Posted on 05/22/2015 2:50:41 PM PDT by dennisw
Well, yes of course. That's loosely what I meant when I described the perp as an "asshole" -- the epithet was shorthand for what you describe and much more as well, including his behavior that got his boss in trouble, and his general attitude of getting away with petty crimes.
I disagree. The hot dog vendor may be crooked, but the buyer wasn't FORCED to fork over the money. He could just walk away.
And if you've been to NYC, you'll notice there's a hot dog cart on every corner.
Say: "uh, no thanks", and walk across the street.
If I went to France and some douche on the street tried to overcharge me for a baguette, I'd do the same.
"No thanks."
I'll get it cheaper over there.
He is targeting foreign tourists who do not understand the value of US money.
The tourists think that they are paying the market price.
He is a con man tricking them into paying a price higher than the market price.
It is like you going to the Eiffel Tower and paying a street vendor 30 Farthings for a bubble & squeak. Since you can see him selling to local customers, you reasonably assume the price is fair.
“posting a fixed price on an item for purchase was completely alien to them until they came to the U.S. Apparently there are no posted prices in some of these cultures. The price of an item is whatever the seller and the buyer agree on, and they spend plenty of time haggling over it.”
All cultures haggle to one degree or another, but in Arab lands the whole point is to lie and cheat the other guy as much as possible. Period.
Whatever the market will bear...
Eiffel Tower closes to visitors as workers stage walkout over concerns about aggressive pickpockets in French capital
The tower’s operator said employees are concerned about petty crime
Walkout occurred a day after police announced a drop in violent thefts
Tourists lingered around the monument after being turned away
Illuminated signs said the attraction would be ‘temporarily closed’
Is this true of the stock exchange???
ebay?
And I know that NYC has laws about the posting of alcohol prices but in my parts you will see a beer list (bottles) with no prices. And forget about a price list for well, brand name, and top shelf liquor in a bar or restaurant.
I’d say $90 concert parking for an $8 day lot is a ripoff here in Houston but it happens. I’m most curious how much of that $90 they actually report since the typical rate is $8. Do they claim $8 for the day and skim the other $82 tax free? Who would even know? the city does not check up on this and are partnered with these downtown cronies.
In Boston you could haggle on the price of a stereo in a brand name chain department store.
I’ve also learned that you are supposed to haggle on the price of a mattress even in a chain store.
Everyone knows to haggle for a car, house, and gym membership (and maybe a cellphone rate).
Maybe the vendors have to charge so much because of the six-figure fees the vendors have to pay DeBlasio’s worker’s paradise for the license to operate.
“In Boston you could haggle on the price of a stereo in a brand name chain department store. I’ve also learned that you are supposed to haggle on the price of a mattress even in a chain store.”
Really, all they can do is say no. Most Americans would be surprised at what you can haggle for. BTW, I can believe it about mattress stores: they are SO overbuilt.
Head for the exit and they start making deals.
I bought mine at a department store.
And while they say they will all price-match, it seemed to me that each outlet/store had it’s own particular model of each name brand mattress. You could find a similar Serta but I don’t know that you could find the exact same Serta in 5 stores.
“You could find a similar Serta but I don’t know that you could find the exact same Serta in 5 stores.”
Yep, another part of the mattress scam: can’t price match because no identical models.
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