Yup. There may be a marginal differences between how one or another of us is viewed, but basically we're all rich outsiders. The local people know it, and they're perfectly correct.
I've seen ratty Western tourists mobbed by crowds of scammers and touts, while others are left alone. The people who hassle you (or don't) are responding to your comfort, confidence, and ability to withstand their pressure--not to how you're dressed or what kind of bike you ride. A flicker of uncertainty in the eyes is all the signal they need.
That's been my experience, anyway--both as the object of hassles and as an observer. As a teenager I learned how to project a kind of confidence which kept me safe on the street in New York; as an adult, I learned how to do that in different countries and cultures. I used to look like prey, but now, when I've actually got a lot more to lose, I apparently don't.
But: YMMV.
Mark
|