4 ms·

This is perhaps a controversial opinion, but at least when it comes to haggling I think this is fine. The wealth gap between traveling Westerners and the avera

This is perhaps a controversial opinion, but at least when it comes to haggling I think this is fine. The wealth gap between traveling Westerners and the average local in countries like Mexico and Peru is staggering. I recently did a 5 week trip in South America with my (South American) partner and my attitude was to generally just accept whatever price we were quoted rather than bargain down. E.g. for a 2 hour taxi in Cusco you could bargain from $20 down to $15 if you tried, but as someone who earns 6 figures in the US it seemed morally reasonable to not bother (and less stressful too IMO).

wink 3y ago
There's a difference between "I can afford it", "I must haggle" and just outright trying to rip you off. The example I often quote was me, a blonde European, in Cuba, just walking down the street. Someone with a rikshaw stopping next to me and going like "City tour! 20$" or something without me making eye contact or anything, just out of the blue. I shake my head, "15$!" and when I turn away because the person apparently doesn't want to accept any no, it's "10$!" - so apparently the actual tourist price would have been 10 but the opened with 20, without me even showing interest. [ofc it wasn't $ but you get the gist of the numbers]