Your Texas CHL is not recognized/allowed in Beijing?gregthehand wrote:I just got back from Beijing and found out that begging is starting to grow there mostly because of western influence. It was explained to me that it had something to do with tipping. Apparently the Chinese consider their pay what they make and when we westerners tip they feel like we are just giving them money. Having said that it's still illegal to do so. We were over on Bar St and some guy tried to beg money from us. He did it to a few more couples and then a cop van pulled up and arrested him. The beggars and street peddlers there are much more aggressive than what I am used to here and they don't understand polite no thank yous or at least pretend not to. Man carry babies and try to stick them in your face while you are walking. Also the bar workers are EXTREMELY aggressive. They get in your way as you walk down the sidewalk and put their hands on you trying to push you into their bar. All the time saying "Hello friend come in this beer bar. Lots of drink special." etc etc. I started just getting flat out rude with them and the street merchants, and the beggars. When they would even start to approach I would just say "NO!". If they kept on I would over exaggerate and get louder with a "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!". That seemed to do the trick. Some of them I actually had to forcibly remove their hands from me and push them away. It made me appreciate the ones here that try to sway with a sob story. I think I'm just going to start saying "no" when I get approached here though. I don't think there is anymore universal way to say "I don't want to hear what you have to say."
