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Q: Street vendors who gather by the subway: What's your verdict?
Every time I get off the subway on the way home the entrance is practically blocked by all kinds of vendors selling things from fruit to stinky tofu. As it's rush hour, it makes it pretty difficult to get through as the available path is made tiny by the surrounding stalls.
No I understand these guys have got to make a living and are often mistreated by traffic cops or "chengguan" (is what they're doing technically illegal?) but I'm just not sure what to make of them. I've never bought any of their food as it all looks a bit grimy, though they seem to be popular with other commuters. What are your thoughts?
often, when I pass the stinky toufu dealer, or his friends on metro exit, my knife in the pocket is gonna be very very unstable 
They should sell it somewhere else that's not so close to the subway. There are street vendors where I get off, but there not that near to the subway. It's a good distance! (
!
He he, I said: "near"!
AT least they arent begging.
I especially loathe the beggars in the subway who manage to have an expensive music system blasting out at full volume.
Why not sell that for a few meals?
dandmcd:
Because the radio is owned by the gang they work for. There is one man's responsibility to check their equipment, and stage those people in the right places. The same guy picks them up in a van to take them back to their home as well.
There are some subway exits I avoid just because of so many hawkers and beggars around making tons of noise and taking up all the space to walk. It's really annoying, and I'm very happy the day the chengguan come to visit and clear it out. I just wish they could keep those places empty for more than a couple days. Also, when you go south in the city I live in, they allow motorbikes, so there are some exits of the metro that are crowded with motorbike taxis, so much so they only leave a small gap to walk past them, while they scream yell grab and beg for people to ride. That really drives me a bit mad, almost worse than seeing the beggars laying on a makeshift bed in the middle of the street.
Whats a subway? Anytime I walked down stairs on the street, all I found were underground stores.
I would be interested in knowing what the best selling stuff is, and I will join them, selling some stuff ... my stuff would be the best, direct from Canada and tried tested and true mobile phone cover, or whatever. I have the time and patience to make a killing, doing this.... your suggestions for the best possible markups and inventory kindly accepted.
