Street Hawker – Essay

Essay Introduction:

The street hawker seen here, there and everywhere. He is a familiar figure in our street. Hi is seen particularly near schools, at fairs, corners of roads or railway stations. He hawks his wares at places which are visited by public.

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His Dress:

The street hawker’s dress is shabby. He puts on poor looking shirt and a pair of pyajamas. He wears a big turban on his head. This turban helps him in balancing his iron tray on his head. His clothes are stained with perspiration, grease and dirt. He uses his shirt as a duster. He often carries a bell in his right hand and a cane stand in the left.

His Articles:

He deals in things of daily use. These consist of vegetable, fruit, cloth, utensil, sweets, ice-cream, parched grams, soap and toys. He puts these articles in a large iron tray. The tray is placed on a three and a half feet high cane stand. He does not cover his wares. He keeps them in such a way that one sees them at a glance. He moves on from street to street. He hawks his articles at the top of his voice.

His Ways of Hawking:

Hawkers are cunning. They know well how to attract a school boy, or a villager or a passer-by. He rings his bell in a peculiar manner. He cries in a strange and sweet manner. Sometimes he makes his own songs and sings them in attractive manner. He makes impressive movements of his body. He beckons to this one. He nods to that one. To some he gives a sample. To others he gives something to taste. ‘Thus he brings them round to say “yes, nice, very” Nice. He succeeds to gather a large crowd round him; his articles sell like hot cakes.

His Habits:

His habits are dirty and unhygienic. Files are sitting on his sweets and articles. He has no sense of cleanliness. Despite this children wait for his arrival with their money on their pockets.

His Services:

The street hawker brings goods to our door. Thus he does us a good service. But he is not honest. He is a big cheat. He over-hangs his young customers. He sells stale and second hand things. Despite his dishonesty he services us. He comes to our street in the burning sun and in the severe cold weather. When we cannot go out to buy anything, they are there in our street to serve us.

Some Suggestion of Improvement:

The municipal committee should make rules of cleanliness for him. He should be asked to keep his goods covered with a piece of cloth. His articles should be tested now and then by the Health Officer. He should put on neat clothes. He should be fined if he does not care for the warning of the Municipal Committee of the town.

Conclusion:

The street hawkers are very popular among the street women and children of big cities. Bu they are so dirty that one should not buy anything from them.