Tobagonians

[De Dragon]

hang orn... let me check with ops

Doh play up in allyuh puss you hear? Plant now start back after ah month so money running again. We eh need no gas curtailment

[FriendlyFire]

Having visited Tobago on several occasions I believe I have a very good idea why some Trinidadians get bad experiences in Tobago.

I remember approaching some Tobagonians at Shaw Park for some information about the start time of a T&T vs Haiti Football game and I said good morning before asking anything and they were all shocked. Even though they recognized the Trini accent, the manners surprised them.

What I found out from them is that the average Trini would have just walked in and basically demanded information. Tobagonians pay high regard to respect and social interpersonal interaction. To them, people are important and deserve respect, so if you don't respect them they'll find it difficult to respect you.

I also found out from a souvineer vendor at Storebay that the majority of Trinis who go to Tobago do not purchase things or if they do demand price reductions unlike the foreign tourist. (My wife and I did have to point out to him that most of things he had for sale could be found in Port of Spain and a Trini isn't likely to find them worth buying)

Another major area of contention come from the fact that we treat Tobago and its beaches like a river lime or a bus excursion. Unlike Trinidad, Tobago depends on maintaining clean, attractive and socially respectfull tourist locations. Under those circumstances, a stringband of Trinis can be quite disruptive and damaging.

It's true the Trinidad can be a source of revenue for Tobagonians but only if we as Trinis plan to go there and treat our fellow citizens as equals and SPEND our hard earned cash.

P.S. I was born in Trinidad but my Grandfather was from Tobago (he died long before I was born)

[eurogirl]

the biggest tourist is a trinidadian ..in tobago


coz everytime I stand up in skewers ordering food EVERY SINGLE person issa trini buying food

[Sky]

The best I experienced from a trini visitor who saw 701 and loved the car. Watched me and said how he doesn't see this EVO in trini at all if I does drive it occasionally...

When I told him I'm from Tobago the man and his firneds laughed...

"Wait wait... bago people could afford dem kinda car?"

Related.
I went over there with someone for the night to buy a 4G63. We check the man the evening we reach and planned to come back the next day.
The buyer ask the man to hold it till tomorrow.
Man say why.
He say he only have tarp for his van tray and someone could interfere with it if we go and lime.
Seller and his partner watch each other and laugh.
"Dem ting doh happen in Tobago hoss. De engine safe wherever yuh go."
If food wasn't so expensive I'd wanna live over there.

[MISHI]

No matter what and no matter the generation, there will always be this topic swirling between the islands...

It's up to whosoever that gets caught up in it to handle their respective situations in a proper manner.

There will always be a couple idiots that will make the milk sour and there will always be others who will sweeten the stew.

that's just the way it is...

[Perfec]

TK ur an idiot ur face should be banned from entering Tobago or any place tha deals with "service" cause u sound like u wanted them to lick ur @ss where by doing so you and the rest of your people would look down on them cause "allyuh" feel "allyuh" better. Thats the difference you handicap in your thinking and whats a norm to them and people who frequent there and understand the people their cultures and values have no problem. Educate ur self before you call people stupid cause ill gladly say all indians like ur self are stupid. how would u respond to a post as such?

[Rooki3]

TK ur an idiot ur face should be banned from entering Tobago or any place tha deals with "service" cause u sound like u wanted them to lick ur @ss

[TK!]

Ok, lets clear some things up...

tonite's post stemmed from another person's complaint. which raised some bad memories from tobago.

next..
i am very quiet and speak very courteously to ppl. cause i work in the a service related industry. i dont haggle price at all. i do buy stuff as a tourist, even sheit i dont need. cause when i travel, i like to support the small man.

also...
i prob have higher expectations for good service. i dont care if all the other trinis treat u badly. i am an individual. that's what a good service rep is trained to do.

further more...
can it be an issue of race? i am indian. what is your race?

and to straighten it out to ppl who cyah read between the lines...
this is another eye-opener post. i jus stating the facts as presented and experienced. there is something worn in tobago and we can do something. or we can make excuses.

perhaps i can do a hidden camera undercover ops. maybe then u will see. but then the world will also see. cause i nuh goin tru that sheit for nutting.

[TK!]

Another major area of contention come from the fact that we treat Tobago and its beaches like a river lime or a bus excursion. Unlike Trinidad, Tobago depends on maintaining clean, attractive and socially respectfull tourist locations. Under those circumstances, a stringband of Trinis can be quite disruptive and damaging.

*stueps*
and de las time we take a boat to "no mans's land" we had to leave after a boatload of locals parked up and was playing loud music, drinking and partying. we had old ppl and kids in the lime and no alcohol.

so doh do like tobagonians all nice and cultured.

[gt4tified]

Aye MISHI, next time de fig boat coming across, send mih a roll ah 35mm 400speed film nah...Kodak preferably. I hope price ent raise again tho...

[Yorkshirelass]

I must say that my recent trip to Tobago is the first time I have experienced such sour attitude from the hotel staff right down. The cashier in the hotel shop, the cashier at the fast food spot outside pigeon point, the cashier inside in pigeon point, I could go on. The hotel experience is the worst, and the front desk staff seem like they never went to hotel school.

[FullStop]

"Dem ting doh happen in Tobago hoss. De engine safe wherever yuh go."
If food(change food to water for south) wasn't so expensive I'd wanna live over there.

ey tobago just like deep south dread...
anyway, i dont know about tobagonians being stupid, I've never had a bad experience with them, in fact I went to school with a couple of them in UWi and they were very firendly and helpful, always shared any info about exams and assignments, unlike the trinis that always felt the need to compete and fail, lol.
Fact of the matter is that tobagonians are the same as trinidadians, I don't know why idiots feel the need to segregate and discriminate, only the politicians win that way.
The Republic Of Trinidad AND Tobago. who really stupid eh?

[lostboys crew]

Tobagonian ppl are the most pleasant ppl i have ever had the pleasure of meeting ....they are very friendly and courteous and always willing to help.
unlike we Trinidadians....the mos ignorant bastards around... ....yeah we show no respect toward our fellow men....i shame to say i is a Trini....if ppl ask me where i from i saying Tobago ... ...the gem of the Caribbean...

Now i want to go Tobago.....

[MISHI]

Ok, lets clear some things up...

tonite's post stemmed from another person's complaint. which raised some bad memories from tobago.

next..
i am very quiet and speak very courteously to ppl. cause i work in the a service related industry. i dont haggle price at all. i do buy stuff as a tourist, even sheit i dont need. cause when i travel, i like to support the small man.

also...
i prob have higher expectations for good service. i dont care if all the other trinis treat u badly. i am an individual. that's what a good service rep is trained to do.

further more...
can it be an issue of race? i am indian. what is your race?

and to straighten it out to ppl who cyah read between the lines...
this is another eye-opener post. i jus stating the facts as presented and experienced. there is something worn in tobago and we can do something. or we can make excuses.

perhaps i can do a hidden camera undercover ops. maybe then u will see. but then the world will also see. cause i nuh goin tru that sheit for nutting.

Now I am not disagreeing with you entirely... I know for a fact that there are people in the services who have no manners... but when you post a title stating "tobagonians are stupid" it bring this feeling that you speak of all tobagonians... and that is my only issue with this...

Yes the standard has to change... perhaps they could pay people better & not treat them like they are dogs... perhaps they could hire more staff so that people don't have to pull double duties or triple workload especially when many get fed up and call in sick/ quit... perhaps even send them for training courses in people skills which almost no company does here... they just have someone tell you what to do and then you do it till you get it...

Just like trinidad... there are the good and the bad services rendered... and just like trinidad we have good and bad people here. It's not an excuse to escape from you or your friends' experiences... but it shouldn't be a reason to blame all of tobago... at least it is how it's being read.

[Damien]

Services in trinidad probably the worst in the world just go tripple r in gulf city and meet the fat facker behind the counter

[PowerRanger]

I going tobago to drag....no plips there!

he he he he

[Maserati]

I going tobago to drag....no plips there!

he he he he

you still a kant

[tr1ad]

now now play nice,
we all know it's just to look at tobago drags for PowerRanger

[zcarz]

good news PowerRanger heeheehee !

[Rooki3]

*stueps*
and de las time we take a boat to "no mans's land" we had to leave after a boatload of locals parked up and was playing loud music, drinking and partying. we had old ppl and kids in the lime and no alcohol.

so doh do like tobagonians all nice and cultured.

Thats what No Man's land is about, if your looking for "private" & "quiet" family time is bess you stay home

& also if i'm not mistaken the lands @ no man's land is private property

*mishi could correct me*

[FriendlyFire]

Another major area of contention come from the fact that we treat Tobago and its beaches like a river lime or a bus excursion. Unlike Trinidad, Tobago depends on maintaining clean, attractive and socially respectfull tourist locations. Under those circumstances, a stringband of Trinis can be quite disruptive and damaging.

*stueps*
and de las time we take a boat to "no mans's land" we had to leave after a boatload of locals parked up and was playing loud music, drinking and partying. we had old ppl and kids in the lime and no alcohol.

so doh do like tobagonians all nice and cultured.

I never meant to imply that all Tobagonians were all nice and cultured. I'm not sure "no man's land" would be considered the typical tourist location. Frequent visitors to Tobago would know that there are beaches that tourist typically go to and there are others that Tobagonians frequent.

Now as for any potential racial undertones to their behavior. That is quite possibly due to ignorance on their part and from the fact that Tobago has few indians when compared to Trinidad and as a result, social behaviors, customs and attitudes may not be immediately tolerable on either side. However I also believe that they will respond negatively to excessive ghetto or gunta behavior also though it should be noted that Tobago has strong similarities to Jamaica in some respects but to associate this with bad behavior would be to allow a few to tarnish the ethos of the majority.

[TK!]

well prety much i can agree with all your responses.

tobagonians are/were very nice ppl. been going there since i was a kid. stayed at hotels, timeshares, villas etc. we always treat the service staff nicely. heck, my neighbor is a tobagonian and he's nicer than 90% of neighbors. very respectable and courteous.

recently tho, tobago is changing. yeah, service in trinidad is also poor. maybe it appears better cause we, as trinis, know where ot go to get good service. (as far and wide as it is)

trinbagonians were known to visitors as 'friendly, warm and courteous'. but somehow the younger generation are losing this touch.

culturally, we need to go back there and improve upon it. the change needs to be driven from on top. if u've been to any US tourist destination, u will experience service unparalleled to ours. but i do not think that all americans love us. but they make us feel as they do.

it was explained to me that the tourist states have cultured their ppl into a tourist-centric and tourist-friendly place. it would bode well for trinidad and tobago to have a similar agenda. i wish we can focus on our environment and our people.

[DrunkenMaster16]

Mishi!!!! Wham now? Good seeing you dread, and this thread.... pfft. Try being a white/red trini... even in trini its utter BS. Honestly I have had many, many more good times and experiences in tobago than bad ones. Show respect and i'd say 90% of the time it will be returned.

[AllTrac]

TK, let me quote someone who is in the tourism/hotel industry in Tobago "cause white people tip, and they tip in US"

[geodude]

i better than everybody, so everyone does be jealous nah,
thats y no body doh like me anywhere i go. but small thing cause i better than them

[MISHI]

[quote="TK!"]

trinbagonians were known to visitors as 'friendly, warm and courteous'. but somehow the younger generation are losing this touch.

quote]

now THIS I truly agree with...