"Gato Medio" wrote in message
news:3a8kteF68einqU2@individual.net...
> The kind of things I'm talking about can best be exemplified by what
happens
> on my daily visit to the local market to by fruit and vegetables. I see
> someone sell a particular product to a local woman and when I ask for the
> price I'm asked twice at much. People 'forget' to give me change, etc.
Minor
> things. The amounts involved are small, not worth making a fuss about. But
> that's not the point. The point is that people think you're stupid because
> you look like a foreigner.
I use to warn my friends that when they arrive in Rio they should assume
that they have this flashing "I am an idiot. I hand out money!!!"-sign glued
to their forehead and act according to this assumption.
My most usual problem is those guys at petrol stations that seem to have a
problem counting how many ten reais bills they need to give you back on a
hundred reais bill.
When renting hotels/apartments or buying things at the beach I have found
that using locals for aksing the price can dramatically reduce the price.
In Buzios north of Rio a friend reacted heavily on a 5 reais parking price
by a beach and got the reply that "but of course...for you I only need R$3".
If I would have been there alone I would have paid the R$5 with a smile
because it's too little to make a fuss about.
In Salvador I had a friend help me bargain at the beach, and the salesman
was angry at this person helping me and complained that since I was a
tourist I should pay more.
It's not about the money.....it's more the feeling of being considered
stupid that makes at least me react to this behaviour.
PS: But this does not alter my "favorite vacation country" list where Brazil
is still firmly at #1 position. It just makes it a bigger challenge ;-)
B
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