DRP (Don’t Reward the Pests)
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Last year at The Pavilion I met a young English couple, who had just arrived in Phnom Penh for a week’s holiday.
The next day I met them there again – at the gate with their luggage. They were heading for Thailand, on Day Two of what was meant to be their week’s holiday. Constant harassment by moto and tuk tuk drivers was driving them elsewhere: ‘We just can’t relax in this place.’
A week or two later, I invited some expat friends in BKK1 to meet me at Riverside for a drink. ‘We don’t do Riverside,’ they said. The reason was the same: too much harassment.
It seems fair to conclude that the pests are causing themselves plenty of harm, as well as annoying the hell out of the rest of us. It occurred to me that the only reason they keep being pests is that we reward them for it, by saying yes to rides with them.
This year I have been ignoring tuk tuk & moto drivers who harass me (shouting, waving, clapping etc). Instead I make a beeline for the guy sitting quietly by himself. The pests don’t even get the courtesy of eye contact.
One person can’t achieve anything city-wide. But by the simple laws of economics, DRP should work to give us a more pleasant city if enough people practise it. Even a decent minority would probably change behaviour.
What do people think about the DRP approach? Could it catch on among expats (even tourists)? Could it bring about better behaviour in moto & tuk tuk drivers? If, say, 40% of us began practising it, would that have an effect? Do we need little cards in Khmer to hand out to drivers who annoy us, politely explaining why we won’t be using them?
All feedback welcome.
I lived for a few years in a shophouse just off the beach road on Koh Samui. One of the reasons I eventually moved was because of the constant soliciting by motodops, taxis and tailors, though some of them did eventually get to know me, and left me alone. I was tempted at one point to have some tee-shirts made with Thai writing that said "I'm not a tourist" on the front, "..and I don't need a taxi" on the back.
I'm afraid this is one of the prices you pay for being a caucasian in many tourist towns and neighborhoods in SE Asia.
In Bangkok it's not really a problem in most places. Probably because the tuk tuks have almost all been pulled from the streets, and the motodops are relegated to stands where they are supposed to wait. The yellow cabs are moving too fast to stop.
During the year and a half I spent in PP I did exactly as you are doing now, John. I never acknowledged unwanted solicitations or even made eye contact, and never took rides with those guys. Not because I thought it would change anything, but because they irritate me so much.
The idea of getting a bunch of people to hand out little cards is intriguing. A funny cartoon would be even better in my view. It couldn't hurt.
I never realized how much the Tuk Tuks and beggars bothered me until I left the riverside. It was just an everyday hassle that wore on me. Once I left, I felt relieved.
Anyway, I think ignoring these types is a good idea, but I can't see it really working. Tourists will always be around to take rides with the pests. The only way I can think of to clean up the riverside is for the government to clean it up..... I'm not holding my breath.
I have been calling them rats for a long time now.
They are obnoxious pests but they will not go away anytime soon.
As a car driver it is often difficult to find parking because of the myriad of tuk tuks.
Business owners will object if one parks outside their premises yet the tuk tuks are allowed to park anywhere.
Only yesterday I had a crack at a tuk who was double parked on an angle nearly blocking the street.He lost his temper at my suggestion that he move his tuk tuk and yelled abuse as I drove away.
The other bad habit of these low lifes is to make snide remarks when one is out with a khmer partner.
Living in Cambodia 101:
If you are clearly not a local and don't want to be bothered by people who cater to tourists, stay away from the tourist areas (this is the rule in any country). Next learn how to say in Khmer:
No thanks, I'm not going far.
No thanks, I've got a car.
No thanks, I've got a moto.
Don't avoid eye contact and whisper it without confidence under your breath as you quickly walk by, look the person in the eye and say it clearly, calmly and politely. They will then often rebroadcast it loudly to all other moto/tuktuk drivers in the vicinity.
Also you don't need me to remind you that this is Asia and generally being polite, smiling and keeping calm will ALWAYS results in a better outcome. I have to remind myself of this constantly as I was born with a hot head, but it has gradually cooled over the years from living here. Khmers unlike other Southeast Asians will speak-out/insult/cause a problem if they think they have been slighted or looked down upon, so being on the receiving end usually has more to say about your behaviour than theirs.
Lastly, we are only guests in this country, remember that. I know we all think we know it all (me included) because we come from countries that have already resolved a lot of the problems Cambodia faces today, but just accept that the only way to learn a lesson is the hard way, so just accept the fact that your pearls of wisdom aren't going to change a thing, so better to just keep it zipped and accept your roll as a passive observer.
I will now dismount from my high horse and continue with my usual cultural insensitivity.
I normally just smile and shake my head.
The local tuk tuk guys are normally better than the riverside mob. Local ones understand the benefits of repeat business so are less likely to annoy their long term customers.
Nowadays they just ask me once and if the answer is a no they just smile and go back to sleep.
The tuk tuks/motodops on the riverside/lakeside/tourist areas really can be scum but the older ones are often okay and more appreciative of any customers they can get
not necessarily... i live on sisowath quay and they leave me alone: i talked to them and told them that i live here and i have a tuk tuk driver i prefer and a moto driver too. it took them a little while to get used to me and vice versa but quickly, i have been left alone. when i hear a call, i know there's a new guy in the vicinity 
isn't it all about attitude anyway? it seems people are less aggravated when they just smile back and go on their merry way.
relax?
now if i could strangle the honking drivers of the dirt trucks on sisowath quay... they deliver at night and honk to have the gate opened for them...
catherine