What's up with the dudes that sell flowers near the bridges? (Pittsburgh: cars, rain)

[Hopes]

I always thought it was a company that was behind this, similar to company that had girls sell flowers at the dance clubs in the 80s.

[hinsey86]

Happened in Seattle, various parts of VA and even BF Southern Maryland. Most of the ones I saw always looked Hispanic.

[HarryRSpooner]

Originally Posted by LIRefugee

The bottled water people in NYC all tended to be Hispanic from my experience, I rarely if ever saw people with a different look. This is all post-Giuliani; I never had the pleasure of dealing with squeegee people, thank goodness.

We may be talking about different things, though, or I just overlook the non-aggressive flower people in Pittsburgh and therefore am not even aware that they are there.

My bad, you're right. I forgot about the squeegee people. I've been a LI refugee for going on 10 years or so, so it's been a while since I spent any serious time in the City other than just administrative crap.

[Kippy]

Originally Posted by JayTwila

Nah, no way I disagree. The guys that sell the flowers here in 'da burgh all seem to nearly look alike. They almost appear to be like a breed or subculture. Almost like a band of roving "gypsies" or "nomads." The fellas that peddle stuff in the City (pre-Doomberg) come in all different shapes and sizes. They also sell more than just flowers. They aren't so specialized on one product. Also, I think the ones in New York tend to be far more aggressive. I didn't even think they were still allowed to operate since Rudy put the kibosh on them.

As far as I am aware, there are no "breeds" of humans.

ETA: What's the big mystery? They are just guys selling flowers. All cities that I have lived in had people peddling goods and services.

[HarryRSpooner]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

There's a flower guy at the corner of McMonagle and Banksville (I'm not sure what area that is, technically--Dormont? Banksville? Beechview?) Anyway, he walks up and down between cars as they're stopped at the stoplight, which as a woman driving alone sort of makes me nervous. I've never seen anyone roll down their window and buy from him.

I could understand that very much. They do look a bit....yeah. But from what I know and I can tell, I think these fellas are all harmless. Probably good hearted souls. The kind of guys that if you were being harassed would come to your aid. Maybe I'm reading too much into all of this.

If I were a film student I'd do a short 30 minute docudrama about them.

[SteelCityRising]

They also sell flowers in front of the PNC on Fifth & Craig in Oakland and by Children's Hospital in Lawrenceville. I've purchased flowers before from one of these vendors, actually. I bought a bouquet in the Strip District while walking to visit my partner on his lunch break on the North Shore.

I don't foresee them as being menacing. I like having street vendors, and I wish they sold more than just flowers. I wish they would sprout up throughout the city. There's always a street vendor on Atwood Street in Oakland, too, selling some sort of homemade Mexican food that I've always wanted to chow down on.

I also tend to stop whenever I see kids with a lemonade stand and give them $5 for being industrious and trying to earn money instead of just being handed cash from their parents like a lot of local college students.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by JayTwila

I could understand that very much. They do look a bit....yeah. But from what I know and I can tell, I think these fellas are all harmless. Probably good hearted souls. The kind of guys that if you were being harassed would come to your aid. Maybe I'm reading too much into all of this.

If I were a film student I'd do a short 30 minute docudrama about them.

I didn't mean to imply that they're dangerous, just that as a woman alone in my car I'm extremely wary of being approached in a situation that I can't easily get out of. I don't like feeling cornered, even if it is just for flowers.

[I_Like_Spam]

These flower folks are all over the city, there used to be a lot more of them downtown I think. 20 years ago, I chatted with one of the lady flower salespeople near the Revco on 5th Ave in town.

Apparently the way it was then, was she got her flowers from the flower leader next to the old Saks building.

[zip95]

Street vendors... That's the one thing Pittsburgh is sorely lacking compared to other cities. Where is the purse guy, food truck guy, clothing guy, bootleg movie guy, etc etc. Flowers are cool, but I need my windows squeegied in this weather.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by zip95

Flowers are cool, but I need my windows squeegied in this weather.

Me too! I would love it if someone tried selling me cotton candy while I was stopped at a red light! I think my partner would like that better than flowers.