Food For Thought

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I figured we could use a thread like this one.

I already had something of the sort, but it was specifically for me to ask questions... this one will be more of a community effort.

Simply post topics you'd like to hear opinions on! It'd really help with the spirit of things if the questions were actually a little deeper than what can already be found on the "Chatter" section. You know, things to ponder on a little.

I only ask that we keep it politics/religion/fight-free. I understand that some of the topics will naturally veer towards those (because they are universal), but we shouldn't keep them there.

Ok, enough "insurance"...

My first question will be: what do you think about people setting shop right outside places like banks, ATMs, utility companies and the like? I'm specifically asking about street vendors sitting illegally on those areas and trying to push their products onto costumers because it's becoming a real problem in my area and one that never seems to be dealt with. Add in the fact that those are places where money is moved in high volumes on a daily basis and we have a potential nightmare brewing.

Most people feel uncomfortable about having someone just standing there, in plain view of what they are doing, and I can't say I blame them -- not in these trying times.

I usually don't think much of it until they try to engage me right after I have done a transaction or when they walk right in, take a look around and leave. That sets off alarms in the paranoid part of my brain (and in the collective brains of all costumers, it seems like).

These people usually vanish within a day or two, so I assume they get moved by the authorities at some point (after enough bugging by others, probably), but it's kind of irritating in the moment and adds a layer of anxiety to an already highly unenjoyable time.

What do you think?

 

[Kamako]

I mean, I get it. It makes sense why someone looking for money would set up next to a business with heavy footfall; but I agree, it can make me feel nervous or even intimidated.

I actually feel worse when it's someone who is homeless asking for money, because then I get the added guilt of not assisting someone in need, and feeling uncomfortable about giving them eye contact (don't take it personally guy, I find it hard making eye contact with anyone).

But as Steve Hughes said, why would I give them money, just so they can buy drugs and alcohol, when I could be spending it on drugs and alcohol for myself.

 

[Nebulon_Galaxy]

Food in my thoughts?

 

[bjork]

I haven't seen much of this outside of banks or near ATMs, here in Seattle and back home in So Cal the banks usually have some kind of guard that can keep people moving. I think most people feel a little wary about going to outdoor atms if there's a stranger hovering around, so I could see not wanting some unauthorized pop-ups happening right there.
There are a few banks here that have the ATMs indoors, but not in the actual bank lobby? You have to run your bank card through the thing on the door and it unlocks the door so you can get in. Doesn't help much if someone is waiting right outside to bother you, but at least you can do your transaction without being hassled in the moment.

 

[Yousef]

Food… huh…

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I actually feel worse when it's someone who is homeless asking for money, because then I get the added guilt of not assisting someone in need, and feeling uncomfortable about giving them eye contact (don't take it personally, I find it hard making eye contact with anyone!)

That is the part that kills me -- I ended up feeling like a privileged prick because THEY JUST SAW ME entering a place where money is either given or withdrawn.

But at the same time... Ugh!

But as Steve Hughes said, why would I give them money, just so they can buy drugs and alcohol, when I could be spending it on drugs and alcohol for myself.

Damn straight XD

I think most people feel a little wary about going to outdoor atms if there's a stranger hovering around, so I could see not wanting some unauthorized pop-ups happening right there.

Those were actually long outlawed in my city because of that. Outdoor ATMs were constantly on the news, and not because they were pretty.

 

[qw90700]

My first question will be: what do you think about people setting shop right outside places like banks, ATMs, utility companies and the like? I'm specifically asking about street vendors sitting illegally on those areas and trying to push their products onto costumers because it's becoming a real problem in my area and one that never seems to be dealt with. Add in the fact that those are places where money is moved in high volumes on a daily basis and we have a potential nightmare brewing.

From a business POV such vendors don't make sense despite how this logic "makes sense". Why?:

If a person goes to a bank they either have money a lot or they don't have much money. Either way they won't prefer street food vendors. Why?: If people have money they wouldn't wanna even seen eating from street vendors because it's "poor people thing that's dirty and stuff". Those who have money love to buy their food from decent places. Those who don't have money tend to eat cheap stuff and kinda relatively street food vendors expensive to them. There is also pride thing too. A person may have no money yet they find a way to spend money in luxury places to eat their foods to feel like "rich" despite their home doesn't even have furtnitures. So relatively it's hard to make a sell via street vendors especially in this era when being rich became life goal again after life few decades of vacation lol.

The right way to place a street food vendor is in places that lacks a sense of "for rich people" and there are no public places to eat food. For this especially places that people walk around for whatever reasons they have enough for them to spend lots of time in one place and it makes them spend energy a lot are good places to place street food vendors. You may consider some tourist places or places that has good vibes like some shopping streets. Relatively young people would prefer street vendors over adults, especially not old people because topic gets about health issues too. Older you get the more sensitive your stomach is therefore older you get you would be more selective of what you even eat and where you eat from.

As for ATMs, it doesn't make sense to allow people harrass people who have business with ATMs. For example in my country people especially go to ATMs just outside of banks especially because banks have security personal also protects people who using ATMs because people tend to hunt people who using unsafe ATMs. In that context for street food vendors to be around ATMs like vultures. Depending on the country just standing around ATMs despite you won't use them may be crime in your country itself, and in my country police has enough self-entitlement to make such people go away and even arrest them due to suspicious activity.

These people usually vanish within a day or two, so I assume they get moved by the authorities at some point (after enough bugging by others, probably), but it's kind of irritating in the moment and adds a layer of anxiety to an already highly unenjoyable time.

Well I can say street food vendors banned in my country, so all the people we see around banks and stuff tend to be homeless people and being homeless is illegal so they take them to places to punish them for failing in society lol.

In that context you may see street food vendors around in my country but it means their existence is illegal because they clearly are not aware how tons of rules they breaking so naturally I imagine they put them into jail lol.

Instead in my country what is allowed is portable food vendors in different forms but their existence limited to whatever institution they are part of. For example it's common to see them within the boundary of resorts or some historical places designed specifically for touristic purposes.