Possible duplicate of What's the deal with the "string people" in central Paris?

@KateGregory The second part of the question has no chance to be answered in Paris question, but Hatef's answer here covers it. I don't know what to do now.

Is it so hard to just ignore them and keep doing whatever you were doing before (window-shopping, talking at the phone, reading a book – as I often do while walking –, daydreaming, whatever)?

@DaG Unfortunately yes. I hope it will be easier hereafter by the help of the tips.

I live in Rome, and there are similar guys here. I simply ignore them because everything is more interesting than whatever scam they are into, even sniffing smog, so in a few seconds they cease to be interested in me.

@Andy Not acceptable. :)

Is walking off with the bracelet and saying "thanks for the gift" acceptable?

@ahmedus Not even a little punch?

@Hatef They can't stop you keeping the bracelet.

@DrEval Not even that. I don't prefer any wrongful act.

Pepper spray You have been assaulted: touched in a way that you did not consent to, and would not consent to, by a stranger in the street.

@dotancohen that's simply too much! - Please read the answer from Anon; those are people coming from a poor condition, mostly abused by some sort of mafia above them! There are way kinder ways to handle this situation!

"I don't know what to do now": just vote on your answers as you otherwise would and accept the answer you think best. If the question is closed as a duplicate, we can try to reopen it, but even if it remains closed the only consequence of that is that nobody will be able to add new answers. The existing answers will stand, and the question should not be deleted.

@phoog Thanks for the explanation. I also searched on Meta.SE, there is nothing to worry about. If the community decide to close the question, I just respect.

@dotancohen that's a good way to get yourself arrested.

@Hatef not to mention that it is almost certainly illegal to pepper-spray (or punch) someone when that level of force is not necessary for self defense.

Would a general European city scam wiki with all known scenarios suffice to avoid future duplicates?

@dotancohen are you Ami? Interesting you haven't proposed nuking Milan. Problem solved once for ever.

@phoog You're not going to get arrested by the police, much less charged for assault, when you're responding to a begger who has just assaulted you. I've seen people who've just been beaten up for trying to pick pocket the wrong person and the police couldn't care less.

@DrEval Any kind of self-defence must be proportionate. You're assuming that a response that is viewed as proportionate to attempted theft is also proportionate to a very minor assault. In particular, if you went into the street and were caught picking somebody's pocket, you'd be pretty likely to be arrested; if you went into the street and put a bracelet on somebody (as a one-off act), the police would be unlikely to do more than say, "C'mon, dude, don't be a jerk." Picking somebody's pocket is a much more serious offense.

@DavidRicherby If you touch someone that's assault, pretty much everywhere. In some parts of the world you'd not face any legal problems for shooting someone that assaulted you in this manner. Happens all the time; google it, especially in the USA. You don't know if they're going to somehow incapacitate you with a shock/spray/gun. They shouldn't be assaulting you and they end up paying the price. I'm not saying the punishment for touching someone should be the death penalty but it IS assault. Don't blame the victim for overreacting, you don't know what they're thinking.

@DrEval It feels like you didn't even read my comment. I am well aware that touching somebody can constitute assault. My point is that you are proposing a massively disproportionate reaction to an extremely minor assault. Your observation that strong responses are proportionate to much more serious crimes is irrelevant.

@DavidRicherby I wasn't posting my opinion.

As an American with no experience in the matter, why do you have to do anything? If they attach a string (Oh no!) to you, then you now have a string. Maybe it's just a cultural thing, but I'm not obligated to pay for unsolicited goods or services, so why should I care?

@Anoplexian They don't let me easily go without payment and they get crowded around me after some point.

@Ahmedus Maybe I'm wired a bit differently then. If someone doesn't want to let me go when I'm trying to move, I go full self-defense mode.

@Anoplexian lol the point is, they are quite friendly at the same time! Picture them as, friendly insistent beggars that give you something in return (a string that according to them brings luck!) - you gotta visit Duomo anyway! It's a piece of art!

@Hatef Yep, definitely wired differently. Even those who are friendly to me know not to touch me unnecessarily. XD Regardless, Duomo sounds nice!

@DrEval I don't know where you are getting your news about USA from, but your comment is not true at all. No state in the USA allows you to shoot someone in self-defense unless you can reasonably show you or someone else was in grave danger (loss of life/limb/grievous injury). Even someone punching you might not be considered "reasonable" unless that person was much larger/stronger.