Foot soldiering has been outsourced to South Asians for a while. The Chinese ones are the guys who wear nice suits and make insurance calls to sell policies for "business protection".I've seen doing that stuff in TST are ethnic Chinese.
Boot Blackers
People selling out of a cardboard box
People sat outside IPhone shops
People selling flats
People selling mobile / internet / TV contracts
People clearing their throat
People selling cardboard
People selling photos of their holiday to fund their holiday
Others
Foot soldiering has been outsourced to South Asians for a while. The Chinese ones are the guys who wear nice suits and make insurance calls to sell policies for "business protection".I've seen doing that stuff in TST are ethnic Chinese.
In the 27 years I spent in HK..I think the South Asians are by far the worst and most annoying. These are the guys in and around TST constantly bothering people to buy some shitty suits, fake shit or drugs.
I generally find the copy-watch/suit guys pretty harmless - a smile and a shake of the head as they approach is normally enough for them to back off. The occasional hoards of flat-sellers at the entrances to malls put me in the mood for "I'm bigger/heavier than you, who do you think will lose if you get in my way?" - plus, that feels like a much dirtier business to me...
Most hawkers dont bother me. I can avoid them and as long as they are not scamming, im happy for them to make a living.
However, i hate the ppl doing surveys on Soy Street in MK near ladies market. i know they are just trying to get details to sell insurance, and they dont take a polite "NO". They have to stand in front of you deliberately blocking your path until i stop and give them an exasperated "im pissed off" look.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) i live near there, so they see me most days and leave me alone now, except the newbies, or when im wearing different clothes so they dont recognise me.
It looks like the FEHD aren't targeting the hawkers that annoy us!
50% People selling flats
44% People selling photos of their holiday to fund their holiday
31%Others (suits you sir)
25% People sat outside IPhone shops
19% People selling mobile / internet / TV contracts
19% People clearing their throat
6% People selling out of a cardboard box
0% Boot Blackers
0% People selling cardboard
I'd agree the South Asian touts in TST are the worst on the streets - a lot of them are very in-your-face. If they get too much so I tell them off in Canto (which none of them speaks).
Chinese touts and hawkers recognise that my clothes/ body language are not those of Someone With Money - I honestly can't remember the last time any of them approached me.
But THE most annoying hawkers are the cold callers.
I hate those goddamn kids and their parents/helpers selling stickers on Saturday mornings. lol yes I am a cranky old man.
Telemarketers are a scourge. I can't even answer my phone if I don't know the number.
Walked along Sai Yeung Choi Street.
FEHD have cleared all the pop-up advertising from the small players. This has allowed the big telecoms an easier time of it.
Also the 'buskers' seem to of been allowed to turn up their speakers to unbearable levels.