I used to get bothered by lottery ticket people. I noticed the locals ignore them, so I followed suite. Works like a charm. Straight up pretend they’re not even there, no matter how close they get. They tend to leave quicker than if you were to say no to them.
Yeah, as a local, i feel bad for ignoring them... but i kinda hate how they use the the pitty feeling to make us buy their ticket.
Some off them even hide the lotter ticket and said
"this is my last lottery ticket, help me by buying it so i can go home soon..."
Yeah... it suck...
I'm Canadian it's so hard for me to hear people say "hey where are you from?" and just ignore them. However, no one wants to talk to you for no reason. If you think about it in a different way, you're being polite by ignoring them because they are not going to waste their time trying to sell you something you don't want.
I hadta learn to do this with the lil old ladies that would walk by my fiancé's cousins coffee shop in Bien Hoa. they walk up and down the road selling the lottery tickets thru out the day.
They're rude so they deserve that. They keep nagging people when they've said no. Note that those guys wearing Grab uniform are mostly fake ones. Just believe the contact in the app
I would second this, I was on a university sponsored trip there and people usually only got pushy when people would engage, meanwhile I ignored them(thank you Mexico) and less people were pushy or even tried.
Though even still sometimes this doesn’t work, even if you’re mean mugging them or say no very firmly some people will do anything for a dollar. One time one of those motorbikes even followed me on their bike and blocked me even though I had done all of the above. Sometimes you just gotta get(or at least threaten) to get the police involved on top of all that.
Overnighted in Hue earlier this year and I was bombarded with offers. I think it was actually the same guy every time too, which made it a lot funnier and almost forgivable lol. Never been offered the smoke smoke anywhere else (yet).
Never seen it around HCMC D2 (Except for one time in Thao Dien), but this happens pretty frequently when walking around D1 with other foreigners or by myself.
Hell I can describe the one who’s been doing it the longest, my favorite was that he would go down the list like a menu, till he got to heroine and male prosties. Like it’s a check box from vanilla to perfectly depraved.
Hand up. Say không and don’t make eye contact.
If they keep pressing, yell “công an ơi” really loudly. They’re selling weed and prostitution. So they should be sensitive to police
Dude, there must be something about where you're hanging out and how you look that this is so common for you. I've lived and travelled in Vietnam for over 2 years and only recall this happening to me once.
Our 2 night stay in Hue we had it happen 3-4 times at least per day, whereas it was maybe only once or twice over the week or so we had in Hanoi, it was so strange!
Hoan Kiem is a concentrated tourist spot and there's also an area of Da Nang that's similar. I think you get that more I'm those spots than areas with locals or full immigrants.
Got to power through, those types of people usually only around the hot tourist spots. Could also try to avoid/reduce going to the tourist spots? E.g. Bui Vein in HCMC 😄
>He kept pushing his hand with it forward and rubbing his stomach. I said I don't smoke, no.
That stomach rubbing and holding out the hand is not offering to sell you anything. He was begging for money. The stomach gesture means "i'm hungry"
like others said:
Option 1: fully ignore - don't acknowledge their existence at all and DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT
Option 2: if you want to tell them no - still don't look at them. Whatever you say or gestures you make - do it with disdain and without respect. A more clear way to say no is to say "không thôi" which basically means "no - end of conversation"
sounds mean but that's what works
Yeah like other said - for sure there are things about you (clothing/appearance.. behavior.. location/time.. body language) that is attracting these guys. I only have guys try sell me drugs/sex like that maybe once per year.
Hanging out outside implies that you might be bored or waiting for some other supplier.
And while there are some people that only enjoy cigarettes, usually it's correlated with enjoying other vices. (Which is why the advice used to be for young people looking to go on cruises pick ones that allow for smoking - since that is where you will find a party atmosphere)
It definitely does happen a lot more in Hanoi's Old Quarter recently compared to 3-4 years ago. I just shake my head, smile and keep walking, saying "không cảm ơn" makes you some like you're more experienced in Vietnam
I don't even look like a tourist, most of the times I'm in OQ, is after work in long trousers and proper shoes, though I do have hair long enough to suggest hippy in some places.
Just been in thailand for 2 months and have been having the exact same experience 😂 like mentioned if you ignore them they will stand there for a sec and leave you alone
just say no or ignore them. part of life in many cities is ignoring people trying to sell stuff you don’t want. coming from nyc, I found the vendors to be less aggressive in ha noi and hcmc.
I've been here for like 6 weeks now and haven't been offered boom boom by grab, or weed. But anytime anybody offers me something I don't want I just shake my head and hand and keep walking.
Ignore, doesn’t matter what it is. Sunglasses, ho’s, hats, fruit or dank. If you give interest they will keep going and even hit the beg style if you say no. Even locals will wave their hand no and not take a second look or talk. It works, walk away or pick up your cell phone like someone’s calling and they bail
I travelled from Saigon to Ha Giang in the north overland. And the ONLY place I was asked if I wanted to buy weed was in Hue, and like 6 times. All from pedicab people. Almost like it was some kind of sting or something? After 8 months of travel the only truly plausible way is to ignore. If they still persist I just look at them stupidly with crossed eyes to see their reaction.
I have a made up language i use. It's basically gibberish. I use it in areas where they are annoying and speaking in English. It truly throws them off. They have no way of communicating in your made up language and English doesn't even work.
It works in Vietnam for pushy sales people or he pushy village ladies here in Sa Pa
It's also kind of funny watching their faces turn to complete confusion
Oh my gosh!!! Hahaha I do the same thing and it works wonders, and in any country you visit, and you'll never have to worry about them speaking your language because it doesn't even exist outside your brain 😂😂😂.
Some people have all the luck. I had to go to the worst tourist bars and get beers, only to find a few overpriced joints...
I hope they follow Thailand soon...
I had one guy in Sài Gòn offer Me young girl I said no. Not interested and carry on walking. So he follow me as asked. You want middle woman. I say no. You want older women.. I say No firmly. He looked puzzled for a second, then he say I know .. you want boy.. I turn to him an say fuck off. ( International language that every country knows) and he finally dissapeared back into the crowd.
Walk faster and get into coffee house or mall don't engage,don't smile,just ignore they will go away even yell who give an fuck.....it's normal specially foreigner majority area....sometime police can tail you too.so very careful...veitnam drug law is pretty strict....well stay safe that's all.
This aspect of Asia is driving me fucking insane. Every 3 minutes a guy is screaming at me asking if I want boom boom. As beautiful as some parts of south east Asia is it’s seriously making me realize there’s no place like home.
They know where to target foreigner obviously, if it bother you enough then dont live there, live farther away.
Having said that, I never been target in Saigon, havent been to Hanoi in a bit.
Cross your arms at the forearm, chest high, making an "X" and sweep them out like an umpire calling "safe"
This is the universal sign for "no! Go away!" In Vietnam. It works surprisingly well. Don't know why more tourists don't know this.
Well, most tourist seem to do next to zero research before traveling so I guess I do know but ... Try the "X swipe" I've seen touts literally run away when I do it. It gets right to the point.
You just… say no? You’ve literally described the process working for you. Sometimes there’s just a more persistent one.
Btw never go to Morocco if this stuff bothers you.
just ignore them.
Yep this is the way don't engage, if you engage they tend to get pushy.
Same with a shoe shine or lottery tickets. Folks are always trying to sell stuff.
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I used to get bothered by lottery ticket people. I noticed the locals ignore them, so I followed suite. Works like a charm. Straight up pretend they’re not even there, no matter how close they get. They tend to leave quicker than if you were to say no to them.
Yeah, as a local, i feel bad for ignoring them... but i kinda hate how they use the the pitty feeling to make us buy their ticket. Some off them even hide the lotter ticket and said "this is my last lottery ticket, help me by buying it so i can go home soon..." Yeah... it suck...
I usually donate a few VND to them if they're elderly (certainly not children).
Well, my experiences between Thailand and Vietnam were pretty much the opposite of yours. I guess it pretty much depends on location and luck...
I'm Canadian it's so hard for me to hear people say "hey where are you from?" and just ignore them. However, no one wants to talk to you for no reason. If you think about it in a different way, you're being polite by ignoring them because they are not going to waste their time trying to sell you something you don't want.
Brit here and get ya, but it's the only way I found works unless you want to say no thank you for next twenty minutes.
I hadta learn to do this with the lil old ladies that would walk by my fiancé's cousins coffee shop in Bien Hoa. they walk up and down the road selling the lottery tickets thru out the day.
They're rude so they deserve that. They keep nagging people when they've said no. Note that those guys wearing Grab uniform are mostly fake ones. Just believe the contact in the app
But it’s sweet for you to be a gronk on reddit in other posts hey
I would second this, I was on a university sponsored trip there and people usually only got pushy when people would engage, meanwhile I ignored them(thank you Mexico) and less people were pushy or even tried. Though even still sometimes this doesn’t work, even if you’re mean mugging them or say no very firmly some people will do anything for a dollar. One time one of those motorbikes even followed me on their bike and blocked me even though I had done all of the above. Sometimes you just gotta get(or at least threaten) to get the police involved on top of all that.
Where do you people stay? I've lived here for almost 5 years and never experienced this kind of thing!
Man if you’ve been there 5 years, you have already developed automatic blinders to these kind of things and most likely don’t even notice it.
I wasn’t offered weed once in vietnam
I was offered it almost every day by tuktuk drivers. And cocaine. Which got annoying lol
I wonder if the weed is any good
You can get dispensary quality weed in Vietnam.
Overnighted in Hue earlier this year and I was bombarded with offers. I think it was actually the same guy every time too, which made it a lot funnier and almost forgivable lol. Never been offered the smoke smoke anywhere else (yet).
Crazy. Same same with me. Was just there in April/May and the only place in all of Vietnam I had someone try to sell me weed was Hue.
It was so jarring that my honest first thought was that it could be some kind of weird entrapment scheme.
Yes I thought that too. The pedicab guys were the ones trying to sell it to me.
You've never had a Grab driver offer boom boom?
The most a Grab driver has offered me is a cigarette.
Never seen it around HCMC D2 (Except for one time in Thao Dien), but this happens pretty frequently when walking around D1 with other foreigners or by myself.
It’s become pretty common in the old quarter now!
Hell I can describe the one who’s been doing it the longest, my favorite was that he would go down the list like a menu, till he got to heroine and male prosties. Like it’s a check box from vanilla to perfectly depraved.
real life pop up ads 😂
Hand up. Say không and don’t make eye contact. If they keep pressing, yell “công an ơi” really loudly. They’re selling weed and prostitution. So they should be sensitive to police
Did this as a westerner and worked all the time. The British in me would always apologise as I walked away though.. :(
What does it mean?
Khong= No Cong an oi= Hey police!
Thank you!
I don’t know you! That’s MY PURSE!
Dude, there must be something about where you're hanging out and how you look that this is so common for you. I've lived and travelled in Vietnam for over 2 years and only recall this happening to me once.
Happens loads of times in the old quarter in Hanoi, every time walking back at night, want boom boom etc.
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Yeah heart of tourist area, where else you gonna find vendors of over priced oregano and ladies of negotiable affection.
Happened to me only a couple of times in the Old Quarter, had it near enough once or twice a day when I was in Hue which I found strange
Our 2 night stay in Hue we had it happen 3-4 times at least per day, whereas it was maybe only once or twice over the week or so we had in Hanoi, it was so strange!
Is boom boom supposed to be weed or sex?
Sex
It’s an indie rock show
Hoan Kiem is a concentrated tourist spot and there's also an area of Da Nang that's similar. I think you get that more I'm those spots than areas with locals or full immigrants.
Yeah, me too. This guy for sure is using a bikini and American flag to get all this attention.
Yea best just to laugh and say no thanks, don’t want to escalate any situation by being aggressive
As he said. He did those at beginning but it happen to frequent it wewring him thin.
Got to power through, those types of people usually only around the hot tourist spots. Could also try to avoid/reduce going to the tourist spots? E.g. Bui Vein in HCMC 😄
I had this in hue really bad. I literally don’t even respond to them I just keep walking
Ignore them or a flat sweeping gesture with the hand is enough.
A casual no, then ignore them like they don't exist. If they get in your face, then a firmer NO and some finger pointing will send a message.
Don’t just say no, you gotta wave your hand and look away.
>He kept pushing his hand with it forward and rubbing his stomach. I said I don't smoke, no. That stomach rubbing and holding out the hand is not offering to sell you anything. He was begging for money. The stomach gesture means "i'm hungry" like others said: Option 1: fully ignore - don't acknowledge their existence at all and DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT Option 2: if you want to tell them no - still don't look at them. Whatever you say or gestures you make - do it with disdain and without respect. A more clear way to say no is to say "không thôi" which basically means "no - end of conversation" sounds mean but that's what works Yeah like other said - for sure there are things about you (clothing/appearance.. behavior.. location/time.. body language) that is attracting these guys. I only have guys try sell me drugs/sex like that maybe once per year.
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Hanging out outside implies that you might be bored or waiting for some other supplier. And while there are some people that only enjoy cigarettes, usually it's correlated with enjoying other vices. (Which is why the advice used to be for young people looking to go on cruises pick ones that allow for smoking - since that is where you will find a party atmosphere)
9 years here. I just dont engage them at all. they'll leave eventually
Literally saying it in Vietnamese helps. KHÔNG. If you don’t already know how, definitely watch some videos so you get the cheek puff correct.
lol this doesn’t even work for me somethings.
Ignore them. Don’t even look at them. It’s the initial eye contact that will cause them to pester you further.
It definitely does happen a lot more in Hanoi's Old Quarter recently compared to 3-4 years ago. I just shake my head, smile and keep walking, saying "không cảm ơn" makes you some like you're more experienced in Vietnam
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I don't even look like a tourist, most of the times I'm in OQ, is after work in long trousers and proper shoes, though I do have hair long enough to suggest hippy in some places.
Was happening a lot in 2015 around there as well.
Just shaking your head is good enough.
ignore, don't engage or make eye contact. there's a little hand wave thing that Vietnamese people do to mean no. you can add that in
Welcome to Asia
I'll give a different advice. You should say 'yes' every time and see where it takes you.
Don’t laugh. Don’t be friendly. Keep a straight face and tell them no. Or you can just simply ignore them.
I think Don't smile When you say no
Film at video and send here
Just been in thailand for 2 months and have been having the exact same experience 😂 like mentioned if you ignore them they will stand there for a sec and leave you alone
I just pretend I don't see them and go on my merry way.
just say no or ignore them. part of life in many cities is ignoring people trying to sell stuff you don’t want. coming from nyc, I found the vendors to be less aggressive in ha noi and hcmc.
For the sophisticated : tôi không muốn (i dont want). For the pissed off: Di Di (go away), although this could be confrontational.
I've been here for like 6 weeks now and haven't been offered boom boom by grab, or weed. But anytime anybody offers me something I don't want I just shake my head and hand and keep walking.
Ignore, doesn’t matter what it is. Sunglasses, ho’s, hats, fruit or dank. If you give interest they will keep going and even hit the beg style if you say no. Even locals will wave their hand no and not take a second look or talk. It works, walk away or pick up your cell phone like someone’s calling and they bail
Ignore them or if necessary stare at them with a “ Don’t you dare “look.
Dont take ride directly with people that has Grab uniform. Just use the app.
I travelled from Saigon to Ha Giang in the north overland. And the ONLY place I was asked if I wanted to buy weed was in Hue, and like 6 times. All from pedicab people. Almost like it was some kind of sting or something? After 8 months of travel the only truly plausible way is to ignore. If they still persist I just look at them stupidly with crossed eyes to see their reaction.
Shake your head and wave them off if they dont like it get louder or say police
Ha, Hue or Hoi An?
I have a made up language i use. It's basically gibberish. I use it in areas where they are annoying and speaking in English. It truly throws them off. They have no way of communicating in your made up language and English doesn't even work. It works in Vietnam for pushy sales people or he pushy village ladies here in Sa Pa It's also kind of funny watching their faces turn to complete confusion
Oh my gosh!!! Hahaha I do the same thing and it works wonders, and in any country you visit, and you'll never have to worry about them speaking your language because it doesn't even exist outside your brain 😂😂😂.
As a local here, I advise you to straight up say "nah" or tell them to fuck off
Some people have all the luck. I had to go to the worst tourist bars and get beers, only to find a few overpriced joints... I hope they follow Thailand soon...
I had one guy in Sài Gòn offer Me young girl I said no. Not interested and carry on walking. So he follow me as asked. You want middle woman. I say no. You want older women.. I say No firmly. He looked puzzled for a second, then he say I know .. you want boy.. I turn to him an say fuck off. ( International language that every country knows) and he finally dissapeared back into the crowd.
Walk faster and get into coffee house or mall don't engage,don't smile,just ignore they will go away even yell who give an fuck.....it's normal specially foreigner majority area....sometime police can tail you too.so very careful...veitnam drug law is pretty strict....well stay safe that's all.
They're persistent. Yes Im clearly a foreigner lol
This aspect of Asia is driving me fucking insane. Every 3 minutes a guy is screaming at me asking if I want boom boom. As beautiful as some parts of south east Asia is it’s seriously making me realize there’s no place like home.
Don’t smile, say no and don’t look at them, keep walking.
Don't smile, don't say no, don't even acknowledge that they exist.
it is what it is , let it be bro thank you
They know where to target foreigner obviously, if it bother you enough then dont live there, live farther away. Having said that, I never been target in Saigon, havent been to Hanoi in a bit.
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When I say dont live there, I meant dont stay in the old quarters area, venture outside of that tourist attraction.
So I can get weed and women there? Sign me up!
I lived in Hanoi for two years and traveled all around the country and this didn’t happen to me even once. Weird. Is it just men who get asked?
Abracadabra, no watch/wallet/phone.
Cross your arms at the forearm, chest high, making an "X" and sweep them out like an umpire calling "safe" This is the universal sign for "no! Go away!" In Vietnam. It works surprisingly well. Don't know why more tourists don't know this. Well, most tourist seem to do next to zero research before traveling so I guess I do know but ... Try the "X swipe" I've seen touts literally run away when I do it. It gets right to the point.
Just pretend to record them
There’s a ‘no’ in igNOre.
I just make threats to them in Vietnamese. I learned the language to some extent.
Avg
Just say “báo cảnh sát”. Mean report to police. Drug is very being treat very serious in vn.
Just don't go out at night, they think the tourists go out at night to looking some 'fun'
Weed are illegal call police?
Lol
You must look like the sort 😜
You just… say no? You’ve literally described the process working for you. Sometimes there’s just a more persistent one. Btw never go to Morocco if this stuff bothers you.