggars and other hassles
If you are going to travel in place where there are tourists, that is impoverished (but not necessarily so) you and other tourists are very likely to get the unwanted attention of some people wanting your money via a handout or an almost forced sale of a carpet or some other souvenir.
Attention can come from some of the following sources: 
Beggars
Beggars can be a shock to the system if you have spent most of your life in affluent Australia where beggars and homeless people are few even in big cities. If it is your first time in an impoverished nation, be prepared to see beggars, mainly women and children, who are poor, hungry, often disabled or very sick and reaching out to you for help.
The destination does not have to be impoverished for you to experience this more than you would at home. London and Rome have some of the more persistent (and often better dressed) beggars you will encounter.
This can be emotionally overwhelming and the knowledge that you have everything that they don’t can make your visit to their homeland seem like a strange and perverted undertaking. This level of poverty, however exists whether or not you are directly faced with it and for most people seeing it will either motivate you to do what little you can to help, even if that is just being cautious that your tourist dollar goes to those who deserve it most. At the very least this experience will give you perspective on your own privilege.
So what should you do? Well if you are faced with the sick and needy as you exit the airport, it is likely that the country you are visiting is full of similar destitution. Now that the hit movie ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’ has given everyone an insight in to the messed up world of organised begging, be aware that in places like India begging is big money and often it is more lucrative to send out your child (or someone else’s) to beg than it is to work a decent job.
As the movie also highlights, there are reports of children being injured purposely to up the sympathy dollar they will receive on the street. The sad truth is, you cannot give to everyone and if you want to know that you are not perpetuating a cruel trade in child beggars give money when you are not being targeted for it. Tip or give extra money to the person who scrubs your room or offers you a small service. Or find a local cause, registered charity or school who you can give a small amount to.
In the end its the lady who is cleaning your hotel 15 hours a day and not the beggar out the front who may be more deserving of your donations, but everybody reacts differently.
Salespeople
Doing a big of market shopping in your chosen destination can be a great way to interact with the locals and get some super cheap and interesting gifts for those back at home, but the constant barrage of pestering from vendors can be exhausting and can follow you out of the market down the street and back to your room.
Until you have walked the length of somewhere like Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia, you will not know what it is like to have a dollar sign flashing above your head from the minute you get up in the morning and exit your accommodation to when you return at night. There are a few ways to minimise the consequences of this, namely exhaustion frustration and a needlessly negative view of the local people.
Firstly a smile goes a long way in most cultures and a cheery disposition, say no firmly but not with malice. Use eye contact to show that you are serious and then walk away. Do not touch or ask how much something is if you are not seriously interested in buying it or if you are not ready to deal with the onslaught of pestering brought on by a potential sale. If your patience is running out just head down and ignore anyone selling anything, through in a few firm ‘no’s and walk on.
Learning a few words in the local lingo can go a long way. Just remember most of these people are decent and just trying to scratch a living. The ‘where you from’ routine can get a bit much but if your over it then just move on.
Conmen
Like it or not you will often look like an easy target for someone wanting to swindle more money out of you than you want to pay. With language difficulties and lack of local knowledge you are a sucker for statements like Taxi driver: ‘oh we never use the meter I give you price at the end’.
When you are paying for accommodation, food, tours, taxis, changing money or anything which involves you getting your wallet out be clear and confident. Don’t get into a car or an agreement or a room without an agreed price. Make sure that you are both clear on what the price is and what currency you are talking about (A classic is agreeing a price in local currency and then being told at payment time the price given to you was in US dollars making it invariably much more).
The best way to protect yourself from small time swindlers is to know what things should cost. Check your guide book before you land so when you bust out of arrivals you know what the going price for a taxi from the airport to the closest major town.
There are a few destinations around the world where small time conmen selling you shares in Nigerian oil scams, convincing you to buy precious gems (gumball machine worthless) have become a serious problem. India is one example, as are parts of South America.
It can be hard to find the line between brushing off all attention from locals and actually being open to meeting new people. You really just have to trust your gut and don’t buy anything if the warranty or details are being posted ‘later’.
Back to on the road
