Inauguration proves to be hard sell for vendors

[rehema]

Inauguration proves to be hard sell for vendors
By Donna De Marco
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Business was so bad for vendors yesterday that some wished they had stayed home.
Because of the presidential inauguration's heightened security, the sellers of food and presidential paraphernalia were shunted aside, far from the parade route. They saw little traffic and, more important, few spenders.

"It's not worth it so far," said Mokhtar Sherif, who was selling snacks, pretzels, hot dogs and hot chocolate on 13th Street near F Street NW.

His business had brought in just $50 by 12:30 p.m. yesterday. "It is so very slow," he said. "I'm ready for 10,000 people." Mr. Sherif's vending cart is usually at Connecticut Avenue and L Street NW, where he earns between $700 and $900 in sales daily.

The inauguration usually is a cash cow for vendors, who rake in thousands of dollars more than they would during a typical January day. During past inaugurations, vendors have been situated on prime real estate along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route. Mr. Sherif said he made $13,000 during Bill Clinton's first inauguration.

http://washingtontimes.com/business/20050120-095852-9079r.htm

[Liberty Belle]

1. Not One Damn Day Day--It worked!

[JohnnyRingo]

3. I didn't even drop a penny Thursday

Maybe not tomorrow either....But I'm out of donuts.

[ebayfool]

4. Wouldn't that be something?!

[izzie]

5. How do you make those jump?

--

[Divine Discontent]

6. what, this?

just right click it and you'll see the way to get the address...

[ebayfool]

7. Yeah, but you need to upload to your own website - not use the same ...

address. Otherwise, you will be using my bandwidth (it's cheap, but not free). Not kosher!
http://ripway.com is a good site to store gifs & files. They are free w/limited use - stepped rates depending on usage for more space & bandwidth. After you set an account up for storage, then right click to save to your hard drive, then upload to your site.
You can also make them jump by inserting the html code directly into your post.

[Maddy McCall]

20. No, the article said that the vendors were moved back from the route

unlike in previous years, when they had been positioned along the parade route.

[Occulus]

2. Were these Republican small business owners?

Do they qualify as small business owners- a Republican totem?

HHhhmmmmm.

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. Well I certainly hope

they won't vote Replican again.

Between the DEMS not spending a dime and the tight-wad Repugs, what's a poor vendor to do?

[lies and propaganda]

9. sorry to say

but good, fuck them.

i spent nothing until midnight where i went to my local fave bar. drunk and need to pass out :)

Counter inauguration was a success!

[llmart]

10. You'd think these jerks would connect the dots.....

Clinton = good economic times for everyone
Bush = good economic times for him and his cronies; bad for the rest of us.

[E-Z-B]

11. This reminds me of the RNC in New York City

When the Republican National Convention was in town in NYC, waitresses/waitors were complaining about how the Republicans wouldn't tip in restaurants. Bunch of cheap bastards.

[NYC]

17. Hotel employees had the same complaint re not tipping.

But they would often say (in lieu of a tip), "God bless you."

[TahitiNut]

12. "Mokhtar Sherif was selling pretzels" and didn't get arrested?

:wow:

[bleedingheart]

13. I was thinking the same thing...

[Swamp Rat]

14. LOL!

I was about to post the same.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. I wish the good folks on the left in your pic had checked the dictionary

and spelled "thief" properly.

[Swamp Rat]

19. 'I' before 'e' except after 'c'

There are exceptions, but this isn't one.

... better to be a "theif" than a "moran." :D

[quiet.american]

15. Maybe I should go into the vending business!

To tell you the truth, when it's not a Shrub inauguration, those guys are making pretty good money! $3,500 - $4,500 a week! No wonder they're always so friendly!

[rehema]

16. I was thinking the same thing when I read about $3,500 - $4,500 a week