re: #321 reine.de.tout

Hoops - one of the cruises I took, years ago, the cruise director advised us before we got off in Mexico, the Gov’t had asked the cruise line to ask its passengers to avoid giving money to the kids or buying stuff from them. The Government wants the kids in school; the parents had the kids out by the docks selling chicklets. How damn awful must a family’s situation be to have their kids out selling chiclets for five cents each?

Last one I took, two years ago - there are these sort of flea market style bazaars set up by the docks now, and I saw very few kids. It seems some of the parents are now able to make a living at these flea markets and hopefully the kids are in school.

When I went to Ireland as a college kid, we got these packets of material for young Americans travelling abroad. One of them was about dealing with Gypsy kids begging at airports. Now, some of it was fine advice, the part that chapped my hide was that they told you, if the kids grabbed your stuff, to struggle with them, yell, lash out with your bags, and kick.

Right. To keep my travellers’ checks, I’m going to KICK a child begging at the freaking airport.