Well al321 people are not sheep, i hate being hassled on holiday, I see it as im there to relax and not have to say not to every business I walk past.

I think its good that the councils are stomping down on the hassle.

Hassel is the only bad thing I have to say about Turkey, This will be my 5th trip this year to Icmeler, I will admit if I am hasseled looking at menus or in shops I just say no thanks and leave. In fact I do the same in the UK if a saleperson doesn't understand that I am just looking.

please don't give in to the hassle............ the message will get through eventually!
actually quite busy in marmaris compared with last year, but there are more AIs so less trade for the shops etc

Philmarcus,i too hate the hassle from restaurants i was just commenting that i can understand just how badly they want business.

hey!my friend who is working on a boat in marmaris text me tonight saying she hasnt worked for 2 weeks now its so quiet and her boyfriend hasnt had much either plus 3 restaurants at marina have been closed for hassling......seems like business aint doing well, hopefully as teh weeks go on it will pick up, i certainly wont let it put me off going on hol to turkey, im dying to go lol, mind you the fact my hubbys turkish prob helps take care and have fun whenever you all go!xxx

I too cannot understand the "hassle" thing. With me if I'm in the market or shop & I'm looking & they start hassling I leave, thats it gone. If I'm not allowed to look in peace then I'll go elsewhere. Surely there are loads of Brits who hate it & walk on, has the message not sunk through yet? Do enough Brits respond to this for them to think it makes good business?

Also the constant shouting at people of "quaint" British sayings, "champion", "Ow much", "Cheaper than Matalan", "Turkish Primark". I'm not sure if these are taking the mick or what?? Do they think we all want 5 fake burberry t-shirts for £10!!! Sometimes they can't understand NO I DON'T WANT IT, EVEN FOR BL**DY FREE!!! I wouldn't waste my baggage allowance on it!!

I was in Turgutreis last week & a man shouted at me from outside his restaurant that he would do us, lamb chops with mint sauce, mushy peas (god forbid!) & chips. Now while I like lamb chops, I wouldn't team them with that, more some rosemary, new potatoes & garden veg or salad. But as I told him, I didn't go to Turkey to eat English food!?!?

I think the traditional Turkish goods will suffer anyway for a few reasons, firstly the airports want money off everyone leaving Turkey, over baggage weight or not, that puts us all off buying. Secondly the nature of the goods, traditionally leather & gold were the big high value items, but leather jackets are not really fashionable now & too much gold is chavy, so most ladies only wear a little now, the days of putting loads on are long gone. I don't think diamonds can ever be too big or vulgar though, LOL. As for the burberry t-shirts & lacoste shell suits, well I think the pikey/chavy fashions have killed any fashion status they ever had too.

Did see some beautiful bed throws (quilted style) at Turgutreis market, some very Laura Ashley or Catherine Kidson style, but suitcase weight prevented buying, I may buy one next time

Anyone else want to let off steam, join me, LOL

Whoa Kim - Nicely Unwound!

I agree with you on the hassling, ive yet to meet anyone who enjoys it.

I can empathise with businesses who are suffering as a result in the apparent decline in tourism, however thats no excuse to alienate tho which fund the country by piling on the hassle.

Its a shame things arnt as busy this year, if numbers remain low I think there will be many closures over this season in many resorts.

Have to agree i hate hassling but think it will be worse this year because of how quiet last year was. They will hassle more as they want to make the money they have made over previous years. It is Turkish culture to hassle as we call it, they see it as you not being as intelligent as them to get away with it and though we hate the hassle, the hard sell they believe brings in more business.
Kimevans regarding the shouting at people of cheaper than this and that it is all for business. We see first timers every year falling for that rubbish it makes sales simple as that.
Stand your ground and develop a deaf ear for anything you are not interested in.

It is a shame really. Last year i went to Fethiye to do some shopping while hubby and son went quad biking. The hassling quickly made me feel afraid to go in any shops or even slow down when walking past. I went out with a pocket full of money with full intention of spending it and at end of day it was untouched!

When i say 'afraid' i mean that i just couldnt handle it especially when shopping on my own. Although the majority of it was really very good natured there were a couple of incidences where i felt intimidated. In particular i noticed that there seemed to be some irritation that there was much less tourists than usual and those that were there were 'just looking'. There was also an assumption that all British tourists are rich. At 42 years old it was my first ever holiday abroad and i had saved for 3 years to do it.

I realise that i am still very well off financially compared to many of the Turkish people i saw and would happily have spent my money to spread the wealth had i not felt too scared to even look at what was on offer.

This said i loved our Turkey holiday and even though we still have not been anywhere else we are going back this year. I hope that i will be able to cope with that side of things better now i am more hardened traveller.

Giff totally agree with you. The first time we went to Turkey was 1991 (twin centre to Bodrum and Kusadasi) and we were so scared as we had only been to Spain, Greece and Tunisia (Tunisia never again) so can empathise with first timers like yourselves but from that first time we visited Turkey it is like an addiction we love the place but the hassling is hard to get used to but you do get used to it. Have a great time

Thanks Doodles. It is re-assuring to learn that i am not just a big woosie.

Just out of interest why never again for Tunisia?

doodles

I am well aware of "why" they do it, but its counterproductive, if they were as "intelligent" as they think they are they would realise this.
I was not a "first timer" to Turkey & I dispute I will ever "get used to it", its a part of the holiday I don't enjoy.

But if us Brits walk off when they start it, they might get the message.

Now Turkey has nothing on Egypt for "hassle"...........

Kim

They will never get the message about hassle - if they aren't hassling you into their shop/bar/restaurant etc, they think they're not doing their job. The bosses employ folk who's only role is to hassle people. They see it as advertising, we see it as hassle. And it doesn't matter how many times you try to tell them that its offputting, they won't have it.

Elaine

I think if all or most British holiday makers voted with their feet & walked away, they would have to get the message, if they didn't they would be pretty stupid.

Unfortunatly Kim, Elaine is right, people are employed soley to hassel, and it works. There are obviously people who are too weak to say no who are expolited. I personally hate it - I find myself purposefully looking way, or talking to my partner about nothing to make it look like we are not browsing when you see a hasseler eyeing you up.

Last time we were there the Marmaris was filled with big signs and posters advertising "Say not To Hassle", so the Councils are obviously aware of the problem and activley trying to reduce it.

I agree there are people it works with, thats why they do it.
But if they were as clever as they think they are, they would be able to size up those it might work with & those who will walk by body langage & how they respond to their first few words.

For every person who it works with some will b*gger off.

What I'm saying is if ALL or MOST walked they would stop, they would have too. More than the way they like to do business is the drive to actually do business.
I'm surprised they aren't getting the message already. People who won't respond to their customers needs won't stay in business long. I didn't buy from people who chase after me & shout at me for custom. I spent money in Turkey, but not with those sort of people.

I am with Kim on this we wont go in to a bar or restaurant that hassle us.

Last year our hotel was up past the British Corner restaurant and we had to pass it everytime we went out on a night and every night the lad on the front of the restaurant would shout and yell at us to come in and eat and we would say no thank you very politely and walk past.

After a few nights of doing this he started to get aggressive and would stand infront of us and ask WHY YOU NOT COME IN....

We got very fed up of this and one night i shouted back to him that we wouldn't come in to his restaurant if it was the last one left in Marmaris as we don't spend our money in places that hassle us....
he shouted back well it works for us...
to which i replied well it obviously doesn't as we haven't and wont be using your bar this holiday or another holiday!!

He never shouted at us for the rest of the holiday!!!

That has happened to us on a couple of occasions. I am not the most assertive person in the world, and stupidly act too politely in order to avoid confrontation however I got angry on our first trip because people were standing in front of me, blocking the way and making me feel like I was insulting him for not buying there business.

On one occasion with a excursion company which is situated just over from the Ampitheatre it was so bad that I actually went in and got some information in order to get them off my back.

Its not so bad now I just shake my head as soon as they make eye contact.

Had I known what I do now I would of reported that particular company as I was feeling very threatened.

Yes, I know what you mean about them thinking they are telling you where to spend your money.

A lot of them restaurants, bars, shops, excursions give across the message or impression that they know you have x amount to spend in your holiday budget & they are entitled to their share/cut of your holiday spends!!!! Like you owe it to them to spend there. While in Greece you do get encouraged to dine in particular restaurants they do not come across as though they feel you owe them a portion of your custom as do the Turks. From the Turks its almost at the point of begging & is NOT VERY DIGNIFIED.

Frankly I do find the shouting of "cheaper than Primark", "cheaper than shoplifting" a little insulting, I think they think ALL english people want 5 t-shirts for a tenner & a £2.50 handbag & a £1 belt.

While we were having lunch in Kusadassi there was a beggar woman hanging around outside the restaurants, approaching people going in & out of restaurants. Now I know the world has social problems, but I don't like it in my face on holiday.