Which beach are you on, which town and are they all affected

In Herald today
http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=5284&cid=26

Yes private security firm have been hired by shacks on Candolim beach to stop sellers selling or having massages on beach, I have been told that it will be a permanent situation and that they (the security) are here to stay.

Never mind the beach sellers, and massage's! Lets hope they put an end to the jet skis which have become a nuisance and a danger on the beaches the last few years. We have had endless arguments with the owners who come too close to the edge of the beach amongst the holidaymakers having a dip!!

I agree about the jet skis. Personally I dont mind the sellers, have made some good friends with them over the years. It is sad if they have been banned, will be hard for them to get a living in Karnatika

there were certainly quite a few sellers when we were there in October but I didn't find them any problem. They took a "no" first time and most were good natured.

I don't mind some of the beachsellers - you can have a laugh with them and buy some of their cheap rubbish.

Cannot see it lasting what with the bribes etc but I personally find it extremely irritating when you are prodded out of a nice slumber by someone selling rubbish.Why they think you would buy something having just been woke I do not know.I hope it lasts till we get there.

Regards

Papa

siiiliver, gooooold, jeweeeelllls.........not surprised this has happened, i think it's a good thing - but where is all that baksheesh going to come from now for the police and the shack owners? the tourist?

yes, you get to know their so called names, say hello, no thanks, go-away etc, but they are a bloody irritant - not sure you can call someone a friend if they give you a false name like harry or sid !

misterc.

Beach sellars on Candolim beach today, must agree can get on your nerves, when you want to rest.

I don't mind the sellers. Some can be a laugh and after all they are just fellow human beings trying to earn a living. They are mainly uneducated and there is not much choice in terms of work in this situation. Try putting yourself in their shoes - do you need to walk up and down the beach for a few rupees?

I can definitely see that they can be really annoying for some people. As long as they are not aggressive then I don't mind. I just tell myself that that is what they need to do to survive. After my lightening tour of the Golden Triangle I can tell you that Goa sellers are very mild compared to what we experienced

We rarely buy things off them, but sometimes they just want a rest and rattle, as we would if we had to walk up and down that length of beach all day everyday.
At least they actually are working for your money rather than just standing begging. Personally I find the children that try to make you beleive they are mute are more of a nuisance than the sellers. We have often seen them arguing about who gets the bigger share of the "profits" and they can all talk and hear when the shack owners shout at them.

Gaz

I have to say that I love seeing and chatting to the sellers on the beach at Candolim. I have never been prodded when asleep and look forward to our chats. We have made some great friends and have been having the same massage ladies for 5 years (my inlaws have had the same ladies for 10 years).

Certainly part of the attraction for my husband, who gets bored easily on any beach, is the variation in conversation and meeting people that you couldn't if you were sat around a hotel pool. We would sorely miss our friends and our massages (not to mention quite a lot of tigers eye items) if they weren't allowed on the beach.

Can honestly say ive never been prodded either, but they just keeping saying hello etc etc, a little louder each time til you answer them/waken up etc. Surely this is the height of bad manners if you are sleeping or maybe lying with your eyes closed listening to music.

hiya Gemma , lovely to meet you at Bonos shack - didn't say tara cos you were asleep or maybe you were just lying with your eyes shut - lol.

OAP I probably thought you were a seller and didnt bother
Was lovely to meet you too, see you again soon in Goa I hope

We will miss the girls if they are not on the beach. We have never had people poking us and waking us up. Over the last 8/9 years we have bought lovely sarongs, jewellry and bags from the girls, it saves us traipsing around in the hot sun. They can remember what we have bought over the years (better than we can!) and always try to find new things to sell to us. If they haven't got a particular colour we want they go off and find what we want and bring it to us next time they see us. We also have had the same massage girl all these years and it won't be the same having massages in a hut at the back of the shack. We love to lay there and listen to the sea in the background while having our massage, there is nothing more relaxing. As we don't go until March hopefully they will all be back in full force by then. I can understand though it is probably irritating to be bothered if you are not interested in buying things or having massages.

There are still sellers on the beach, yesterday we were sitting in the shack, when we saw the fat beach copper, who has been patrolling the candolim beach for years, he had rounded up about 20 of the beach girls, and took them behind one of the shacks, when they cam back onto the beach, we asked her what was going on, and she told us that they have to pay the beach copper 500 rps per day each. That is a lot of money for the girls to find. And he must be a very rich copper but once again it is Corruption that every one turns a blind eye too.
Gayle