African men in Athens selling their wares

Folks, there are better ways of helping the poor in Africa than buying pirated CDs from illegal immigrants. I have done some work in Rwanda, for example. Many Africans have lost their lives attempting the perilous journey from West Africa to the Canaries in small boats, and I wouldn't want to encourage more to try it.

The other point is: what do you get for your money? A very poor quality CD or DVD, usually. Pirated goods raise the price of the genuine article for the rest of us.

BTW, for those who aren't aware, the Canary Islands is the route many Africans use to get into Europe. They are exploited by the people who charge large sums for this dangerous voyage. Then they are expoited by the people who supply them with the counterfeit goods. Do you really want to support that disgusting practice?

I saw this item when it was first posted, but originally decided not to join in, but other peoples responses have provoked me...

Okay, so they smile a lot, but the bottom line is, they are a pain in the proverbial.

You cannot enjoy a drink or a meal without being hassled at least once by someone wanting to sell you something you don't want and #2 is right, they are a plague in most major European cities and especially the Costas.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), I'm not as altruistic as "tony_b", I also don't have an equine that's 50 hands tall, I want to go on holiday to relax and not be bothered by these loathesome people. The sooner the authorities do something about them the better.

And before you start flaming me about how uncharitable I am - I'm right wing and middle class, so frankly, I don't care.

I totally agree with HappyCrusader, and was alo going to hold fire on this one, BUT, we were in Pisa back in early June and I was really pissed of by the African "vendors" who just will not leave anyone for a moments peace. We went there to visit again the tower etc along with a couple for whom it was their first visit. I have nothing against a bloke trying to make a living etc etc as noted in previous replies BUT this lot will not take no for an answer and were laying their hands on the 2 ladies in our party to stop us walking away. I ended up losing patience with the vendors and was phisically pushing them aside for most of our second day there. And there was no peace from them in Cafes and resturants. What sort of sightseeing trip is that!!!!!

I would round these people up and put them on a boat back home and have them apply to come here legally. And yes, I have visited SA last year and had much less problems with the vendors there who live in swarms at every traffic light and junction in and around Jo'burg.

I do not believe that this is laughing at the worlds poor.

I should appologize for my very wrong reaction in #3. I was in a hurry, hadn't read the previous replies properly and confused the word 'form' with 'from'.

I find these people to be completely harmless. Some sell imitation goods (i doubt that most of them have ever seen a real Gucci bag before they set a foot on this continent), others sell things like belts, sunglasses, gadgets. They try to make a living. I think i have never bought anything from them (in Europe) and when they keep on persisting, i just start a quick chat with them: Where are you from? Mali! Je regarde pour le plaisir des yeux, mais je ne vais pas acheter :) They seem to appreciate that, understand that i am not going to buy but feel respected. They usually leave with a smile.

Regarding the ethic of selling imitation goods. Everywhere on the Greek coasts, one sees regular and legal shopkeepers selling sunglasses with fake labels of D&G, C. Klein, etc. for about 5 to 10€. Probably those glasses are no 'real copies' (have learnt in Bangkok that there are false copies and real copies), but the labels are there. And this happens openly in a EU country!

I strongly and emotionally want to distinguish from #14 and #15, especially the phrases...
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>I'm right wing and middle class, so frankly, I don't care.<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>I would round these people up and put them on a boat back home<hr></blockquote>
.... make me so very angry.

And for the rest, there are always annoying people in touristical hotspots, restaurant waiters who want to drag you in for example.

Artemis, Please, I hate being mis-quoted!!!!!!!!

You have ommited the second half of my sentence which states

"And have them apply to come here legally"

It was not my intention to make you angry, but mis-quoting for your own advantage will not change my opinion. I am sure that as we speak there are people in Pisa being manhandled by the same guys as I referred to.

Big Ian, i've hesitated to add that second part of your phrase but i doesn't change the intention of it at all, and you know that. You know very well that if those people are sent back home, they will never succeed to be accepted legally in the EU as refugees on economical basis. So adding that part of your phrase or not doesn't change anything on your underlying reasoning, because you know they simply can't 'apply to come here legally', they can't come back the way you want them to.

And now that you've mentioned it: i should have quoted #14 (with whom you totally agree, wasn't it?) more complete too:
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>And before you start flaming me about how uncharitable I am - I'm right wing and middle class, so frankly, I don't care.<hr></blockquote>
....which makes it even worse.

Summer reading: "Of negrophobes and grecophiles" by Iain Crusader

Artemis, you are most entitled to your opinion and I respect that. I am also entitled to mine, can you respect this? It does not make either of us right or wrong. There is a very good reason why "those people" (as you call them) would not be accepted legally in the EU: They are neither needed nor welcomed here by the autorites, or by the majority of the population of the EU population. That is fact.

My opinion is purely formed on the basis of my visit to Pisa as described above, not on prejudice as you seem to suggest

I had also meant to refrain from sharing my opinion, but I just can't: We all like to travel and discover foreign cultures, so shouldn't we be more tolerant? Even if certain vendors can be very persistant. Hell what, they're just desperate, and each one of us could learn something from them. Our own lives have become so very simple and we are f"cking spoiled.