Street Culture: Vending

Vending on Charlotte Street

Charlotte Street, the most well known street in town also the most lively, hectic and noisy, not the dirtiest though, George St. takes that win!.


The street is the busiest on Thursdays and Fridays, where venders are out in full to sell their goods. There are a variety of goods that are sold from clothes to shoes, hair accessories, music, movies and also vegetables/fruits. It's the place to go to find cheap bargains on clothes and cheaply priced crops. Although, some venders seem to think they are located in a high rise shopping plaza and tend to sell their clothing at mall prices, confused souls!.

It is so chaotic at times, with it's small crowded pavements you are left with no other choice but to walk in the middle of the road. I think vehicular traffic should be prohibited from passing on such a street but that might cause for traffic build up elsewhere. Anyway, I too walk on the street, moving from the left pavement to the right pavement just to get away from the bumper to bumper pedestrian pile up.

For years people have been selling their goods on the street and it has become a norm and part of our culture.There is however, some controversy over the placing of these street venders. The current mayor of Port-of-Spain, Louis Lee Sing seems to detest the cluster and disorder and wishes for them to be banned from selling on the street. I'm not too sure where the situation currently stands but there is still vending taking place.

Pratunam morning market in Bangkok is a 24hr, whole sale shopping area where one can go and bargain for cheap prices on clothes and shoes etc. It is a well known shopping district and is a characteristic of the city. Similarly to Charlotte st. and our street culture.


Pratunam Morning Market, Bangkok
http://www.clicknetwork.tv/watch.aspx?c=3&p=38&v=891