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I have been living in Hurghada for just over a year now.....working with tourists. Most people that come here love Hurghada, love the Egyptian people, as I do! The one negative comment that comes up time and time again is 'We went shopping and we were hassled by the sellers all the time!' Some even take pride in telling me how rude they were to the sellers! Let me put in a word in their defence..... These men often come from lower Egypt, where they cannot find work.. they are trying to support a family! Very often sellers are employed on a commission only basis....so.... no sales, no money on that day.....no money.... no food for themselves or family!! Very often they are learning to speak different languages, to enable them to speak to tourists.... this costs money too!! These sellers are always cheerful, will smile all day, working till 1 a.m. or later! So, please remember, when you think you are 'being hassled', this person may just be trying to earn his dinner! If you dont want to see their shop, or dont want what they are selling, decline nicely.... it costs nothing to be polite!!! Posts: 4238 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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Hear, Hear! I couldn't agree with you more! I always admire the Egyptians and their work ethic and, as you say, it costs nothing to be polite!
Posts: 12 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I am always nice, I swear, I buy everything (my friends LOVE my generosity giving gifts..LOL) and tip everybody over the roof. Not that I am rich, but if I split in half what I have, my glass is still half full after all. Posts: 2238 | From: Mother Earth | Registered: Jun 2004
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You're right....just one thing thought....those damn taxi drivers charging LE150 form Marina Naema Bay to the East Delta bus station....is that reasonable?...Nooot!So for those who dont know...take the green and white taxis its about 50piasters for the trip...or buy "Go Egypt"...it has a lot of tips for saving money without offending anyone!
Im always nice too ....because I know how to hackle...I learnt the hard way
Posts: 723 | From: South Africa | Registered: Jun 2004
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ok while we're on the subject of buses, a minibus in Hurghada is 2 le from one end to the other. BUT.... if there's no one else on the bus, it miraculously turns into a taxi, and charges about 20le!! Still not a fortune, but be careful!! Posts: 4238 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by DubaiDoctor: [b]Samia what hotel do you recommend in Hurghada? do you know lagouna noora? thanks
No sorry, never heard of it!! Is it in Hurghada?? There are loads of nice hotels.... one I always found to be nice was the Alladin Beach... I stayed there a lot before I came to live here.... not too expensive but nice. Hilton Village resort... also very nice, but a bit more pricey... Both of these are at the south end of Hurghada. But no problem, buses are approx every 30 seconds!! If you want to be more central, in Sekalla (centre of town) you have Regina Style or La Pacha.. but might be noisy at night. There are loads more,but these are the few I have found to be good... and all are on the beach. If you need any more advice, I'm happy to help. Have a nice stay!!
[This message has been edited by Samia (edited 25 August 2004).]
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I Agree to a certain degree (not a song) !!! you talk about Hurghada, never had hassle there, LUXOR is a different story.. come on people who live here you have to agree with me, you can be the nicest person in the world but most of the egyptians in Luxor hassle you till your blue in the face and change you from been a nice person, then you have to say something nasty to them or about them to someone else, but its not 100% about money in Luxor its all a game to them. Thats Luxor, if im 100% truthfull Ive never had any hassle outside of Luxor when ive travelled, like you said a simple no thanks is enough.
Posts: 23 | Registered: Aug 2004
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i agree with u in that , but there are some sellers who aren`t looking for trade , they are looking for ***** u know what , and those who make us look terrible , i have been in hurghada for 5 years now , and the younger ones are all the same , many of my patients talk about this minority that will get us down soon, any how take care of ur tourists and keep our pride always up.
Posts: 2 | From: Hurghada.Redsea,Egypt | Registered: Sep 2004
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Samia; you are absolutely right about sellers hustling wondering potential customers to buy there goods, but not only tourists, those are (as you mentioned) professional sellers and there work and income is intirely based on how much they sell per day, they do hassle tourists, Foreigners, and Egyptian alike, I get hassle everywhere I go where there is not list of prices specially in Khaln ELkhalili in Cairo and with the experiance gaind by how mnay times reializing I was taken advantage of, I learned to hussle them back
the seller say " MEEESTAAR, come here, I have goot tinks for you < bery bery koot tings for you to have, this I am your friend I want you to have the best " I respond by saying " hey, I am not khawagah, kalemni araabi arrabi< ana aheb akalem 3arabi, mosh khawagah"
Last time I went to by some sivouneers for my friends in Michigan and Indiana,. I spent one hour picking up everything I wanted, and if they didn’t have it they brought it from the next store, and when I asked for the price the seller told me ONLY 4500LE. then I spent another hour trying to play dumb and ask him how much everything worth, and why I don’t get a discount, and after he found out that he miss calculated the total and it was suppose to be only 3200LE, I spent another hour, telling him I should get volume discount, and that I am not really a “khawagah” , and I am just an edit how is buy stuff for his friends, and after long debate the price was reduced to 2300LE, then I spent about 10 minutes to close the deal on 1400LE the guy started crying and telling me " Ohh no I would loose allot of money this way < I wont make any profit this way< I wont get any commission and the owner of the store will fire me" And he generously accepter to take only 2 solid grand.
I asked him “ what is the BUTTOM LINE, HOW low can you go" the guy said after five times " well I can go as low as 1800 LE but in the NAME of GOD JESSUS, ALLAH , Jahova and everyone in up heaven, I cant go lower than this"
I grabbed 500 from one pocket, 700 from another250 from the bag , and every change I had on me, and counted them all in front of him (I originally planned to ONLY pay 15 hundred for anything I buy from his store) and told him this is all what I got, you Take it or leave it, then the guy had his face turned upside down , and said " oh my good that would make me a looser, I swear to god the all mighty those stuff I pay 2500 LE for< and I just want to be nice to you , I cant ya basha" I repeat the same thing couple times and as soon as he showed a sign of hesitant acceptance, I pulled 10 LE from the pile and said " Oh I forgot I need a cab home" at this moment, the guy's only concern was to make sure he takes everything I can pay , and added to him " what you think I will pay all that and walk home ?? You can take it and make a nice profit, or you ca see me walking out the store without taking anything , I already had the pleasure of owning all this stuff for the last 3 hours, you will only lose 3 hours of your work without selling anything "
NO that’s a real story and I have 4 of my friends witnessing the whole thing, ( I never go there alone, and always have friend to back me up and keep telling me that the stuff I buy isn’t worth anything and is just well wrapped junk
You see my point, they hassle you, you hassle them back, they created the game, and if they don’t like it, they lose, and if the 1500LE I paid that guy wasn’t giving him enough return on his time and money ( investment hw would have never accepted), as I said, it is only a game, you need to know the rules not to loose, they create the game, they play, and we play, and everyone wins
quote:Originally posted by Samia: I have been living in Hurghada for just over a year now.....working with tourists. Most people that come here love Hurghada, love the Egyptian people, as I do! The one negative comment that comes up time and time again is 'We went shopping and we were hassled by the sellers all the time!' Some even take pride in telling me how rude they were to the sellers! Let me put in a word in their defence..... These men often come from lower Egypt, where they cannot find work.. they are trying to support a family! Very often sellers are employed on a commission only basis....so.... no sales, no money on that day.....no money.... no food for themselves or family!! Very often they are learning to speak different languages, to enable them to speak to tourists.... this costs money too!! These sellers are always cheerful, will smile all day, working till 1 a.m. or later! So, please remember, when you think you are 'being hassled', this person may just be trying to earn his dinner! If you dont want to see their shop, or dont want what they are selling, decline nicely.... it costs nothing to be polite!!!
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I would have never learned how to do that without the help of my hassling teacher "Makeen” my best friend, Hassling Genius, My hassling Backup, and my best supporting actor and we get better and better every time and the prices we pay keeps getting lower and lower to the point I start wondering , how much they pay for their merchandize anyway , to accept selling something originally priced at 100LE for less than 20 ? I think the only time I would know when I try to by it for 15, 13, 10, 7 and then I find the seller punch me in the nose and calling me names Posts: 785 | From: Cairo, Egypt | Registered: Aug 2004
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