Most of these touts claim to be guides or taxi drivers. They use ploys such as free guides, free taxis, and the promise of heavy discounts at shops. This article is definitely going to be a big help to the tourists especially women travelers.

@Erika : #power gf! Enjoy India!

I think Bernard is probably Male and doesn’t have the experience that a solo female would have so has no rights to his lame comments. He sounds pretty ignorant if you ask me! LOVE YOUR BLOGS!! I’m off to India this March 🙂

Perhaps you’ve not experienced aggressive touts in your travels, Bernard? What you said is naive ‘politically correct tourist’ vanilla. Saying “No thank you” works part of the time on normal merchants, but women waste their time learning the extra phrase of politeness w/ the thank you bit. And women DO try to be polite. Or that’s what Ive learned in my years of wasting time try to be ‘good tourist’ polite by using it.

Fuck it. Aggressive touts still persist.

“NO” is universal in language, when you add intention.

@Nicole : You’ll eventually learn it. What you get to look forward to! =D

I’ve struggled over the not giving money to beggars (I will sometimes drop a coin in a cup if I have one handy, just as I’d do at home — though it depends on where I am at the specific moment). I already feel so privileged being able to travel, so to walk past extreme poverty feels ugly. I think the idea of volunteering or donating to an organization (specific to wherever you’ve been traveling) is a great idea.