It sucks being treated like a walking ATM while travelling. Here’s some tips

“Tell me how can I get your money” a man in a market in Egypt shouted. At least he was honest.

I don’t know about you, but being constantly harassed by people trying to sell me their stuff or their services can really put me off and taint my experience in a certain place. I’m speaking about constant harassment, the kind that you can’t take two steps without being presented with a service or a product, and then just to have this person insist and insist without letting go. How annoying is this?

And how intimidating, and quite frankly unwelcome, is landing somewhere, and as you start exiting the doors of the airport there are dozens of men shouting “TAXI TAXI” and a few others “SIM CARD SIM CARD”. At least at the airport, you only experience it once, when you land.

But what about when you’re finally seeing the Pyramids of Giza in person, and random men grab you and put souvenirs in your hand, trying to make you pay for it? What about when you are trying to explore the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul and you can’t look for more than two seconds anywhere, or there will be half a dozen sellers surrounding you? Or when you simply walk for 5 minutes in the street during which you have masseuses, tuk-tuk drivers, souvenir sellers and bar waiters calling you? What about places like Bali, where Grab/Uber is banned for the sole purpose of getting ripped off by taxi drivers, who change their mind about how much they’ll charge you? Or when you actually get an Uber, who then cancels the trip and demands you pay them in cash, in a higher price than discussed before? Or when locals approach you to give you, what at first looks like, information about their traditions, and then ask you for money?

(I’m not even including sexual harassment here)

Is it just me, or this is SUPER annoying? I think as I get older I am less patient with these things. But I just also feel like it keeps getting worse. I end up having a feeling like I’m only seen as a walking ATM, a white, “rich” tourist, with unlimited means to give money away to the first idiot that offers me anything.

I also feel like I might get an exaggerated experience of this harassment because 1. I typically travel alone, and I suppose I’m seen as a “easier target”, 2, I am a woman, so sadly I will always be seen, once again, as an “easy target”, 3. I’m introverted and get uncomfortable with unsolicited approaches and finally, 4, because I am (and I am learning to accept) incredibly sensitive, an I often get overwhelmed when my senses get overstimulated, especially when it comes to sound. In this case, shouting. Lots of shouting. And sometimes, physical proximity. Nah. I don’t like that.

Now, I know I am ranting here about a first world problem. It is my choice to travel and I’m privileged to have had the means to do it. But I still don’t think this is right. Especially when as tourists we have an acute sense of privilege and guilt. And in order to abate some of that guilt, we smile, try to be respectful, friendly, even when our boundaries are being tested to the extreme. Sometimes this is what leads exactly to people being scammed and robbed when travelling. Other times it just makes you feel like absolute crap.

And no, I don’t think this will go away, so here are my tips for you to protect yourself and avoid having your trip spoiled by this.

1. Research and/or arrange transport in advance

There is nothing more overwhelming than after a flight, when you’re likely tired and jetlagged, you have to endure the sales showroom that happens at the exit gates. Researching how you’re getting from the airport to your destination is something I always do. If public transport is available and accessible, I’ll take it. If not, I will use an app such as Uber/Grab/Bolt, etc. If that’s not available, I will arrange directly with my hotel. And again, if this isn’t something that is offered by your accommodation, research for the authorised airport taxi companies. Agree with a price, especially if meter isn’t available. This way, you can ignore the cacophony of voices, and go straight to the exit.

2. If you need a SIM card, avoid getting it at the airport.

This isn’t always the case, but many times those stalls at the airport are scammers! Either go to a shop in town, that is part of the official network chain or, if you want to avoid the hassle, buy a virtual SIM card in advance. This is what I did whilst travelling in Southeast Asia and never had a problem. Once again, I could ignore the loud and aggressive sellers at the airport, and also being scammed in town (it has happened to one of the travellers I met).

3. Don’t be afraid of saying a firm “NO!”

In our mission to be respectful and friendly while we travel in foreign lands, we often fall in the mistake of being too lenient. But there is a balance for everything, and if you are being bothered by a very insistent seller, or anyone trying to get something out of you – show them the best version of your “bitch” face. Say no firmly, and walk away. Don’t be intimidated my name calling, or guilt tripping. Those are intimidation tactics. For better impact, you can also learn to say “no, thanks” in their own language. Sometimes it helps.

4. Avoid entering in establishments that are empty, with a waiter calling people in

I’ve made this mistake once. Never again. I was charged UK prices at a restaurant in Istanbul, which meant my meal cost me more than double of what should have cost me. I was tired, starving, and entered the first restaurant who had a “nice, friendly” waiter advertising the views and the delicious food, calling me in. The same goes for massage parlours – in Southeast Asia so often they were just idling sitting at the entrance, calling people in, and these were empty inside. It always smells fishy. Avoid. And if you are unsure, and have a connection to the Internet, check the reviews. They just want your money and sometimes they will steal it from you.

5. Be cautious about “friendly” locals who approach you

I know I’m sounding too suspicious but I think there is a weird discourse online that almost encourages people to be open to say yes to locals’ invitations, start up conversations, etc. We do want to believe in the kindness and good intentions of people, but beware – most times, locals aren’t interested in making friends with you. They see you as a wealthy foreigner. They know they won’t see you again. And they will take advantage of that. As I say in the title, you are often just a walking ATM. I’ve been in situations when locals started a conversation with me, seemingly without wanting anything in return, just to then offer you a service for a price, or straight out ask you for money for the information they gave you. It hurts to say, but most times I just walk away, and pretend I didn’t notice they were trying to talk to me. Most times, I just say no, bye.

6. Be careful even with Uber drivers

Whilst I find ride hauling apps safer in general, there are always precautions to take. If you hauled an Uber, and the driver asks you to cancel the trip and agrees with you to pay in cash, because “Uber charges high fees” – just leave the car, if you can. This happened to me once. The car was already moving and I was in a hurry to get to the airport. I told him I could only pay by card, I didn’t have money. He said he had something on his car that could read bank cards. When I get to the airport and take my card out to pay he starts shouting at me, he didn’t have a card reader. I had to run to the airport whilst he kept my luggage, get cash (the amount had doubled) and shaking with nerves found him and paid him, retrieving my luggage, shooting him what I feel was a deadly look of absolute disgust, whilst he apologised… so yes, ask to leave the car if this happens to you.

7. Try not to look lost

This isn’t an easy one. But walk with purpose. Study your itinerary before going out, and if you need to take a moment to look at the map, try to do it discreetly, in a little corner, not visible. Or even do it whilst you have a meal at a restaurant, or even by stepping inside a shop. This has been my strategy to avoid unwanted attention, especially as a woman solo travelling.

8. Run from those wanting to offer you things,

Whether it’s an amulet, a bracelet, an henna tattoo. Believe me. THEY ARE NOT GIVING IT AWAY FOR FREE. They will put it in your hands, pretend they are giving you some blessing, and then demand you pay them. No. Stay away. Drop the stuff on the ground if you have to. Of this I am certain.

9. Never reveal where you are staying overnight

Golden rule. Either say you can’t remember the name (I play dumb many times) or give them the name of a generic chain hotel where you are not staying. Would you share your home address with a random stranger in your home country? Unless legal bureaucracies require it, or you’re calling a taxi home, I doubt it. And for good reason. So don’t do it while you are travelling either 🙂 Safety is paramount.

This is everything I could think of. I decided to write this post after publishing my video on my experience in Siem Reap on my Youtube channel. I was reminded of how difficult it was for me to navigate this harassment in this little town, where I felt I could not walk five meters without being offered something. If you’re interested, you can watch it below:

But I would also love to hear your thoughts! Do you have any other tips?

Love

Nic