Street Vendors - What they could do

One thing that used to turn me off so much about Bangkok is street vendors. They are a big reason why the streets in the city are so messy.

All kinds of merchants can be found here. Let's start w/ food, fruits, juice, clothes, accessories, lotteries, phone cards, CDs/DVDs, and the list goes on.

They make the already unwalkable narrow, terrible footpaths even more so. Many food vendors also do their dishes there and dump the dirty load into the public sewage.

Someone close once offered consolation though. 'But they add character to the city. Without them, Bangkok would be like any big city in the world, boring." And, I would go, albeit silently, "Yeah right, you white people will never ever outgrow Exotic.'

But, tonight we had the same discussion and he shared more of his two cents.

Basically, he pointed out that allowing street vendors is like allowing thousands of people w/ almost no education to stay employed. And, that's how you keep, for example, crime rates low.

That makes sense. Never once in my entire life have I, walking the busy streets of Bangkok, felt that I'm in danger or that I might see my valuables snatched away. I'm not suggesting that it will never happen, but you've got to be really unlucky.

Ok, maybe it is wise to listen to what westerners say sometimes.

Bye for now guys, off to buy spicy minced pork w/ Thai basils on steamed jasmine rice. The one next to the international phone booth in our neighborhood is really good!

Grateful Joe

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