Packed fruits, underwear and 4 other things you must never buy from street hawkers
Everyday from around 4pm until late night, streets around Nairobi become abuzz with hawkers selling their wares on every available open space, including footpaths- leaving pedestrians and vehicles competing for space on roads.
A simple stroll along Central Business District will leave one feeling like they are in a triathlon. Pedestrians have to run across roads to escape falling onto utensils and vegetables; and being hit by public service vehicles, jumping over hawkers’ legs as they seat on the ground by their wares on gunny bags, dodging oncoming pedestrians who have their own rush to beat and ducking their heads to avoid being hit by hawkers carrying wares on their heads and shoulders to find the best spots to sell among other sudden movements.
But no matter how much of a menace they are considered for causing human and vehicle traffic in their endeavor to earn their daily bread, they are considered a convenience by some who can purchase goods and carry them home in the event they find shops in their locations already closed.
Hawkers are selling cooked food, fruits, utensils, clothes, shoes, bags, books, water and everything else under the sun that can be quickly sold to customers who are in a rush and have no time to haggle for prices.
But then, have you, as a customer, ever stopped and reminded yourself that there are some things you are better off buying in a slow paced and controlled environment compared to hawkers who pre-pack, pre-fold or pre-cook with set prices as they look out for county council officers who tend to harass them? No? Well, Nairobi News explores some wares you are better off planning for a visit to a local market or supermarket for purchase as opposed to ‘getting them on your way home’:
- Packed fruits- Hawkers tend to pack fruits in polythene bags for easier sale but what some of them do is mix in rotten fruits with good ones in the same bag. They position the rotten fruits in such a strategic angle that when you are inspecting the packet, you cannot easily tell you are also buying spoilt fruit. And they discourage opening of the packet or you will be met with a barrage of insults.
- Underwear- Most items hawkers sell are thrifted items. Underwears- panties, bras, boxer briefs- are all very personal items. You do not know where they sourced these clothing items from, who the previous owner was, how the clothing items were cleaned and preserved for sale and so forth. You do not know what kind of health issues you will be exposing yourself to if you buy second hand underwear. Best bet is to go for new ones in shops that focus on selling innerwear and you can actually see and inspect that they are unused items.
- We all love the pre-cooked items. Smokies, boiled maize, viazi karai, boiled eggs and so forth sold by hawkers using trolleys. While they come through in the event you are struggling with hunger after a long day or early morning with no breakfast, sometimes it is good to pause and think about the lifespan of the food you are buying. When were they prepared? Are they left overs being sold as freshly cooked? What oils or water was used to cook them? Is the cutlery and utensils being used to prepare them properly cleaned? These questions on hygiene standards will be the difference of you having a good day or rushing to the hospital with food poisoning, cholera symptoms and other foodborne diseases.
- Perfumes and colognes- The chances that you will be buying counterfeit goods is higher than them being original products. No matter how pleasant their fragrances are, ask yourself where the perfumes were manufactured and packed, is there any certification that they passed inspection tests? What are the chances you will have skin irritation and other allergies from their use? You are better off buying fragrances from established shops where you can follow up on any issues that arise unlike a hawker who is ever mobile looking for the best spot for their next customer.
- Electronics- While some hawkers may sell genuine products, the majority will sell never-heard-of, off-brand products such as phones, earphones and phone chargers that may work for a day or two before they lose functionality. Again, the chances of you buying fake goods is higher than them selling you genuine products which may also pose safety risks to you.
- Pets- Along some roads to high end estates, hawkers sell pets such as puppies. Animals sold on the streets may come from unethical breeders who mistreat animals to increase ‘puppy production’ for sale. They will then sell these puppies claiming they have been to the veterinarian and have had all their shots but this could be false information. A buyer may end up taking home a pet with health and behavioral issues after parting with not less that Sh 40,000 for some breeds of dogs.
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