English 2150
Sabrina Smith
Vendor’s Project Website
An Era of Persistent Peddlers
New York City is the gateway of urban optimism, immersed in opportunities for individuals to live life to its fullest. The city is merciful because one is able to commit to finding a way to survive under most circumstances. There are diligent individuals who take advantage of this characteristic, and they have become more than a mere addition to the New York community. We New Yorkers are living in hard economic times, and because of this we must dig deep with our hard core soul and have the hard knock, competitive attitude to make the most of the situation. Vendors are the modern day hustlers who do what they have to in order to earn decent pay for themselves and their families. Some are the fallen soldiers of the economic turnout, while others are immigrants lacking in credentials necessary for the corporate industry, but are superior in the ‘street business.’ Nevertheless, they are here, but unfortunately they have become like ghost writers, telling an inspirational story and having no byline to be credited for. Annie Shreffler, a reporter and an advocate for the vending community states that vendors are some of the most captivating storytellers in New York City, and their stories demand to be heard.
The walk down the streets of New York exemplifies the avenues of hard labor. To witness the means to which vendors obtain income along the gritty and chaotic streets of NYC is something of a revelation. These vendors are the white and blue collar workers of la calle, except for the idea that their line of work has no room for color coordination. The hooded sweat shirts, baggy pants and street wear represent the jostle to get things done, to have items sold and to keep customers coming back for more of their open market. I have observed different categories of street vendors who all posses the inner desire to get by with another day’s work. Food vendors have increased in number, offering cut-price cost to the average individual refusing to give up an arm and leg to purchase food products. For some, it is a matter of loving the work that they do. “I like being outdoors and talking to folks,” said the man with stand of socks and New York tees. “I have a steady job but this helps right now, especially with the economy continuing to flip flop,” explained the optimist. The other types of vendors are upcoming chefs and college bound kids, just trying to make a venue of future success in such a difficult society.
Most New Yorkers are fast paced, 9 to 5 workers who punch in and out of their jobs and afterwards heading home to live their own lives. The typical New Yorker is sure of the occupational description and duties necessary to make the income that they desire. On the contrary, the working habits of a vendor are greatly inconsistent and significantly inconvenient, regardless of the fact that they are their own bosses. According to an article written by Charisse Jones of USA Today back in 2006, street vendors look toward long tireless hours of selling with no benefits and holidays off. Jones speaks argues that vendors’ experiences, including climate, which provokes an uncomfortable environment for selling and is a tragic interruption for consumer spending. Sacrifice is the backbone of this kind of business, and the vendors must be able to adapt to these harsh conditions. Working men and women who ‘bring home the bacon’ are at an even greater struggle compared to the other unappreciated vendors. They have their family to think about, and that makes the job more intense. “I have children to think about; they have to eat and I have to keep the roof over their heads,” one vendor tells this concerned writer.
The concept of morality is something to be considered in the event that some sort of wrongdoing has been committed. In the case of street vendors, the philosophy has reached new lows; the idea of moral treatment towards other human beings [vendors] has been disregarded. In addition to the mean environment and sacrificial hours, vendors have no choice but to face the evil of police interrogation, public harassment and more commonly, licensing troubles. The fight for a vending license is the most important obstacle to overcome in this industry. The offenders in the world are out to get them and they have to be prepared to defend themselves. Writer John Sullivan’s January 2008 article of The New York Times illustrates the demonstration that vendors have went through in order to promote the lack of licenses needing for lawful vending. One vendor speaks of the unlawful behavior in which police take possession of food products and throw them away. Another vendor quoted in the article mentions his experience of reapplying for a license and never receiving one from the state. It is frustrations like this that make the vending environment more stressful to work in.
Society has exposed its monstrous ways by placing vendors under the social category of mediocrity. The vending individualists endure injustices and opposition, having to face the public with an invisible sign over their heads reading, “This is what the face of rejection looks like.” Gratefully, there are a group of angelic people who are there to rescue these laborers of the city.
The Street Vendor Project is an organization that seeks to obtain urban justice for all the working vendors. The organization’s website features these individuals as a way of letting the public learn more about the underclassmen of economical productivity and their hardships. In one of the blog videos on the site, I came upon an intriguing social experiment about a new vendor who was looking for a spot to sell her hand made smoothies. It was truly heartbreaking to see the difficulties that this woman had to experience. Despite the fact that she was not there to raise any conflict or start war with neighboring companies, she was given no mercy as she stood before them, hoping not to have to find another location to push her cart to. Employees disputed with her about moving her cart to another area and threatened to call the police if she did not relocate. The police came to shoo her off the property with a ticket and threatened to arrest her in the event that she did not move her cart from the company’s property. This was a direct violation of her off her rights as a vendor because she had the licensable authority to be there and by law she had done nothing wrong.., It is unfortunate to see that she still had to deal with those “devil’s advocates” who wanted nothing more than to make themselves prosper in the event of her failure. I guess that’s the evil side of the city.
There is a moral disruption that vendors are facing on a day to day basis, for how could it be possible for these individuals to be treated the way they are? It might be due to the idea that they are unique in their humble success, drawing people to support their honest efforts. The full suits do not intimidate them, and I say kudos to their humble professionalism.
In another positive outlook, it is amazing to discover that the vending community is able to look away from their issues and find a window of happiness, fun and enjoyment in their work among all of the ‘hater-ation’. According to the project, the street vendors’ awards, also known as the Vendy Awards, is just another fun activity to bring awareness to the vending industry. Vendors of all types and all walks of life come together and share their diversity in product but network in the effort to remain a functioning group of workers. This is the optimistic side of vending, an attempt to stray away from all the negativity for a moment in their diligent lives and congratulate themselves for their hard work that they do for a living.
Citations
Jones, Charisse. “Fines Cut Profits For NYC Street Vendors.” USA Today Online. 15 October 2006. < http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-15-nyc-vendors_x.htm>
Shreffler, Anne. “Making-And Losing-A Fortune on the Street.” Food Vendor Watch Blog. 11 November 2008. < http://urbantarbell.com/Capstone/?p=5#more-5>
Sullivan, John. “Vendors Want More Permits, Not Just Green Ones.” New York Times Online. 15 January 2008. < http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/vendors-want-more-permits-not-just-green-ones/>
Moynihan, Colin and Chan, Sewell. “Hearing on Street Vendors Gets Heated.” New York Times Online. 14 November 2008. <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/hearing-on-street-vendors-gets-heated/?apage=3
The Street Vendor Project. 13 October 2008. <http://streetvendor.netfirms.com/public_html/>