No Loitering? No Bystanders? Travelers Be Wary

Or "it's forbidden to hang-out / hang-around here" or something like that! I saw this at a store in Tacloban this afternoon. Warays pronounce that as "es-tam-bai". Yes, meaning "tambay" in Tagalog.

For us travelers, this is an indicator to "take care" in this area or here-arounds". Why? Because...

That is a telltale sign that some people (generally unemployed or out-of-school-youth) have got nothing to do than hang around in this area. And such areas where people who have got nothing to do congregate, usually become breeding grounds of many things you won't like! Yeah, there could be snatchers, muggers, etc. At the very least there'd be beggars.

Oh well, the (economic) signs of our times - its only 10 months after Yolanda.