How Do You Deal With Sellers In Fast Food Restaurants?

[BAPaul]

Today I had another bad experience here in Buenos Aires (I was robbed last time here in La Boca which was talked about in a previous forum post)

Anyway this time was in Burger King near the Obelisco. I have had many people come up to me to try to sell something in the past in there and Mc donalds and sometimes in the street and I say no gracias, or no dinero etc, they usually leave you alone and move onto the next person.

Well today I bought some socks from one guy to be nice, then within 30 minutes there were about 5 different people that passed through there to sell all manner of things...I was getting pi**ed off with this saying the same thing over and over no dinero....one guy with a child in a pushchair however, I did give my mediluna to as I had already had 2 and didn't fancy the 3rd one anyway....and he pointed to it and then to his child, so I let him have that.

About the 4th person to come in was also selling socks, he was bout 40 I would say, and I told him no mas dinero, no gracias and pointed to the socks I had already bought...he didn't seem to take no for an answer and said a few other things and I think was asking for money...I kept repeating no mas dinero lo siento.

He then pointed to my phone and I don't know what he said but I think he wanted it as his face turned kinda confronting...I slid to the side of the chair away from him as I was on the bench type chair against the wall..I said no no to him and he backed away over to the other side of the restaurant where his friend was selling from his bag, he then pointed to me and said something (maybe this gringo has a phone) but his friend waved him to come on and then walked out.

I was a little shaken but you would believe that you are safe in a public place like this and there were about 10 others there with it being early morning about 11, as soon as I moved away he kinda moved away to and went over to his friend....one more step towards me the first time and I would have cracked him one in the face as I am not taking any chances after the first time I was robbed....when he spoke to his friend I thought they would both approach me so I was ready to jump up and fight, but lucky for them both they walked out, as I would now probably be going viral as gringo tourist whoops ass in Burger King or something similar

After 5 minutes I went upstairs and looked out the window and scanned the area..saw one of them in the distance trying to sell to someone who was looking in the boot of their car...I then changed my football shirt I had on and put in underneath my black shirt I had on also so I was wearing different colours and I then got out of there quick and scanned everywhere as I walked....I scan the area just as if I was a bodyguard anyway and always stay vigilant (like I always keep me eyes on who comes through the door and I knew these guys looked shifty as they all do with their bags selling stuff, some look more wasted than others and like this guy could have been on that paco drug)

So I soon got out of there and walked back to my hotel, just a little shaken and I think I was relatively safe in there with people and cameras about, and police not far outside, but you never know with these people if they are on drugs or have a knife....he felt brave enough to point at my phone and say give it to me, although I don't know the words he said, I could tell that is what he wanted.

Now many people sit in there with phones better than my blackberry and there was even a guy upstairs using a laptop, so you would think it pretty safe, but in the future I think I will not use it in public when there are people about....this particular BK did not have any security from what I saw as some do, maybe as it was very early, and the workers in there just walk past the sellers and let them get on with it.

How do you all deal with these people and have you had any experiences? I know I stand out as a tourist especially with a football shirt on today but I think I am unlucky also lol....I will stop eating in these places as they are of poor food quality anyway, but I was just having medialunas and coffee and using the free wifi really.

In the future I will get some cs spray and a knuckle duster and when they approach me and I say no, and yet they carry on I will stand up lift up my shirt and show them my samurai sword stuffed down my jeans lol
ok maybe that is a bit to far but the cs spray is an idea for sure.

I don't know why these guys think a tourist is easy prey compared to other older people in there and woman on their phones etc (but I am young and fit at 30 and fancy my chances against 40 year old poor drugged up paco heads...most likely), but when the next one tries something or gets to close to me they will find out what a punch from a gringo feels like, and they will soon be on the national news giving interviews like this Gaston motochorro lol

All this has done is make me more aware and in future I will just knock them out as soon as they continue to say something or get upset after I say no...hen get out of the area sharp, if I got arrested for this I would say I have been robbed before and take no chance now, knock them out and ask questions later is the best option than getting stabbed or shot I think.

Anybody else have any stories or how you deal with them? of course people in the street try to sell to you and on the subte but they are easy to say no to and walk on...and in the future I will eat in cafes as they don't really go into these places from what I have seen.

Stop going into Mc donalds Bk and KFC alone = 3 or 4 less encounters each time with these fools...I know some of them are poor and some are nice and friendly, but others are just mean spirited and on drugs and looking to rob as well.

I don't like violence or these situations, but the next person who steps to me and I feel threatened, then I will be forced to protect myself...I need to learn F*ck off out of my face before I spark you out in Spanish? lol

Sorry for my grammar of which I have never been great at and if it all seems rushed and written out, hope I am understood and would be good to hear others stories and thoughts.

 

[Girino]

Maybe he was offering to buy your phone.

Relax, Paul. You're just a fish in the pond.

 

[Ries]

The stinkeye works just fine for me.
And not only do I not look like I am from here, I generally don't look like I am from anywhere.

 

[Crema Americana]

I don't really deal with them at all... the husband handles it. A quick dismissive 'no' with a raise of the hand (in a sort of quick stop sign) is all you need to say and continue doing whatever you were doing. The more you speak, the quicker they'll notice your accent. If you're wishy-washy or engage in conversation, they'll walk all over you. Your mistake was being friendly and buying something - that seems to have invited the trouble.

At least nothing happened other than a little scare.

 

[sleslie23]

You were at the McDonalds near Obelisco and ONLY 5 people tried to sell you socks? Que suerte!

In my experience, it's best to be firm, but fair with persistent street vendors. In other words, don't be rude or get annoyed, but make it clear that you are not interested in buying anything. Tone and body language mean more than the words you actually use.

 

[MikeMike]

Three observations: obelisco is a tourist attraction, gringo wearing American football t-shirt calls attention (probably depends upon how gringo you look, too), and phone out in public place. If you unload on one of these guys, the outcome would be pretty unpredictable. Might end up in jail, with a much worse group of folks. Never take anything of value out in public, try to blend in, and avoid tourist attractions. Just my 2 cents.

 

[nikad]

Obelisco area is full of pick pocketers, and thieves. They rob people when they stop at the red light right on 9 de Julio, the run crossing the avenue and grab phones and whatever they can. It is a hot spot so I am not surprised about the incident at the restaurant.
I for one avoid restaurants that close to the intersections with 9 de Julio. It has been on the news multiple times. These thieves live less than 10 blocks in villa 31, they are usually high as well.

When I am approached by these sellers ( some are honest! ) I usually do not even say no, I ignore them as if they were flies. Not because I want to be mean, but because the ones that are high or drunk might react in weird ways and I do not want to go through that c**p. If I was a foreigner I would especially keep my mouth shut and would not even make eye contact. If they start saying something or get mean, you get up and head towards the cashier ( never the door and especially not in that area ).

I am sorry this happened to you, but please do not open your mouth at all when you are approached by these guys. And if you walk past them, just stop talking just so they do not detect you are a foreigner, they all think you are loaded and rich! A minute of silence keeps you from the hassle.

 

[emma2999]

Like Nikad said, try not to talk or give away that you're a foreigner. Ignore them and pass! Even stopping to look for a moment at their goods attracts the entire pack.

 

[BAPaul]

Serafina he was definitely not looking to buy it, he wanted me to give it to him and was pointing at it with his face changing into a confronting face and screwed up face, as if to say give it to me give it to me...I quickly slided away from him then he went over to his friend and pointed at me, but I think he looked at me and didn't fancy confronting me. I look in my 20s although I am in my 30s and they looked both about 40 years old.

I like to get out and about in this city and in the future when I move here I would like to read or use my laptop in public but I think only cafes are safe now as they don't let this riff raff into these type of places, it would be great to sit in the sun with a laptop as well but is unsafe to do so in this city, reading a book in the parks I guess will be ok but go out with empty pockets, but one will still have people come up to them trying to sell something, it is just a part of life here being close to the villas and poverty.

Thanks for the advice Nikad, yes I understand that area is very touristy and not far from the villa at retiro and I never got anybody trying to sell to me in the Wendys on Av.Cabildo which is far out, or in La continental Recoleta nobody ever comes in there as they would be told where to go, so yes the fast food restaurants around the Obelisco do have many that come in....probably several an hour.

I did make the mistake to talk yes and said no hablo espanol etc, but he did not understand no and continued to talk and show me his goodies, then when he says speak English? he tries the little English he knows...hello good day you want to buy something...a few have tried this and they seem to revert to talking like 5 years olds then lol
In the future I will not eat in these places or go with more people, being alone is always a cause of problems for nearly every story I have read on these forums where people have been robbed, kidnapped etc and you have to keep an eagle eye all the time whenever you are out and about.

I wont let it put me off as although I get a bit shaken each time I learn from it and maybe will be prepared in the future with cs spray or something...I have seen many videos on youtube of motochorros and a paco documentary and the bad side of life here so I always like to learn and keep an eye out for the bad stuff....now I will be wary of all those who try to sell to me after this bad experience.....probably had 20 or more people before and they were all nice and friendly, I should have noticed there were 2 together as this was probably why this guy thought he was brave with his back up, after I went upstairs and scanned the area from the window I then took off my soccer shirt and put in underneath the other shirt...I did think if they were out there then I was going to ask the staff to let me go out the back lol, but after 5 minutes I went to the door and stood there for 30 seconds looking everywhere ready to run.

But well we live and learn in this city some call the wild wild west

 

[AngelinBA]

There used to be security guards in those McDs and BKs, but they've gone as a cost cutting measure I would say. Some very dodgy people go in there and the staff have limited ability or will to keep them out. If you want to eat in peace, try the McDs just around the corner in Lavalle, or the BK on Lavalle just a few blocks down. I take my family there and we've very rarely been bothered. Stay away from the corner of 9 De Julio and Corrientes. And best to keep the phone out of sight as you said.