I remember traveling to a developing country a few years back and someone commenting on all the people selling "stuff" to people in the cars while those people are stuck in traffic.
Some of you may have already experienced this, but those those who have - think of the most troublesome traffic intersection in your daily or weekly car travels. Now picture 20-40 people selling you everything from gum, to vegetables or fruit, to water or sodas, to sunglasses, to watches, to tupperware, and on and on.
The person that I was traveling with commented about the craziness of it all and that it was really irritating.
Well a couple of thoughts:
1) It's a way of life for the sellers and the buyers. If it wasn't creating value I doubt people would walk up and down through traffic selling goods with no prospect of buyers.
2) There is a safety concern for sure both with the sellers being hit by cars or the buyers buying product that may be spoiled, tainted, etc.
I always find it interesting as to what is sold at the intersection.
This trip, Jim & witnessed people in the car with us buying yams (15) and another buying lemons (25)
I think in the late 1990s if there were people walking through traffic at the intersection of Poplar & Highland selling milk, cereal, bread, peanut butter, & jelly - their best customer would have been Chalmers - because that would mean 1 less thing (going to the grocery) off her list of things to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment