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One thing I noticed about carnival in TNT is that the folks are, well, not too friendly.

My experience Carnival elsewhere, Panama and Brazil, that is a major difference.

And I am talking about subtle things such as clerks slamming your change or even your visa card on the counter without being provoked. I mean that takes conscious effort to slam someones change or credit card.

Or not responding when someone says friendly goodmorning to you......... TWICE.

And the ability to give lip but not take lip. WHOA BIG ONE, Especially when it comes to tone.
Mi fadda got tat rough tone tat yankees doh understan, so I understand trini lip, but if you can give it be able to take it, phuckas.

And I must say such attitudes affects MY spirit of carnival.

Whats up wit tat, native trini resentful because they cannot afford the celebration watching foriegners in thier land having a good time?

Now in comparison Brazil / Panama, brasileños & panameños are wonderfully pleasant during carnival.
THIER SPIRIT DONT EVEN COMPARE, totally different spectrums.

AND I AM NOT TRYING TO PROVOKE AN ARGUMENT, JUST A DIALOGUE TO UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.

It took me a little while to re-adjust my attitude........Trinidad is not a tourist destination.......they are not tourist friendly......and until their natural resource run out......they will continue to have sucky attitude.......once I land at Piarco the beast in me takes over.......I snarl and look at people like they stole my money.......its not the way they were raised.....but the way some of them seem to have evolved.......I dont hold doors for nobody any more.....let it slam in dey face........but on the good side let me share 2 pleasant experiences I had past Carnival.........walking up d road in d morning and a little girl like 8 tell me good morning (remided me of how I was raised as a kid and made me feel shame dat d lil heifer said it b4 I did)........Carnival Tuesday meh hands was full wit my frens lunch boxes and 1 of the forks fell......female masquerader said she would get it.....stopped and picked it up for me........its tough to paint everyone with the same bush........but Customer Service and just comon manners is a major issue I have with Trinidad.......I grw up there and dont just go for Carnival so I have a general feel for the people

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We Come Tuh Ramajay.................Eh Eh...............WE Come Break Away

I was going to say Trinidadians are just rude in general but i didnt want to get any backlash.

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dum dum dee dee

as far as store folks dey not trained as far as customer service is concrned and their supervisors are just as bad........as a people I cant say they rude in general because I have seen real courtesy and kindness also........every year I does have to cuss somebody........some years back I cuss way a gal next ting yuh kno she wah be meh fren....madness........but dey special

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We Come Tuh Ramajay.................Eh Eh...............WE Come Break Away

i guess it depends eh. but i have to admit, i got scared after i landed in trinidad. the day after i walkin thru de track and nearly jump when de girl comin the other way say good mornin...i swear, i looked around and was like...''was that for me?" but the same ting happened when de nex person was comin thru de track!!

then on de maxi every person said good morning, season's greetings or compliments of the season!

i forgot about saying those things while in the states. i loved it!


so it all depends.

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yeah, run some credits nuh.

I wouldn't say we rude...we juss doh cheese fuh tourists, never have.


AJB yuh story remind mih of when ah went tuh mih ole school to visit and mih ole PE teacher ask me to address a class. As I walk in the room everybody stood up and was like "good evening Sir". I was stunned...first off that they called me 'Sir' (good manners)...second because they called me 'Sir', I eh dat ole lol

Ive always found Trini natives to be really welcoming,hospitable and friendly on a one on one scenario HOWEVER customer service in trini is without a doubt THE ABSOLUTE WORST I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED...HANDS DOWN. Its almost like they vex you had the audacity to walk into their establishment. What even worse is that the minute you get more stink than them they start being nice to you and ting....i have no idea what that is about...

like yuh fuhget yuh used to do dat!! once in hard back secondary school we didn't stand up when someone walk in, we damn near had to eat de dirt from we teacher shoe!! we get cuss!!

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yeah, run some credits nuh.

Yeah I was wondering if we did that. I know we definitely stood when we teacher walked in...and me and de PE teacher walked in together, so chances are they really couldn't give ah fart about me, lol


But nah, I spoke to them (probably Form 2 or 3) for like ten minutes then we had a Q/A session...they were really poised and well-spoken and addressed me as 'Sir' like I said when they spoke to me. Real humbling experience. Folks up Calvary doing a great job as usual.

Yuh had to stand up for the rest of the class or something. Now some of them not even taking you on when you walk in. I walking by a class yesterday and a teacher in there asking some kids to stand as she walked in. I dunno if they stand yet.

What amazes me too, esp in Tobago is that Tobagonians always say that we are friendly people. Steups...Where?? People have NO manners anymore. Service is de worse... is like u gettin cuss for wanting to get service. It's a bother for anybody to do something that they were hired to do.

I have NEVER encountered any of what some of you speak. Trini's don't ting up dey self fuh tourists that is so true, but the nastiness..nah not my experience. Everybody I meet say mornin, good afternoon and good night. To this day it makes me smile when yuh call someone house and they say "hello, good afternoon" or whatever the case may be. As far as customer service, it lacks to me because they move so slow. But then I realize, Trini's doh care if Monday fall on ah Friday. Where as here in the states it if aint ready in 10 seconds, we fly into a rage.

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When two people cussin, they doh tell each other that they pretty or they nice.


-Meh Granny say so.

Trini's don't get paid to be friendly. We don't business w. tourists. Overall, Trinis are much friendlier than Americans, but won't bend over backwards for a tip because we don't care about that. Just because you are treated nice don't mean the people are friendly, they just working their hustle on those other islands.

very interesting viewpoints. hmmmm......

Carry on

Yeah boy, this is one criticism that has a ring of truth to it. If yuh expecting all smiles and genuflection from someone serving you whatever in tnt...then you will be dissappointed..and this is not just for the tourists...the locals get the same kind of server. What you have to do is be brash and loud in a real trini sort of way...and you will get more respect and better service....but not every body could do that.

Look, is suh Trinis stay.... yuh wouldn't want to go to Guyana then, cuz dey attitude stink de same way. Dat is one ting I notice that Trinis and Guyanese have in common. Yuh iz gotta to be hard back to deal wid dem ppl dat.