DaveWales,
steady with the statement, How many Brits have been killed by terrorism both home and abroad in the last 5 years , I feel this is off topic and you do not know who reads our forum who this might affect (point of note only)...jxk8

Why would people lie about such things as sandbags on the beach with soldiers and guns??? life is very different this season in Goa and i dont care what people say. Our usual walks to the beach at sinquerim beach up by the aquada, you cant go up there by car they stop you at the end of the road, and the number of police just in that area is unreal. you walk along the beach and see all the sandbags at different points, it was usually christmas eve they blocked titos road its been days now, police walking the streets with guns, towing cars away at night along baga road. Very different i would say.
Yes many people leave their common sense at home, like jumping on bikes and scooters they have never ridden on the UK let alone the goan roads, drinking and driving, walking the streets half naked!!! to name but a few things the FN's do it makes me cringe.
So why would'nt they give pound coins and notes when asked to use the toilet or a porter, cant knock a tryer as they say.
If we are completely honest all of us at some point on our holidays any where in the world have been duped but we wont admit it!!

Dear All,

I have avoided contributing to this forum for a few months now, since Fiona (quite correctly) pointed out to me that it is really for holiday-makers, not us long stay lot. Obviously, due to the length of time we spend here we have to deal with different situations (and more often!) than a two-weeker.
However, having read and re-read this thread I feel obliged to comment.
1) Whatever anyone feels about Stir Fry/Narial, she has a wealth of knowledge of Goa, after more than 20 years and most of those long stay. She cares passionately about others welfare and puts an enormous amount of effort in to be of help. Perhaps it is a symptom of being here for long periods, but none of us long-stayers find it easy to tolerate persistent fools (the first few times you try to help, but then.....)
2) Her thread was clearly an attempt to be helpful. The use of the word "gullible" was frequently made as to why anyone would be so stupid as to get ripped off this way. Can I point out that some tourists have a very long journey, including UK travel, to get here and extreme fatigue can leave one very vulnerable to this sort of thing, especially a first-timer.
3) I can personally vouch for the truth of her original post.
4) DaveWales attitude right from the start was confrontational, and to accuse, repeatedly another member of lying, enhancing the story, doing it from the UK, trying to wind people up out of boredom.........all of which were untrue deserves some form of sanction from the Moderators as it is clearly against the principles of this forum.
5) As I stated at the beginning, us long stayers have a different agenda here, and it is quite correct that we keep our feelings about the "rose-tinted" attitude of tourists to ourselves, after all they are coming on holiday and don't wish to worry about more than necessary..........................a correct approach in previous years but not this year! Goa has changed dramatically in recent months, for many reasons. Please take on board some of the "negative" things you read. They are not the result of paranoia but genuine observations of those already here. It is quite ridiculous that members of this forum still in the UK are rubbishing information posted by other members already here and observing first-hand (such as beach-bunkers, armed security everywhere, blocked off roads, blanket bans on beach events). Surely one of the purposes of this forum is for them-that know to inform them-that-don't?
6) If Mr DaveWales and others wish to launch an offensive diatribe against me, please do so.........but I would be grateful if you would also PM me so that we can meet up and discuss it face-to-face while you are in Goa.

Your obedient servant
Johnny Five

i have to admit if we werent warned about this last year on our first visit, we could have easily fallen for it too, i took my own case to the bus,and a man just touched it once and wanted £1,i said no quite firmly, well in all honesty maybe a bit snappy,(it was 6am ,just got of a long flight),
im glad that people over in goa are keeping my updated with how things are,im for one am findin it very usefull

adele

Well I am not surprised this happens, for a first timer arriving after a long flight many would say "okay" to anything. They don't know they are being gullible - they have never been before. That is why any site such as this, (however trivial some may think the information is), is definitely worth joining. You take from it (and give to it) whatever suits you.

Thank you to johny five and stir fry for letting everyone know. Its up to the individual whether they heed the warning (or not) I have been to Goa 14 times (I think, cos I am losing count now) but I still get ripped off now and again - I am not immune, and they are clever so and so's.

In answer to Johnny Five , yes I guess I was being confrontational but basically because, although I agree about the stress you are likely to be put under at the airport ( which I conceded several posts ago), there was something that didn't ring true about the post. Turns out my suspicions were spot on. I also suggested that Narial had, if my memory served me well, made a positive contribution to the forum in the past. Why the need to change identity and report a second hand story is a mystery then and had she not done so then the story might have had more value.As for action against me from the moderators, for what reason ?
I left Goa two weeks ago and obviously things have changed rapidly. I still maintain that the likely hood of being involved in a terrorist incident is very small compared to the likelihood of coming to grief in many other ways.I certainly didn't intend to be insensitive to those who have suffered at the hands of such evil.

Johnny
There seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding. This forum is about Goa holidays but we certainly do welcome longstayers' contributions to it. There are a few topics though that are more suitable for the expats forum ( as was the one we pmd over ). We do need to know the current situation in Goa and how it effects the tourist, and we have been kept informed of this by holidaymakers and longstayers. Both are invaluable.
I've just been catching up on the forum as I was not around for most of yesterday. The best thing we can do with this thread is lock it for now as I think stir fry was an apt name.
For newcomers- remember to hold on to your cases