Street Vendors and Artists Say Work is "Hard
and Honest"
We've all seen them, hawking something or
other, while others offer an impromptu show.
These are the street vendors and artists,
who contrary to misconception, is "hard and"
work.
A news series by Teletnoticias this week
featured a number of street vendors and
artists at various locations around the San
José area, where vendors and artists earn,
in as little as two hours, more than a day's
"basic" salary.
In the case filmed by Telenoticias, two
street artists earn some ¢12.000 colones in
two hours of work at the stoplight in front
of the old Gallito, with acrobats and
juggling. At night, they juggle fire.
The light at the intersection lasts up to 90
seconds and enough time to put on a 60
second show, according to one of the artists
whose name was never revealed.
However, that is not always the case.
Some street vendors get aggressive, some
even down right nasty when refused a
donation or purchase. At the traffic lights
east of Plaza Mayor, only two blocks from
Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias' home in
Rohormoser, a small group of youngster sell
everything from artisans to chiclets.
One hot sales spot used to be at the toll
station east of the international airport.
There, more than a dozen vendors would work
the the three lanes of the highway as
traffic stopped and on most days backed up,
to pay the tolls.
Anything from fresh fruit - strawberries,
mangos - to model airplanes and even steer
horns for the hood of a car could be
purchased. Since the toll booths became free
during weekdays, the vendors have had to
move on, returning on Saturdays, Sundays and
holidays, sometimes even at night, when the
toll booths operate.
Some have been working the streets for
years, becoming a fixture, like the slim man
who haws pencils at the light across the
León Cortés statue on Paseo Colón. And there
there are the newcomers, youngsters like the
friendly and always smiling young man on
Avenida 2, east of the Soda Tapia, offering
maps of Costa Rica.
On occasions, a refusal to make a purchase
can result in vulgarities being offered by
the young vendors. In other areas, like the
Hatillos, the vendors are really not
vendors, but rather criminals waiting for
the opportunity to pop a side window in a
smash and grab while waiting for a green
light.
For the majority, the street vendors and
artists around San José see it has hard,
honest work, earning a salary to maintain a
family. However, others see the opportunity
to beg for a donation and/or sell stolen
merchandise, to earn enough to buy a "rock".
Whatever the case, street vending is more
than a tradition in San José, it is for
many, a way of making a living, earning more
than working a 9-5 job and no boss to answer
to.
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