Comments on: A Downside of Istanbul: Those Pesky Hustlers

By: ahmed

ahmed — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:25:03 +0000

The hustlers can be so charming, much more persistent and untruthful.

By: No 40 years of friendship « expat+HAREM, the global niche

No 40 years of friendship « expat+HAREM, the global niche — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 13:00:27 +0000

[...] for a look?”, some point to the sign in answer. Tourists in this shopping Mecca have been so traumatized they can no longer distinguish an invitation from an inquisition. Happy Day Street by [...]

By: Emily Gerson

Emily Gerson — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:49:16 +0000

@MEK: it is definitely similar. Though in Istanbul, they were much more persistent, and many of them followed us down the street and wouldn’t leave us alone. In the States, it’s more of a quick whistle and stare, and then it’s over with. But believe me, I hate that, too!

By: MEK

MEK — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:11:15 +0000

Isn’t it kind of similar to those construction workers hooting and hollering at you on the streets here in the US…I mean, would you stop and actually have a conversation with one of those construction workers? Just a thought…………

By: zozlem

zozlem — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:37:15 +0000

This is really a downside of visiting Istanbul, I know.. Even I sometimes feel disturbed. This has become a tradition in the touristic places like Old City etc.. But as all others have said, ignoring them is the best and to be honest, the only way to get rid of those pushy salesmen.

And you might be right, two women might be more appealing to try to divert into customers than a woman and a man. But there is no need to worry or taking extra precautions about this.. Just accept that this is the case and act like it if you don’t want to be sold anything. Don’t drink that tea or don’t even answer the questions.. Don’t accept to talk to anyone that seems “very affectionate”, just say “No”.. Simple right?

I hope you do come again to have better time this time, you’re more experienced now..

For more about Istanbul, from the view of a local: http://www.istanbulextralarge.com/tips-for-women.html

By: Debating what-not-to-do in Istanbul « expat+HAREM, the global niche

Debating what-not-to-do in Istanbul « expat+HAREM, the global niche — Mon, 31 May 2010 11:34:51 +0000

[...] fine. If not, politely decline and keep moving. When hawkers in the bazaar and tourism district are unrelenting a clucking of the tongue and upward roll of the eyes is Turkish for “no, and don’t ask [...]

By: Emily Gerson

Emily Gerson — Wed, 05 May 2010 00:34:55 +0000

Claire – so happy to hear that you had a wonderful time! How interesting that you weren’t haggled too much. Were you traveling with a guy? When I went, I was with another young woman, and we wondered if we were targeted extra hard because there weren’t any men with us. You’re right, perhaps going early in the day helped! I did find that some vendors weren’t willing to bargain (and a few were insulted that I even asked), but most would nudge a bit. Anyway, so glad you enjoyed yourself and didn’t have to worry about these hustlers!

By: claire

claire — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:23:56 +0000

just came back from istanbul. loved the city, loved the trip! i have to say that i did not feel the intense pressure and the persistence and the obnoxiousness that i have experienced in several other countries. i was prepared after reading up on it, but this ended up not being my experience at all–very surprising to me! particularly in the grand bazaar, hassle-FREE. the vendors weren’t even willing to come down more than a few lira and they certainly weren’t interested enough to pursue me when i walked away. as a result, i did not buy much, because i didn’t like the prices! this may have had more to do with the fact that it was early in the morning and they were holding out for better returns from more willing tourists. down by the water was where i experienced the most hassle, as touts wanted us to buy a bosphorus cruise, but that was about it. on the streets by restaurants, they always called us to come in, but left us alone if we kept walking. one guy even apologized to me, when he could see how frazzled i was (over something else going on at the moment). anyway, i feel as my experience may have been atypical, after reading everything else.

By: Emily Gerson

Emily Gerson — Sat, 01 May 2010 15:40:03 +0000

Thanks for your input, Mehmet. You’re right, I didn’t have to do those things. But in America, those harassment things are few and far between. There was a law passed a year or two ago that banned most forms of unsolicited telemarketing, so that doesn’t happen much at all anymore (unless you canceled a magazine or something and they’re trying to get you to subscribe again). When I’m out and about in US cities, I occasionally do see a religious group out passing flyers, but that is also not the norm — just on the rare occasion. What surprised me about Istanbul is that this haggling happened EVERYWHERE I went — it was the norm. Bars, restaurants, shops, and even people in front of attractions fighting to be your tour guide. We couldn’t get away from being haggled. That’s the point I was trying to make; it’s not that it never happens in the US, but it’s rare.

By: Mehmet

Mehmet — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:12:31 +0000

There is a phychologica thing going on here.First of all, why do you accept apple tea from total strangers and why do you consider them charming when you know that they want to sell you something? And why do you feel any guilt when you are rejecting somebody? That is part of everyday life. I lived in US for many years and I hated those aggressive telemarketers and the sticky hari krishnas on the streets begging me for donations. What do you do in US in these situations, just ignore them right? That’s what you gotta do in Istanbul as well. Nothing too complicated. For more info about Istanbul check this out; http://www.best-of-istanbul.com

By: Debating what-not-to-do in Istanbul « Furthering the Worldwide Cultural Conversation

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 16:57:17 +0000

By: Emily Gerson

Emily Gerson — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 03:02:03 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Thalia! I have a friend who went to Egypt and said they are especially bad there, so yeah, maybe we didn’t really have it so bad in Istanbul Either way, it’s certainly very different from how things operate in the US and UK.