40 Tourist Scams to Avoid This Summer

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

Scams to watch out for include cashiers surreptitiously taking mobile phone photos of your cards and having a "baby" thrown at you as a distraction technique. Tourist scammers and pickpockets take advantage of weak laws and law enforcement, thereby allowing them to effectively operate indefinitely while nothing is stopping them.

http://mashable.com/2014/07/22/common-tourist-scams/

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

Wow.
A guy came over to my wife and started up with the cd dealio at Venice Beach. She told him she doesn't listen to rap and wouldn't be purchasing this. He started getting loud saying she owed $20 and he wouldn't take it back. My wife tossed it at him and this guy got really loud. Then his buddy started in. We were laughing at these guys which seemed to make them leave.

Then there was the guy in San Francisco that asked where we were heading to give us the short cut to get around the corner for $5. I told him I could see the corner so no thanks. This seemed to upset him as he followed us to the corner explaining that this is how he makes his living.

The best one was the guy standing by the restrooms at a gas station near Puerto Vallarta. He went in and took the tp and was selling it for 5 pesos a sheet. I think we ended up purchasing some.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

I've had teens and "men" offer to protect our car in both Spain and Dominican Republic.
Sadly I know from experience that if you don't pay them the protection fee your car will
be missing something or have flat tires when you come back.
I guess they're so desperate that they think nothing of punishing you for not giving in.
Cheaper to take a taxi.

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

The car thing happened to me in Seattle with a homeless guy. The free parking turned into a $5 dealio which surprisingly included a window washing. This year in Mazatlan a guy flaged me over to an excellent parking spot. I gave him 50 pesos and when I got back he had washed the entire car.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

The car thing happened to me in Seattle with a homeless guy. The free parking turned into a $5 dealio which surprisingly included a window washing. This year in Mazatlan a guy flaged me over to an excellent parking spot. I gave him 50 pesos and when I got back he had washed the entire car.

This happens in Miami too.
The homeless guy saves you a space.
I paid a guy once when we were going to a concert and parking was limited downtown.
I guess you can say they are providing a service.

[Icc5 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Icc5]

When we were in New Orleans about ten years ago we were standing in a courtyard wondering what occupied the top floor. A man sitting nearby heard us and then spent five minutes telling us about it. When we went to leave he waned 20 dollars for his time and effort. He called us several names for not going along with his scam.