Tourists begging for food in Rome have raised eyebrows, after asking other tourists to buy them food.
You might have thought that Begpacking was pushed to the wayside back in 2017 but it looks like it’s back to bite us in the ass. That’s right: it’s back, and this time it’s not in Southeast Asia that gets (justifiably) angry at the mouth, but instead Italy (or as the case may be, one a man in Italy, and a bunch of his Reddit friends).
Taking to Internet Trashcan last week, traveler (and Reddit user) u/smeppel warned fellow travelers on r/solotravel about beggars: “I’m in Rome today , I had a man come up to me while I was sitting. bench,” he said.
“He explained that he was from Hungary where he worked as an artist and had another three-day holiday in Rome, but he had run out of money. He got up and asked me to buy him some pasta from a nearby place. I told him I was on a tight budget but I gave him the banana I had, which he eventually took.”
“I had something similar on my previous trip, pre covid, at my bus station in Vienna. Guy arrived, explaining that he was coming from the Balkans with some vague news about how money he ran out and told me to buy him some fast food at the kiosk. This guy got really angry when I gave him what I had on me, calling him shit food. This guy must be in his 40s, man body today about 30.”
“Maybe I’m skeptical, but I don’t buy their story of just a lack of money for food. At the same time I can’t figure out what their deal is and they’re lying. They’re just travelers cheap trying to eat free? is there anything else?
“Has anyone experienced this? I would like to know if this is common or just a coincidence that it happened to me twice.”
Reddit user u/smappel
The department quickly became hotter than fresh from the Margherita oven, as the citizens of the Internet jumped to criticize the ‘scumbag’ behavior of begging as if it were your mouth hungry and -bees eat gooey (and hot ways). mozzarella.
While some thought it was just the tourists who ran out of money, others said it may have been an organized scam.
For example, one Reddit user wrote: “A common fear in some parts of the world involves this type of begging, which is often done by a young person at a local store. . They ask you to buy something (‘look, I’m not asking for money, just an order for my child! You can buy it right away!’) immediately leave, put it back on the shelf of their store in a bag. the money. It is common in some parts of Asia, although I have not heard of it much in Europe.”
Another said: “This is a common scam all over the world – ignore anyone who approaches you on the road. Send some money to local charities if you feel guilty. ”
This was followed by other comments, such as: “Of course this scam is especially popular in Italy. They are organized gangs that try to scam tourists. It’s obvious that someone taught them because they use some kind of psychological communication to get you to give them more money.”
“I think they are just tourists, and ‘I’m a lucky tourist’ is working for them so tourists give them money,” wrote another. “It’s an icebreaker that lets them approach random strangers since most backpackers like to meet other backpackers, plus it makes them look like something that can be reported, then they can ask for money/food and rely on social stigma.”
Where you have it. Either way (either scammers or beggars), it’s not the best practice. Although the true “weaving” – the kind that started between 2015 and 2019 is worse, where rich tourists visit poor countries and ask local people for money to continue and their journey (which sparked a lot of debate and caused a lot of litigation at the time. some argue it’s the worst thing you can do, others say it’s fine as long as you sell products or skills), and it’s not big.
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As travel is coming back this year, we are also seeing trends like ‘real’ begging re-emerging, while the pickpockets mocked in Malaysia last month, are inspiring. The Sun Daily News: “Kuala Lumpur City Hall spokesperson said foreign travelers are asking the public for money or selling unlicensed trinkets to pay for their travel expenses. wrong since such behavior is defined as immoral.”
Not everyone thinks it’s immoral, however, and one writer for The Independent says that he rejects the petitioners’ case based on the context, writing: “In the various media, there is a negative perception that everyone white and Asian has his own opportunity and a wealthy family at home to call if the money runs out – and everyone. the traveler from the Gap Yah straight sketch. But although something This is undoubtedly the case for many, certainly not true of everyone.”
“Of course, literally begging as a long-term plan to finance your Asian vacation is a different story, and one I don’t fully approve of. But there’s also a difference to be made between begging and driving.”
The Independent
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