How Do You Deal With Sellers In Fast Food Restaurants?

[Matiasba]

Avoid Microcentro. Not only is dirty, dodgy, noisy, all with loads of people carrying a negative energy, eating a hot dog in the street while walking, throwing trash in the streets, motochorros, pick pocketing, traffic, buses, honking, full of people......argh i think I hate microcentro!!!

By far (with the subte -D line) the most unsafe part of the town.

 

[Gringoboy]

Ignore them as Nikad says and don't let them anywhere near your life. Exclude them totally.
They sometimes come into my shop or at least try to, but I ignore them banging on the door.
The shop is next to a train station, they get off and cruise the shops and streets looking to fleece anyone that moves.
They are aggressive and persistent too as you have just found out and would probably spit on your body if they saw you dying in the street.

 

[Girino]

How much do your soccer shirt cost?
Don't go out looking flashy, here it might mean simply going around with sporty stuff by famous brands. Take it down two notches, in buenos aires. I took with me nice and worn out stuff, and I keep wearing the worn out ones. Stuff that my mom saw and told "why are you taking these worn out clothes to buenos aires? It is time to trash them for good".

Look at the other people and try to blend in. Consider that you are likely taller than the average local, so anything you wear is amplified by your height.
The day I married we took the bus on our way back and I was dressed like in an ordinary day of office work in Milan and I felt I stood out (I am 177 cm without heels) and that everybody stared.

But I didn't carry a purse that day.

 

[Redbeanz]

Paul - just curious: what country are you from, and what is your first language?

 

[Ceviche]

I am 177 cm without heels

Nice. Tall woman!

 

[khairyexpat]

McDonald Puerto Madero is infested ... millions of these guys there.

McDonald employees are stupid too ... and their managers are more stupider .. once you ordered she rudely pushes you to the side ... one time I waited and waited on the side for my take out (Corrientes/9deJulio) ... and when I finally asked she said: ..... ha entregado

It felt so humiliating and degrading ... just walked away with blood boiling.

Why does McDonald license these clowns and keep them in business?

Squeegee clowns will jump on your windshield on a traffic light no matter how firm and stern NO .... they bang your car and insult you.

It´s a jungle out there ... anything goes ... you´re on your own body !!!!!

 

[DCexpatstudent]

I try to stay away from Fast food restaurants in very busy areas/ streets, even in plaza Italia this can happen, but i agree with everyone no the fact that don't interact with them and body language is the most important as a lady was selling to people in the plaza italia mcdonalds yesterday and just focusing on my the other direction she didn't bother me. I wonder why you would be hanging out in that area near the obelisco as I can't stand it because of how touristy and crowded it is.

 

[Gringoboy]

I admire BAPaul's quick thinking in changing his appearance for when he exited the place.
I'm not sure that I'd have been so quick thinking.
There's also a fair bit of psychology going on here with these hawkers as they play on your conscience, particularly the ones with the sob stories and when you indicate that you're not interested, they seem to have the perfect hook like all good conmen do.
Ultimately, it's nothing less than harassment.

 

[nkotb]

Why the hell are you hanging out at fast food joints in Buenos Aires? Try getting real food in real restaurants and the problem will take care of itself.

 

[jackbrooker]

As a GM in a resto I have my own way of dealing with the street sellers. Simply, my place is off limits to them, and my guests are not to be bothered by them. I and my staff politely ask them to leave ONCE, and if not they are shown the door.

However, conversely, I also recognize that as aggressive of some of these folks can be they are, just like the rest of us, trying to crank out a living, and it´s not exactly drugs or other horrid substances they are selling. Factually just the other day I got a great deal on note pads from one guy!

I think the deciding factor in how they are ¨given the boot¨ under any circumstances is the level of respect they show when they come in. For example, if a seller asks me or one of my staff if they can vend their wares, while permission is denied, they are offered a beverage ¨to go¨ as a show of respect and kindness in return, nonetheless.

The challenge seems to be the local culture is that this practice is acceptable, and to some extent I understand that. When in Rome..... However, when you´re in BIG APPLE, you´re in New York!