Torrevieja Sea Front - no looky looky men

Had a stroll along Torrevieja sea front this morning, very pleasant and no looky looky men littering the promenade with their dodgy goods.

It was so nice not being pestered every 10 yards

A few police I guess keeping an eye out - maybe they have had a purge and long may it continue

that's great, so where do I buy another Rolex watch for 50euros?

50 euros for a Rolex?????  You've been robbed.  They are only 30 around here!!!!!!

Yes I saw Tony Benn buying a Rolex in Torevieja last week he knew it was fake but it had a lifetime warranty

We had a nice chat with one of these guys, selling CDs, the other day. He was from Gambia and had come over on the pateras 8 years ago. He had a few layers of clothes on and told us he's currently sleeping on the streets. Not the dream they are promised when they hand over money saved by themselves and family members for years. I felt really uncomfortable, sitting stuffing my face at a beachfront cafe in Torrox Costa while hearing about someone else's very different and difficult life. As much as I don't want to be pestered - back in the UK I hate it when the Big Issue guy outside Tesco tries the heavy sales technique and I can't stand the charity muggers either - we have to think how lucky we are having been born in the UK... The pure luck of birth - some of these people will be better human beings than we are and they deserve to be treated with respect.

eggcup

Some may say all human beings deserve respect

These people only pester you for one thing - your money.

As long as people keep buying from them they will be back.

I have no time for them as they produce fake goods (which can be often be dangerous especially kids toys and electricals)  

It was so nice not being pestered by them and as I sad long may it continue

I hesitated to respond because clearly eggcup is right in that everyone deserves a chance and consideration but I don't respect anyone who is working in the 'ilegal sector'.   No taxes, no license to trade - probably ilegally in the country.  And sometimes - and I do emphasise sometimes - these traders use the little bit of trading they do to mask other and darker activities (drugs, ilegal gambling, people trafficking - the list is endless).   

I will take my 30 (or 50) euros, and spend it in a legitimate trade, though I may choose to give to those begging.    

I for one have never found them to be a problem, don't want the goods just say no thank you, or a shake of the hand, or even ignore them,  that was the end of it, until the next one of course, and if you bought items with a named logo on them for a couple of Euro's, anyone think it was going to be the real deal?

I don't know any of them that produce fake goods, they buy the goods from wholesalers to sell on for a profit, probably buy from the same place that market traders, and many shops buy from, Chino shop stuff is much of the same quality, wholesalers as a rule sell to the person with the money, the world is awash with fake goods from China, a fake handbag isn't going to exactly kill anyone, and as for kids toys and perhaps sharp edges etc, check it over first, or don't buy it. And if you buy any electrical item, talking electrical bigger then a battery, from them..If indeed they do sell these... more the fool you.

The American army lost three out of four helicopters in one mission years ago due to fake parts.

As for feeling sorry for them, why? They choose to leave the country they were born into for any amount of reasons, biggest one for the promise of pavements covered in gold, easy pickings, so they don't have to work to hard, if at all. 

I have been to many of these African states in the forces, in many case's if it wasn't for the wife or daughters working they would have less then the nothing they have already, I seen hundreds of men sitting around drinking, smoking dope, doing nothing,  while the women carried on their heads what donkeys should carry, if a child or women can do it why should a man do it, looks to be the attitude.

They are trying to stop it due to the shop keepers complaining that they are taking trade away, no rate's, insurance etc etc, the person that buys a fake handbag for 25€ from the looky looky man, would they pay 250€ plus from a shop. If you owned a genuine £5000.00 Rolex watch, would anyone except yourself know  it.

Interesting discussion...leaving aside the legal\illegal\hard done by points - all of which are valid....my experiance is that most do leave you alone after a firm "no gracias" but there are a few who persist and this can be annoying particularily when you are eating and they bring out a less pleasant side of me ("which bit of no gracias did you not understand").

I have witnessed people pretending to be interested in buying, beating them down on price and then saying no just for fun and this I find quite disturbing - they are human beings not objects of amusment!

We have never had a problem with them quite like some of them. Have even bought some DVD's.of the latest films. Which were very well copied. But think this had been banned now.

The problem is, we are talking of Torrevieja sea front here. Whilst I have no objection to them waving stuff at you or even coming along the beach, it was getting rather out of hand on the sea front. You couldn't walk more than a couple of yards without being accosted and some of them were getting a little aggressive by grabbing your arm as you said no. Trying to eat a meal in one of the many sea front cafes was a nightmare as they seemed to be queuing up to get at you.

It really was getting ridiculous. I even saw one of them shove a policia local in the back when told to move on. People were beginning to avoid going there because of the constant (and I mean, constant) hassle.

Now they have moved on it is back to the odd one or two trying to hawk cheap watches and sunglasses which you can put up with and it has improved greatly. Even had a meal with only one interruption (a Spanish chap trying to sell gold jewellery).

However, I'm told that they have now moved on to the Guardamar beach area and complaints are starting to flood in about that area now.

This is not a problem unique to Spain, though. I remember queuing outside the Ufizzi gallery in Florence and they came along, spread out their blankets with all the tat laid out. A lookout at each end would whistle if the police came in sight and the blankets would be whisked up, goods and all, and off they'd run up the street. Quite an amusing diversion whilst queuing.

I can honestly say on the same seafront not one has ever grabbed my arm, perhaps being a lot more uglier then them helps a bit and must scare them away.

As for the watch's I did buy one some time ago to use back home for work so as to save my best one's getting marked, everyone who looked at it said it was a genuine Wolex, I am sure it is, it's had some hard  use now, and a few bits have come of, nothing major, just the glass, the back, two of the buttons, oh and  it's always "Ten to something" so you do have to be carefull you dont give the wrong time to those who ask but apart from this it's fine, and to be honest the battery in the 2.50€ thing lasted a whole lot longer then the pricey one the watch maker put in my good watch.

I buy the Gold Necklace's and Bracelets for Mrs B, I am generous when it comes to gift,  main reason is because sooner or later the gold wears of and Mrs B then has a nice Silver set, which in turn change to a nice rusty looking colour...As does her neck, but thats her problem not mine.

I did like a pair of Genuine Police sunglasses'....Swore on oath to me they were....That one of them had last year, dead steal at 5.00€, he knew his stuff, he advised me that just because I had paid £300.00 for my RayBans from the RayBan shop in Harrods that don't make them genuine,  I was convinced,  if I wanted to trade them in he would give me 3.00€ of his pair, so for "Only" 2.00€ I did well getting a pair of Police sunglasse's...Only in Spain could you get these type's of deals.

I need to get another pair, as for some weird reason (Possibly my fault) the right lens fell out and broke, also the left arm came of, so if any one spots him please let me know...He was about 6-2 high..Black...Short dark hair...carried a rucksack and tray most of the time...One like the ice cream Ladies did in the cinemar....Thanks.

I've never had any problems with them ever. Always polite and smiling, eventhough most of them are living on the street or squatting. Of course all they are after is money that is what everyone is after, not just them, its only they don't have the resources or the opportunity to do anything else, especially legally. Firstly most are illegal immigrants so they can't work legally, apart from that even if they were legal they wouldn't find a job as the Spanish on the whole don't hire coloured people, especially Africans. At most they would get a job picking fruit or on a construction site and the latter isn't happening now anyway. This country is still very racist in that respect. Have you ever seen an African working in the Corte Ingles or in Mercadona? I say, give them a break, its part of the lifestyle and always will be. Spain is on Africa's doorstep as Mexico is to the US. This will always happen and will never go away, its only natural that people want to improve their lifestyle and when you find yourself in that state of desperation the legality behind selling a fake watch means pretty much nothing, especially when you family back in Africa is dependant on the money you send. I'm not saying you should pity them, but ignoring them or saying "no thank you" and looking away takes 2 seconds and should be enough.. they move on. They are not stupid, they know who will buy and who won't. If others come, well just do it again. 

Now I can't say the same about the eastern european gypsy women who stand at traffic lights cleaning windscreens, even if you tell them not to, they still pour soap and water all over your windscreen and get annoyed when you don't give them anything eventhough you made it perfectly clear that you didn't want them to clean your window.They even curse you sometimes and cast strange spells! That I do admit gets on my nerves. But this is different as they are disrespecting the drivers and becoming agressive without reason.

This type of attitude I have never come across with African street vendors, if we put to one side "the copies and the fakes" which are not sold by all of them, they are just tying to earn an honest living, after all they could be stealing cars and breaking into houses, mugging people and doing all sorts of things just to earn a quick buck, which seem to be  a past time that is growing quite a lot back in the UK and not thanks to African immigrants may I add.

Excellently put, Mac. I agree with every word. It's not just the Spanish who are racist against them, either. Some British show a complete lack of understanding and empathy. People don't seem to have the imagination to be able to put themselves in these poor people's shoes. And as you say, over many years I've never found any of the Africans to be a nuisance. Like you, I can find some East Europeans a pain - the one outside our local Tesco, who's in your face when you go in and out, so it feels like you're running the gauntlet. But the local white Welsh guy used to be even worse.

But I think there is a danger we could get into the 'I don't mind the Africans; it's the East Europeans I can't stand' thing, which people used to say comparing Afro-Caribbeans and Pakistanis in the UK... and I count myself in this. I have to watch it not to generalise when one or two East Europeans annoy  me. As I said in an earlier post, I also detest the charity muggers and other hard-sell street sales people who are invariably British.