Public weighing scale and a fortune pitch right outside the station — harmless fun or a funnel into a shop?
Kandy station exit. A scale on the pavement, a friendly guy insisting I check my 'travel luck weight,' then a second person with a palm-reading opener. I laughed and felt the conversation tilt toward walking somewhere with them. Is this just a silly stall, or the first beat of a gem-shop or blessing detour? I can be polite. I also want to catch a tuk while I still have my bag.
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3 Answers from travellers
Smile, say no thanks, and keep walking to the prepaid stand or your PickMe pin. A pavement scale plus a fortune opener is usually a conversation designed to move you toward a shop, a 'special blessing,' or a long walk while someone else handles your bag energy. It is not a crime to stand on a scale; it is also not a civic service. I will not invent a luck-reading fee. If you already stepped on it and they name a price, you can pay a tiny amount you actually agreed or just leave — you do not owe them the next hour. Bag on your shoulder, eyes on your own pin, you are fine.
Smiled, said no, walked to the prepaid tuk line. The second man stopped talking once I kept moving.
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