They're at it in Crete too.
in [Europe]
|
From: aquachimp on 23 May 2010 04:31 On May 23, 8:19 am, BP killed my turtle <michaelnewp...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > On May 22, 9:13 pm, aquachimp <aquach...(a)aquachimp.freeserve.co.uk> > wrote: snippy > > > > > Cautiously succinctly expressed. But easier said than done. > > > > > Put it this way, I popped along here into Usenet Street and in > > > > posting this thread I have in effect approached everybody. What's > > > > more, though not Greek, I did so bearing the Gifts of information and > > > > opportunity/excuse to converse. > > > > > Not everyone has avoided me. > > > > > A holiday, such as what I've just had, is a feast of freedom and > > > > borrowing the phrase "we are what we eat" feasting of freedom lends us > > > > to living more freely and, I suspect, even free from a conscious sense > > > > of freedom. So when approached, as we were, the under current sense of > > > > freedom expressed itself thus, like someone whispering in your ear > > > > saying... ooh go on, listen, check it out, you'll be doing him a > > > > favour, you're free to walk away any time you want. > > > > > Trouble is, the same undercurrent, which is the real Trojan Horse at > > > > work here expresses itself in the same way as each greater step of > > > > risk is encountered. And that's why I think (though making it up as I > > > > go along) is why some people get duped, other than those who are > > > > tortured into it through tedium, hunger, thirst or as one couple I've > > > > since read about, the woman was diabetic, became ill as a consequence > > > > of all the missed meal delays, but the scammers still wouldn't let > > > > them go until the husband signed on the dotted line. > > > > going on holiday is no excuse for unplugging your brain.... > > > I'm not sure what you're saying with that generalisation. > > > If you're in Greece and get approached by someone speaking Dutch, > > asking if perhaps you are Dutch, but you're not and don't speak a word > > of it and subsequently haven't understood a word... the fact that you > > simply continue on your way with hardly a shrug does not amount to > > evidence that you've kept your brain plugged in. > > > Equally, if,say you're English and get approached my someone with a > > British accent enquiring if you're English, running away like your > > scared of your own shadow doesn't mean your brain is plugged in any > > more than taking a moment to engage in line with all the traditions of > > your upbringing means you've unplugged your brain. > > would you have done this in your own country ? Hmm, I'm unsure what you mean by my "own country" For me, the trickiest question are always "What's your name?" and "where are you from?" This is because I was born in one country then almost immediately thereafter primarily raised in another, within an entirely different continent, where, due to language and cultural reasons, how I was referred to, in terms of pronunciation and spelling, differs from anywhere else, but remained in use within my family for many years even after departure. And then I lived in two other countries where my "name" regardless and inclusive of officialdom was not my actual "given name", One country of which country represents the longest uninterrupted period of residence so far, though less then the total amount of years living elsewhere (s) And I am now in yet another country . Thus far it is yet the shorted period of residence, but my name is, for the first time ever, my "given" name regardless of the now 2 "new" languages involved, but though I now live in Belgium, apart from not been a Belgian citizen, I am not "from" Belgium in the ordinarily understood sense. However to try and answer you question, if someone, a complete stranger to me, approached me speaking in English, the novelty factor alone would get my attention before any thoughts as to whether this person is a "foreigner" in some sort of difficulty that I might be able to help out with. If, on the other hand, he is adorned with some sort of photo-inclusive official identification such as pertaining to a licence to operate on behalf of a British, Irish, or American tourism organisation, along with wearing said groups clothing markers, and then presents further proof of both personal and official I.D, then yes, I'd stop to give him the time of day. At least up to the point when there might be a request for "free" money. If that occurs, I'll assume the whole thing is a fake as I do when presented with "natives" in the same "official,- could-have-printed-it-at-home" garb and I.D. adornments and carrying and equally fashioned collection tin. But alas, I wouldn't be in a "I've got all the time in the world" situation, so I wouldn't have been in a position to either help him out further by way of entertaining myself by participating in a "lets see what happens" / "blind" adventure. So it would be time restrictions, schedule and commitments rather than wariness, or having my brain "plugged in" that would be the initial and therefore final deciding factor. But to return to your "going on holiday is no excuse for unplugging your brain", There you present a generality that pretty much no-one would question let alone disagree with, would you say that everyone who so unquestioningly accepts it has demonstrated that they have unplugged their brain on the excuse of "well, it's obvious, innit".
From: Martin on 23 May 2010 04:35 On 23/05/10 10:31, aquachimp wrote: <snip> > However to try and answer you question, if someone, a complete > stranger to me, approached me speaking in English, the novelty factor > alone would get my attention before any thoughts as to whether this > person is a "foreigner" in some sort of difficulty that I might be > able to help out with. How many times did this happen to you before you twigged that all the strangers were either trying to sell you Time Share or pick your pockets?
From: aquachimp on 23 May 2010 05:09 On May 22, 11:52 pm, "JohnT" <johntspam...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > "aquachimp" <aquach...(a)aquachimp.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message > > news:3e4f3009-a2c1-47ee-8ae0-57a0461fcae8(a)j9g2000vbp.googlegroups.com... > > > > > On May 22, 7:05 pm, Martin <mar...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > >> On 22/05/10 18:43, Andy Pandy wrote: > > >> > "David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)" <d4g...(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in > >> > messagenews:1jiwc89.bizrkippijcwN%d4g4h4(a)yahoo.co.uk... > >> >> Andy Pandy <spam8ti...(a)wonderful.spam.invalid> wrote: > > >> >>> "aquachimp" <aquach...(a)aquachimp.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message > >> >>>news:ba3aa7bd-3e9c-4c1a-87aa-ec18110bfeb5(a)q13g2000vbm.googlegroups.com... > >> >>>> Oddly enough, there's not much mention about this kind of thing > >> >>>> here. > >> >>>> Or does it go by another name. > > >> >>> I suspect it's never mentioned here because most people who post > >> >>> here > >> >>> are independant travellers who don't go on "beach" holidays or to > >> >>> typical package holiday destinations where these scum operate. > > >> >> Never bumped into them myself, certainly. Maybe I just look as if > >> >> I'm > >> >> skint? :) > > >> > They're looking for "couples", and although you may travel as a couple > >> > I guess you might not be obviously identifiable as such ;-) > > >> They look for gullible suckers. > > > Nah, that doesn't quite work either because they clearly avoid locals > > and there's bound to be a few gullible suckers in every community and > > not necessarily ones that are part of a couple. > > If you turn over stones in search of slugs, it's not the stones you're > > looking for. > > So if you turn over gullible suckers, it's their money you're after, > > so here "couples" represent location, "gullible suckers" are stones > > and their money is what you're looking for. > > I have a bridge for sale at a very reasonable price! > -- > JohnT ta, but I have no need of a bridge be it dental or otherwise, apart from which, even if I were on the look out for such an item, I might not find the design, structure, or dimensions suit, and even though such factors might be prone to being over-looked for the "right price", failure on you part to provide any actual information on that aspect would lead to you and your offer being dismissed outright. So your only real chance is to sell, not through price, design or even service but select potential buyers by removing them from their immediate environment of fun and freedom to a quite isolated place, where, through the pretence of rigorous checks and procedures and constant chaperoning , you establish your "authority" in the relationship and then with constant delays, and employing tedium akin to the form of torture which uses just one drop of water at the time, along with an invented established hierarchy that no one can function independently from, they become slowly and effectively denied any form of refreshment and even the freedom to converse privately. Then add some downright lies and and generally wear them down in order to convert them into potential buyers and only then might you be in with a chance; But again, the "reasonable price" will not be a factor;
From: aquachimp on 23 May 2010 05:13 On May 23, 10:35 am, Martin <mar...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: > On 23/05/10 10:31, aquachimp wrote: > <snip> > > > However to try and answer you question, if someone, a complete > > stranger to me, approached me speaking in English, the novelty factor > > alone would get my attention before any thoughts as to whether this > > person is a "foreigner" in some sort of difficulty that I might be > > able to help out with. > > How many times did this happen to you before you twigged that all the > strangers were either trying to sell you Time Share or pick your pockets? No English speaking "identifiable" (or otherwise, for that matter) stranger has ever approached me on a Belgian street.
From: Martin on 23 May 2010 05:33
On 23/05/10 11:13, aquachimp wrote: > On May 23, 10:35 am, Martin <mar...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >> On 23/05/10 10:31, aquachimp wrote: >> <snip> >> >>> However to try and answer you question, if someone, a complete >>> stranger to me, approached me speaking in English, the novelty factor >>> alone would get my attention before any thoughts as to whether this >>> person is a "foreigner" in some sort of difficulty that I might be >>> able to help out with. >> >> How many times did this happen to you before you twigged that all the >> strangers were either trying to sell you Time Share or pick your pockets? > > No English speaking "identifiable" (or otherwise, for that matter) > stranger has ever approached me on a Belgian street. Perhaps because they don't sell time share or drugs in Belgium. Try Amsterdam, or the main train station in Rome. |