All I know is that they take advantage of people who are stumbling out of clubs drunk on Veronicas at 3am. And at least one or two tried to offer me some 'gear', and then kicked off when I told them I'm not into that kinda thing.

I'd just ignore them if I were you.

Thank you for your reply. I assume they sell "gear" at nightime, they must have some way of making money.

I do indeed ignore them.

Can someone answer my general queries as written above?

Regards,

Billyboy.

Most are refugees from West Africa (surely you must have seen the news footage).Tens of them sometimes hundreds set out in a small boat.Using Tenerife and the Canaries as a stopping off point for asylum in mainland Spain and the rest of Europe.A lot stay.
Most are pleasant. I have a few words of Senegalese and Malian that most seem to speak that I say to them.And I know a few names of the top Senegalese and Malian pop singers,that I quote that always seems to get a laugh.

Thank you Pipefitter for your reply.
I have seen the news in regard to immigrants on leaky boats. Are they allowed to stay for ever in Europe? Can they earn a living selling sunglasses and watchs? A lot of them look well fed and well dressed. I would have thought that they might be returned to their home countries,

Regards,

Billyboy.

Most of the time the ones on the boats are returned back to there country, but children kept on the island and now tenerife are asking for help from madrid to re home and school them, this may be true im not sure this is what in was told from a restraunt owner last week.

Tenerife 2003

I've always found them polite, you get good an bad in all. I think most of them come from Senegal and the main area where all the stock is held and where most of them sleep is located somewhere in Los Cristianos. I don't think any of them come from Tenerife and they are very twitchy if the police see them, whether this is due to them flogging boot leg watches or if its becuase they could be illegal immigrants I'm not sure. Also, just one last thing, I beleive they are known as 'Looky Looky' men not 'Lucky Lucky', minor point, but thought I'd mention it

Thank you for your reply.

It is ok to say that they are twitchy when they see the police. As you walk the prominade in the evening they are all over the place. They are not invisible.

Your reply answered several of my queries,

regards,

Billyboy.

Some of the lookies are really nice people, although most are illegal over here, hence why the cant get a building job or bus driving ect....

My hubby had a bar over here and there was one lookie guy that always came in. He was from senegal and he was sending money back to his family and saving ulimatley to go home and further his education. And he did.

I know they can be annoying and that there are some bad ones that peddle the drugs, but what gets me is why residents and tourists have to be so rude to these guys?? Most have no other option than to sell the fake goods and, i am told, get very little money for it.

I can't begin to imagine what these men have had to run away from to think that the lives they are leading in Tenerife are so much better

Emskie i think people are rude because of the constant pestering from them, some places are really bad for it especially if your in a restraunt trying to have a family meal then in a short space of time you get 5 to 10 asking you do you want to buy there goods, its as much as the restraunts fault as it is theres.

I must admit people dont feel safe around them and my partner for one allways clutches her handbag when one comes around and this then leads to us going places we know where there not allowed like around the Santiago 3 area.

I know you cant tar them all with the same brush and i have met one or two decent ones but the way i look at is, your on holiday relaxing and if you want to buy something you would but they dont seem to understand No means no.

Tenerife 2003

"Lookie lookie men, whats the story"

They don't appear to drink alcohol and (someone might be able to put me straight on this) I don't recall seeing anyone of them smoking, but I might be wrong on that.

I doubt they get dole and I doubt they have families (in tenerife), I do know one who's married to an english woman and has a family. some have lived there a few years.

I don't mind them, infact they can be quite entertaining, watching them do there stuff. there are some characters among them, who have a bit banter, and there the ones who seem to make money. (Lunar in los cris, and Bobby on the strip come to mind. Plus many more I don't know the names of)
But some of the younger ones haven't a clue, just wandering around aimlessly shoving stuff under your nose and saying nothing, as if there going through the motions.
Why do they come..for a better life I presume.

There must be a market for it, or they simply couldn't survive.
I cant imagine they sell much before 10 O'clock in the evening, but after that!! they seem to do quite well.
If you ask them, hows business, they wont give you a straight answer, they'll say "so so", which imply's there making a living.

Hands up now!!!
Am I the only one on this forum that's actually bought anything from them?. Several watches/belts/ necklases/bracelets.

If you think of it this way..
Instead of going to the market, the market comes to you.
And what about the chinese sellers, there even worse at trying to sell stuff.

i have brought stuff from the Lookie lookie men (in mallorca as well) i have also brought Dvds off the chinese in the UK, this how they earn there living, some of them yes are a naughty bunch by offering other stuff and the way they harrass you but the majority of the ones i have met have all been honest, friendly hardworking people i just think that some of them should be given a chance, in Barcelona and Salou you see quite a lot of Senegal immigrants that are now legal and have proper jobs such as chamber maids in hotels i met a few that are shop keepers, i do feel for them, a lot fo them are Muslims so they wouldnt drink, aslo the ladies that do hair extentions are also immigrants and some of them are illegal but i dont see anyone mention them, i see a lot of tourists queuing up to get their hair done at least they are trying

i used to put up with them, but since my last visit i would not give them a cent, it is a shame that me and my family can not walk around freely on a early evening without one of these guys offering me "coka" in front of a 2year old and a 9 year old.

its about time the local residents and the police held a monthly forum meeting somewhere to get rid. otherwice this will eventually bite them on their backsides, and tenerife will just turn into a deserted rock.

ok some people say you can not blame the residents for this, it will help if you stop them comming into your bars and restaurants, there is nothing worse than eating with your family, then getting a shoe box full of sun glasses on your table with your meal.

don't forget these lookie lookie man my seem cheerfull, just to get your hard earned cash, but they are drug peddlers aswell. probley doing this for someone higher up the ladder aswell

Little legs i am sorry you feel this way but can i say that you cannot say that they are drug peddlars as well you are generalising adn that is not fair, to be fair we have enough trouble over here without worrying about Lookie lookie men that we see once ot twice a year when on holiday we have kids shooting at each other and killing each other so please just get things in perspective and dont generalise - Yes i feel strongly abotu it as this is how the Moroccans were also treated in tenerife by the tourists adn the some of the island btu now they haev lives otu there, families, good jobs give people a chance, the residents dont seenm to mind the ones that are willing to work (i see we have yet again forgotten to mention the women that do the braids) even the police dont really target them so much you see them and you see the police and they get on with it...

just chill out its a holiday and if people want to spend all day walkign around sellign glasses etc then thats their business and the business of the people who own/run teh establishments that they use

you say chill out, how would you like to be approched and offered drugs in front of your children. yes i know people are finding things hard over there, but they can also help there so called adopted county. and not expect to give anything back in return. and yes i will put my life on it that at least 90% of these lookie lookie men sell drugs aswell. stop been so naive. yes there are all pally pally with you seling the watches ect. is all for show, as soon as they have made a sale to you, they turn around and call you another sucker brit.

your the type that belive in politions

So far on the whole this has been an interesting debate but its starting to get personel and in danger of being locked.

Sarah

I agree.

I now have a better understanding of these men and where they came from and where they now survive.

It is true that the police turn a blind eye to the lookie lookie men and to the hair braiders. For how long I'm not sure. There activity makes me think Tenerife is no better than a third world country.

I will start a new line soon about another swarm of pests, whose existance also puzzles me !

Thanks to all contributers.

The peace and joy of Christmas to all who read this message,

Beatha agus Slainte,

Billyboy.

neverflywithus

and Bobby on the strip come to mind

we buy things from bobby no problem in fact every time I'm over, a very nice we bloke and honest (fair prices).

PS have you heard him sing...yes hes good

Little legs i am not making assumptions about you nor do i want to so i dont appreciate you assuming things about myself, this thread has been an intersting one and i dont want to see it locked, but i am quite lucky as i can understand the language they speak or at least i can converse with them in arabic as some of them speak it so yes i am quite pally with them and enjoy the banter.

I have been offered drugs but not in tenerife in Mallorca in front of my kids who at the time were aged 9 and 3, I just looked at the man and said no thank you, i did not want to make a big deal out of it as i haev been offered coka in a shopping centre in London and in Milton Keynes so it happens but its down to me as a responsible parent to ensure it does not reach my kids, i wasnt upset i'm on holiday i cant afford to get upset, but anyway i have brought items (watches and sunglasses) from them in the past and as long as they are respectful to me and my children i will continue doing do, however if i find out that the police/ Local council are trying to get rid of them and i can see this then i will not purchase stuff from them as i will be telling them its ok sell your stuff as we the tourists will buy it, its like the massage people on the beach there must be a market for it because they keep comeing back whcih tells me that the money they earn on the beach will pay off any fines that they get and more.

Anyway i hope you all have a great peacefull loving Xmas

Ray88.

I noticed on the strip that not many lookie men go into the bars. they walk up and down it, catching the people sitting outside.

but Bobby did (or was allowed) I heard him sing in the soul suite and the George and Dragon and yes..He's very good.