Traffic a Blessing for Hawkers: Hawkers a Blessing for Traffic?

An article from African Press covers a Nigerian account of how hawkers can have a very profitable experience when it comes to traffic jams. In many third world countries traffic is a wild and uncertain experience; roads tend to be randomly marked, signage is tough to come by, and wrecks can be frequent. Traffic jams are the norm.

Can Hawkers also be a blessing to traffic? Persons stranded in traffic are often also at and advantage when hawkers stop in. Water, snacks, and other goods come straight to a customer as he/she sits in the comfort of a car.  Of course it is a trade-off where the winner in the situation is shifting. Sometimes it is convenience, some times nuisance.  Indeed, I have been hounded by annoying hawkers as I sat frustrated in a taxi. I’ve also been thrilled when someone approached with a snack of peanuts and water as I sat baking on the Mumbai freeway…

“Traffic: Blessing for the hawkers
By John Ameh
Thursday, 16 Dec 2010

The faces in the vehicles are not smiling. They look exasperated, to say the least. Cars honk endlessly and abusive words are hauled in all directions.

Everyone wants to get to their destination. On the right side of the road, several vehicles are parked. A driver fiddles with the engine compartment. One or all of them may be overheating.

On the left side of the road, another drama unfolds –people are arguing over a “bumper-to-bumper” accident. In the background, a teenage hawker is heard calling, “pure water”, “oga buy pure water.”

…read more

(photo below by Johnny Greig. Click here to Learn more or purchase this photo.)

Stone Masons, Flute vendor, Crawford Market street vendors

Striking here is the image of the family of Koli (fisher people), the arabs sitting atop cargo in a truck and the vendors set up in front of Crawford Market ( the building with the fancy stripped arches), an area that even today teems with vendors who snatch any free scrap of space in this well known retail, antique and vegetable district.

This is the last in a series of posts of found antique vendor images from a local Bizarre in Mumbai. If you happen to use these photos, please site the source. Feel free to add any comments if you recognize the specific locations in which these photographs were taken, or if you’d like to add notes about the nature of the work the people are doing.

Poultry Vendor and Grain Vendors in India

Indian Tailors, Antique Photographs

Modern Tailors of India look just the same as these older photographs portray. Often you will see a male tailor set up along the streets waiting for people to stop in and bring their garments. The exception here is the older woman tailor. I suspect this to be an image from a shop or a home. I did not see any female tailors working alone in shops or as assistants when I visited in 2009-2010.  A tailor is a well-respected person socially and tailoring is seen as a bit of an art for creative persons. Tailors are often refered to as “Master” or “Master Ji”.

Vegetable Vendor, Grainwala, Potato Man

More Antique photos from a Mumbai Bizarre. I like the Potato Vendor with the Pheri (rolling four-wheeled cart). You can tell that people jumped into the photograph to pose as his customers.

Bangles, Bikewala, Carpenter

A beautiful bikewala photo, an interesting bangle vendor and an angry looking carpenter: just a few more antique street vendor photos.

More beautiful antique vendor photos

A nice picture of a woman working a hand loom, and a few cobblers.

Keeping the Little Guy Little

image by ally reeves. 2010.

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Street food admittedly, is not always the most healthy stuff. I’ve seen a few redeeming things on the streets of Mumbai to name a few the juice carts, sandwhich vendors, subje and bhel vendors are serving things that could easily slide into the healthy cartegory. Cross the Atlantic to the US and Canada though, and a majority of what’s on the streets is quick (often oily) noodles, hot dogs, and other other hastily prepared not-so healthy (albeit delicious) treats.

In a recent write up from Newswire PR TODAY is an article about a cart that’s of interest, a vending cart that’s an extension of a larger chain of cafes and a home meal delivery service, Licious Living. I try to keep an eye on where and how vendors are legalized and what’s behind the push that puts a business on the street. Historically, Street Vendors are often the little guy trying to get a foot into the market.  What happens when larger businesses start taking it to the street as well? With more lobbying power and money to boot, if chains are interested in opening carts on the city street there’s much more of a likelihood they’ll be able to argue their point thoughtfully and that they’ll have greater sway.

I hope that as cities around the world consider where and how to allow vendors on to the streets certain restrictions are in place to allow room for small start up businesses, and that movements to bring back street vendors don’t become the next hip market to corner.

Elephant with Keepers and Human Rickshaw

More photos from The Mumbai Bizarre. This time around, an elephant with it’s keepers and a Human Rickshaw. I’ve darkened the lower photo a bit to bring out more detail. The surface of this one is reflective and metallic looking. Any clues about this photo process?

Round two: Antique photos of Street Vendors

Round two has some gems: a sidewalk artist and some giddy tourists next to a snake charmer.