Comments on: Gringo Price Exacts Toll on Latin America’s Reputation http://travelojos.com/2009/10/gringo-price-exacts-toll-on-latin-americas-reputation/ The Latin America Travel Blog Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:53:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: admin http://travelojos.com/2009/10/gringo-price-exacts-toll-on-latin-americas-reputation/comment-page-1/#comment-948 admin Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:43:15 +0000 http://travelojos.com/?p=2177#comment-948 Thanks Margaret. Good for her for standing her ground. I've heard of people taking that tactic to get out of paying bribes to the police too. Unfortunately, time is so precious when you're on vacation that it hardly seems worth it in most instances. That's pretty ironic, everyone's in a big rush to do things when they're supposed to be relaxing on vacation. Thanks Margaret. Good for her for standing her ground. I’ve heard of people taking that tactic to get out of paying bribes to the police too. Unfortunately, time is so precious when you’re on vacation that it hardly seems worth it in most instances. That’s pretty ironic, everyone’s in a big rush to do things when they’re supposed to be relaxing on vacation.

]]> By: Margaret http://travelojos.com/2009/10/gringo-price-exacts-toll-on-latin-americas-reputation/comment-page-1/#comment-945 Margaret Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:11:42 +0000 http://travelojos.com/?p=2177#comment-945 Like Emily, I also live and work in Chile and occasionally run into gringo price issues. Once, 2 gringa friends and I (all married to Chileans and long-term residents) hopped in a cab and were enjoying our conversation rather than watching the meter, which was horribly inflated by the time we got to our destination. I probably would have just paid it and grumbled, but one woman decided to stand her ground. She told him to drop the price or call the carabineros (police)... As soon as the guy realized that she really meant it he backed down. The problem is with newcomers and tourists who don't know what a realistic price is. Like Emily, I also live and work in Chile and occasionally run into gringo price issues. Once, 2 gringa friends and I (all married to Chileans and long-term residents) hopped in a cab and were enjoying our conversation rather than watching the meter, which was horribly inflated by the time we got to our destination. I probably would have just paid it and grumbled, but one woman decided to stand her ground. She told him to drop the price or call the carabineros (police)… As soon as the guy realized that she really meant it he backed down.
The problem is with newcomers and tourists who don’t know what a realistic price is.

]]> By: admin http://travelojos.com/2009/10/gringo-price-exacts-toll-on-latin-americas-reputation/comment-page-1/#comment-932 admin Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:56:39 +0000 http://travelojos.com/?p=2177#comment-932 Emily, I can see your point. If I was earning the same currency they were, and getting charged more because of my country of origin, I would get tired of that pretty fast. Emily, I can see your point. If I was earning the same currency they were, and getting charged more because of my country of origin, I would get tired of that pretty fast.

]]> By: Emily http://travelojos.com/2009/10/gringo-price-exacts-toll-on-latin-americas-reputation/comment-page-1/#comment-931 Emily Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:34:08 +0000 http://travelojos.com/?p=2177#comment-931 I don't think the fact that you make more money than a Mexican cab driver has anything to do with it. Ripping you off is ripping you off, regardless of how much money you have. I think I'm sensitive to it having lived in a country where I work a local job. Yes, I'm a gringa, but I'm not a tourist - I'm not spending dollars on vacation but instead spending pesos in my day-to-day life just like any Chilean. Yesterday someone didn't have the 20 pesos (US$0.35) they owed me in change, and I let it go because I know the woman would have said the same thing to a Chilean (I speak well and am brunette, so I'm not automatically pegged as a gringa, plus I was with my Chilean fiance). In that sense I agree with you that sometimes it's better to let something go, but had it been a case of "gringo price" you can bet I would have stood there until she found change. I don’t think the fact that you make more money than a Mexican cab driver has anything to do with it. Ripping you off is ripping you off, regardless of how much money you have. I think I’m sensitive to it having lived in a country where I work a local job. Yes, I’m a gringa, but I’m not a tourist – I’m not spending dollars on vacation but instead spending pesos in my day-to-day life just like any Chilean.

Yesterday someone didn’t have the 20 pesos (US$0.35) they owed me in change, and I let it go because I know the woman would have said the same thing to a Chilean (I speak well and am brunette, so I’m not automatically pegged as a gringa, plus I was with my Chilean fiance). In that sense I agree with you that sometimes it’s better to let something go, but had it been a case of “gringo price” you can bet I would have stood there until she found change.

]]> By: admin http://travelojos.com/2009/10/gringo-price-exacts-toll-on-latin-americas-reputation/comment-page-1/#comment-920 admin Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:44:51 +0000 http://travelojos.com/?p=2177#comment-920 The same thing happened to me in Mexico when I ordered a pizza. The delivery man had no change. The same thing happened to me in Mexico when I ordered a pizza. The delivery man had no change.

]]> By: Pawel http://travelojos.com/2009/10/gringo-price-exacts-toll-on-latin-americas-reputation/comment-page-1/#comment-919 Pawel Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:01:31 +0000 http://travelojos.com/?p=2177#comment-919 That's funny. I've never had that problem in NYC, and I lived there for 4 yrs, but I can't even begin to count how many times it's happened to me in Latin America, especially in Mexico. Pawel from enjoycozumel.com <a href="http://www.enjoycozumel.com/" rel="nofollow">Cozumel vacation rentals and property management</a> That’s funny. I’ve never had that problem in NYC, and I lived there for 4 yrs, but I can’t even begin to count how many times it’s happened to me in Latin America, especially in Mexico.

Pawel from enjoycozumel.com
Cozumel vacation rentals and property management

]]> By: Matthew Barker http://travelojos.com/2009/10/gringo-price-exacts-toll-on-latin-americas-reputation/comment-page-1/#comment-901 Matthew Barker Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:41:23 +0000 http://travelojos.com/?p=2177#comment-901 I stopped worrying about "Gringo price" a long time ago, when a Peruvian friend told me a story of a cab driver in England ripping him off - not for a few soles or pesos, but for ten POUNDS. You probably get unscrupulous people in any part of the world who will happily rip off unwitting foreigners. The difference is that Westerners in Latin America can usually afford the few extra cents. I stopped worrying about “Gringo price” a long time ago, when a Peruvian friend told me a story of a cab driver in England ripping him off – not for a few soles or pesos, but for ten POUNDS.

You probably get unscrupulous people in any part of the world who will happily rip off unwitting foreigners. The difference is that Westerners in Latin America can usually afford the few extra cents.

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