Comments on: Don’t Force Your Services on Me!

By: Alina Popescu

Alina Popescu — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:48:31 +0000

Raluca, you are right, this should be controlled somehow…I am not sure how, though…

By: Raluca

Raluca — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:21:12 +0000

Oh, I know so well what you’re talking about.
What’s worse is that they get your car in a worse shape than before it
was “washed” or that they use detergent that is damaging to the car
paint/polish. It helps to have someone with an intimidating face next
to you – it worked with my boyfriend I think the police should get
involved in stopping this. It is just an abusive way of trapping you
into something you don’t want. There are some cases of kids doing that
here as well (they’re collecting money for their team t-shirts, for
instance), but they don’t dare touch your car unless you give them “the
green light.”

By: Alina Popescu

Alina Popescu — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:46:01 +0000

Radu, I’ve had my share of “give me some money or
I’ll spit on you, trust me! But still there are people in genuine need.
Loved the idea about spraying some water and detergent on them! It was
hilarious. Bibi, if you would have written this carefully, you would
have noticed your solution was what I had proposed in the first place.
But you still cannot do that pretty often. Simply because I don’t make
a habit for carrying a lot of change with me or a lot of cash. And I
pretty much doubt they take credit card payments or that they have
change for large bills. Ali you are right, it is difficult, and I can’t
seem to be able to find an approach to work for all cases. I will check
the tag asap. Safiya, thank you, nice to see you here!

By: Safiya

Safiya — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 03:33:21 +0000

I would feel exactly the same!

Love your new blog btw.

By: ali la loca

ali la loca — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 19:58:01 +0000

This is a difficult situation. People do the same
thing with washing cars in Brazil, and here in Maputo. I agree, I want
to consent to a service before I am expected to pay for it. Or, if it
is all about a handout in the end, I’d rather someone just ask for what
they want rather than swindle me into having to pay for something.
By the way, you are tagged over at my blog.

By: BiBi

BiBi — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:28:17 +0000

just gave the “poor guy” some money.
Simple, if that is not too much for
your “car owner” pocket paying
for expensive gas.

By: Radu C

Radu C — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 09:16:11 +0000

Here’s an idea. Carry a bottle of “window and car
washing detergent”(tm) with you, and when they come for the money, just
spray them back, saying they you are returning the favour

By: Radu C

Radu C — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 23:28:20 +0000

Erm… When starting to read the article, I thought
you talked about marketers, but reading I noticed you are talking about
something else. If they’re gypsy or par of a gypsy-like social
category, then they’ll downright lie to you that they need that money. They’re not as poor as they’d like you to think.
They tend to exagerate every idea that comes out of their mouths,
regardless of the benefit it gets them. They KNOW people are easy to
manipulate. Shed a few tears, and they’ll open up their wallets. Won’t
pay up? The tears are replaced by obscenities addressed to your mother,
your God, explicit sexual innuendo, you name it. Suddenly, they’re no
longer crybaby and they want to tell you their colorful vocabulary.
If they’d ask for you help you’d help them? Think again.
They don’t need any help. Desperate people go to the state, go to the
press, they don’t wash windows and tell you to, erm… go forth and
multiply, if you don’t give them money.