My wife and I have been coming to Hilton Head Island for more than 30 years and never have we been so hassled by salespersons, who seem to be everywhere this year.

We stopped at a building labeled Visitor Center just for a map, and we couldn't get out of there without viewing a property and getting free golf or a meal. The staff person couldn't understand our reluctance to get our "free stuff."

Thank goodness we were there at the start of the season when there were cold days, so some of the sales desks were empty.

Many cities and towns are struggling to regulate street vendors, but Hilton Head seems to have given them carte blanche. Something needs to be done to make these hawkers and peddlers less intrusive to every shopping or dining experience. If we had wanted begging in the street, we would have gone to Jamaica.

John T. McNeil

Paw Paw, Mich.