Market (fair) trader

I had a fun time down at the market yesterday. In the end it was mercifully dry so I was there for the duration - a full four hours - and managed to catch up with friends, chat to some new people and distribute about a hundred "passports" for our town's Fair Trade Shop Hop (a promotion for local stores carrying fair trade goods). And of course there was plenty of opportunity for classic people-watching, too.

With my display of posters and leaflets, I clearly wasn't at the market to sell vegetables or home-made jam. It's always amusing being on an is-it-religious-or-political-and/or-are-they-after-my-money?-type stall. It's not unlike being one of those annoying charity tin-rattlers on the High Street (and, oh yes, I've done my share of that). A lot of people try to slip by "without noticing" you. You see them coming towards you and you can count them down - 1,2,3 and look away...NOW! They don't even want to know what you're peddling, so sure are they that they don't want any part of it.

I don't really blame them, I know I've done it myself before now. It's just funny to watch. There are others who likewise don't want to know, but at least manage a cheerful "How ya doin?" as they walk (very) briskly past. But yesterday enough paused for long enough (after I'd caught their eyes) to read a poster, pick up a leaflet and find out that I wasn't pushing anything too scary. Quite a few even decided my stall was cool!