January 22, 2009

Shopping in traffic

This was a lucky shot. I was actually trying to take a picture of Trinoma mall through the car windshield when this street vendor walked towards us. Anyone need a car seat back support? How about a hat? A bobblehead horse? I think the guy behind him is selling hand towels. Many vendors brave the cars of Metro Manila's streets to earn a living, and they sell all sorts of stuff. I get quilted rag rugs for the kitchen from them and my husband is a regular buyer of flannel cleaning cloths.

street vendor

25 comments:

Lois said...

Wow this is a great shot Hilda! I think I would have had a hard time resisting the horses, especially if I had my grandson in the car!

Unknown said...

This is a great capture indeed!

Olivier said...

ils sont mignons les chevaux. Une belle photo de ce vendeur, mais je ne comprends pas ce qu'il porte à la main droite.

they are cute horses. A beautiful photo of the seller, but I do not understand what he brings to his right hand.

Halcyon said...

Wonderful shot Hilda! You really have captured this man perfectly.

I wonder how successful they are with the bobblehead horsies though. I can't imagine those would be big sellers.

Debbie Courson Smith said...

He must be a talented salesperson to smoke while juggling all that stuff. How interesting. I think we used to see people around here wash windshields when cars stopped at stoplights to try to get some money. I haven't seen it anymore, so I'm guessing it's illegal for safety reasons. Now, people just write signs on pieces of cardboard and stand at street corners asking for money.

abc said...

Great to hear you support these guys by buying from them. Always a bit of a shame to see people smoke up what little money they have, but it may be one of the few things they can "enjoy".

Rosie said...

Hilda
This is such a great picture...
It says so much about Manila and its people...
WOnderful wonderful post!

George said...

What a wonderful candid picture. I imagine that would be a difficult way to make a living.

lunarossa said...

What a nice chap and he can juggle all his stuff and a cigarette in his mouth at the same time!!! I could do with a back support....Ciao. Antonella

penny said...

I love this shot! You captured the true spirit of the people who live and work in Manila. Thanks for your insight...with a twist of humor ;)

Knoxville Girl said...

Hilda, this is a great candid shot. sign me up for one of those back supports.

Anonymous said...

Most interesting. I never seen things like this happening here in the states. I don't know why other than it might be illegal or against the law. They do something like this in Mexico.

Abraham Lincoln's Blog

Steve Buser said...

So the mall comes to you, then?

escape said...

amazing filipinos! you see they get to sell anything... simply anything and anywhere.

Priyanka Khot said...

that scene is so common in Delhi too... i buy car cleaning rags, tissue boxes, magazines, books, flowers... hhehhee u name it and they have it.

 gmirage said...

I buy the flanel cleaning cloths from them too...and the feather duster! Great portrait of him, all with those in hand and a cigar too! :D

angela said...

What a great capture! Look at him smoking and carrying all that stuff. How is he managing?

HZDP said...

Ih hangzhou, we always see some vendors selling mognolia to car drivers.
That's a dangerous job, right?

Antjas said...

Hilda, Thanks for visiting my Sudbury Daily Photo Blog! It's fun getting started with this blogging business just to see who in the world is dropping by.
In a large city, it seems as though you have a photo opportunity every time you stop the car. Great shot. The yellow shirt really makes it pop. I think the fellow with the towels wanted his picture taken as well.

Hilda said...

Olivier:
It's a back support for car seats. Not all vehicles in Manila have bucket seats.

Halcyon:
You'd be surprised just how popular bobbleheads are here! Personally though, they irritate the heck out of me!

Marc:
Very true. Many smoke and drink what little they earn and it's sad. Though alcohol and tobacco are not as expensive here as in developed countries — one can actually buy cigarettes by the stick in the Philippines — they really don't earn enough to support those vices and feed their families well at the same time.

MurciaDailyPhoto said...

I think that is a funny shot.

tr3nta said...

this guy sells everything!!!.... :-)

Gerald (SK14) said...

can't say I'd buy anything off anyone dropping fag-ash over his goods.

Joe Narvaez said...

Nice! Onli in da pilipins! :)

Ice Pony Girl said...

HA! I'd love a bobblehead horse.