Wayside vending

Caribbean girl

Caribbean girl

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Do you have a lot of wayside vending in your country, people selling stuff by the roadside? It is a very common practice in our country. The vendors by the wayside usual sell produce of vegetables and fruit, but there are some who also sell items of clothing, and at this time of the year, it is common to see toys and housewares on sale as well.

There are times when I would buy from wayside vendors since I may be able to get some things cheaper that way. Especially on public holidays when the grocery stores are closed, if we happen to be out driving in the countryside, we can always catch glimpses of these wayside vendors, selling mostly fruit and vegetables. Selling on these holidays is good for the vendors, since they know that the stores are closed, and people are more likely to buy from them on these days. Furthermore, lots of people here like to go driving on public holidays.

How often do you buy from wayside vendors?


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I honestly don't shop with them a lot. I actually think some of the locations are horrible especially when I think of the one the highway. Sometimes my husband buys eggs from one person and coconuts from another and I am very uncomfortable when he has to stop on a busy highway.

As it relates to the clothing and other stuff, that's competition for me and I don't even think a lot of this selling is legal. I am seeing more and more of it in this ailing economy.
 
We have a few of them during the harvest season but they are usually out in rural area in front of people's farms. We don't have them as you describe them in your country. The ones we have here the people just leave the produce on the side of the road with a cash box and you take what you want and leave the money in the box. I visited them maybe a few times a year because they are out of the way from where I live. If I happen to drive by one I usually stop and buy something. I like supporting the local vendors.
 
I would buy locally produced produce from road side ,but companies have been stopped by the eho,for example we used to get watercress from a local farm day or night ,it was stored on ice and you popped the money in a honesty box ,but no more ,they are not allowed by the food police ,
 
In Kent, UK we get get quite a few roadside vendors when fruit is in season (such as cherries, strawberries). They are mainly out on the rural roads. I do sometimes stop by and buy.

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There are lots of roadside vendors here from foodstuff like fruits and vegetables to dry items like newspapers and magazines. Right inside our village, there is one roadside vendor right in front of his small farm. I took a picture of his small store just today. His farm produce are sweet potato tops (vine cuttings) and the white flowers called Katuray that is good for vegetable salad in ranch dressing. I just don't know if the old man sells his wares but his small store is there everyday. Here is the photo....
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I remember a few years back when I was visiting a friend in Florida. I was amazed at all the roadside vendors there were. I had never seen it like that before. I thought it was so cool. I remember seeing the big trucks of watermelons driving by. It is not something I see around here.
 
Nothing here, but I used to see a lot in Africa. I can remember a few hitched lifts in lorries and trucks in Eritrea and we would stop to buy a big bag of prickly pears to quench our thirst on the journey.
 
We even have roadside vending in the middle of the city, so that if you go into town to shop, before you go into the actual stores, you can take a look at some of the items that are set up outside by various vendors. When Christmas is approaching, this is a practice that is even more prevalent. Some store owners do not like the idea of having vendors set up just outside of their store, since they believe it would affect their business by drawing customers away from the store.

Selling coconuts and coconut water by the roadside along the highway is a very popular sight over here. Some of the coconut water is already bottled, but anyone who is thirsty can also stop and request some coconut water to be used on the spot.

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When we were out cycling around the world, or even on tour in the UK, if we saw stalks at the side of the road selling veg and fruit we would stop. In Turkey and Greece we would come across them in their hundreds selling fresh oranges of every kind imaginable and the quality and taste was always fantastic. I just love to stop at them and buy the produce fresher than from the shops.

Throughout the UK, at the correct time of year, these types of stalls are often seen or signs pointing down a track which will lead you to a farm selling one or two things. 2 summers ago I followed one such sign and ended up in a huge barn (by huge I mean the type of thing that could have fitted a supermarket car park in and still had space for the supermarket) where in one corner they were packing cherries and blueberries into plastic containers. It was the main UK supplier for Waitrose and the 2 punnets of cherries that I bought (I was cycle touring so limited as to what I could carry and eat) were simply the best I have ever had. They had literally been picked that morning and were at their peak of ripeness where the skins were on the point of bursting but hadn't. I sat on a nearby bridge in the shade and ate both punnets in one sitting! I haven't had better since.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
When we were out cycling around the world, or even on tour in the UK, if we saw stalks at the side of the road selling veg and fruit we would stop. In Turkey and Greece we would come across them in their hundreds selling fresh oranges of every kind imaginable and the quality and taste was always fantastic. I just love to stop at them and buy the produce fresher than from the shops.

Throughout the UK, at the correct time of year, these types of stalls are often seen or signs pointing down a track which will lead you to a farm selling one or two things. 2 summers ago I followed one such sign and ended up in a huge barn (by huge I mean the type of thing that could have fitted a supermarket car park in and still had space for the supermarket) where in one corner they were packing cherries and blueberries into plastic containers. It was the main UK supplier for Waitrose and the 2 punnets of cherries that I bought (I was cycle touring so limited as to what I could carry and eat) were simply the best I have ever had. They had literally been picked that morning and were at their peak of ripeness where the skins were on the point of bursting but hadn't. I sat on a nearby bridge in the shade and ate both punnets in one sitting! I haven't had better since.
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I trust they were Kentish cherries! I get them really fresh here as I have a tree in the garden. The pigeons get a lot of them but there's usually enough to fill several large mixing bowls.
 
There's quite a few here in Japan. Especially in summertime - lots of vendors selling peaches and other fruits. Japanese peaches are one of my favorite things about summer here, and for some reason the ones from the roadside vendors are so much more delicious than ones from stores!
 
In my area it is not legal to just set up and start to sell your wares. On the weekends people will have flea markets where they can sell stuff but the person that is in control of the flea market most have a permit and there is a charge to sell at the market. Downtown DC has truck vendors on the streets where the tourist are but that is very regulated with licenses and permits.
 
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