Old Time Vendors

Last evening, Linda and I got to talking about how different things were when we were kids. She was talking about the ice cream truck and how it had a bell instead of music, and how you could get an icicle for a nickel but a big dip cost 30 cents. That caused her to remember the man with the old truck or sometimes an old bus who came through the neighborhood selling vegetables. Linda grew up in the city. Her reminiscences reminded me of my own childhood experiences. I remembered the rolling store, a kind of mini mart in an old school bus that used to come to my grandparents home each week. I remembered buying 'Kits' and other penny candies for a penny. I also remembered that some folks traded eggs to the rolling store man for their purchases. I grew up in the country.

I told Linda that I lived near folks who would go to the river and fish. If they caught more than they needed they would take them to Wetumpka or Montgomery and sell them door to door in the neighborhoods. We both agreed that such activity would be nearly impossible in today's world.

This morning I woke up early and was reading some stories on the Internet when I came across 'Dangerous Worm Peddler' by Vin Suprynowicz. It pretty well validates what Linda and I were figuring would happen to modern day impromptu vendors. The article also gives a highly plausible explanation for why such is the case.