Inertia selling at Merrion Gates

skillian

I pass through Merrion gates heading southbound at approx. 5pm twice a week. In the past couple of weeks I have seen a man handing leaflets (or so I thought) to cars as the gates went down. Two weeks ago I took one (I felt obliged to, he was very persistent, running up and down getting to as many cars as possible) and realised that they weren’t leaflets, instead they were air fresheners with a little label written in broken English, something along the lines of "please buy this product, I have two children and I lost my job etc. etc." Two minutes later just as the gates were about to rise he comes back with his hand out. I just gave him the product back.[/COLOR]

Although enterprising, this is taking begging to a whole new level and it is very irritating. Not to mention illegal, this is inertia selling at its most blatant! I have been observing him since and he manages a sale approximately every time the gates go down. Assuming he does approx. €2 a sale and the gates go down and up every 5 minutes, this guy manages to turn over at least €50 in the two hours of rush hour alone. Add the dole and child benefit for two and he's on over €500 a week for 10 hours work!

ProudDUB

I drive with my doors locked and windows up at all times. I do it for safety reasons mainly, but it is a good way of not being hassled like that. I suppose enough people do drive with their windows down to make it worth while to do what he does. The lads standing out in the middle of the road selling the Herald at rush hour do my head in, but at least they wear the bright orange high visibility outfits.

dowlingm

What do the law have to say? Local station is presumably Blackrock? 01 666 5200.

I'm not into harassing these guys like the windscreen washers on spec but if you touch my car without my okay, or get aggressive in any way then I have a problem with it. The dole thing doesn't worry me - if he's telling the truth about 2 kids he'll spend every penny he gets which is good for the economy. There's fellas who would earn 1000 euro a week or more and draw the dole without a blush.

My main criticism of this guy is he has a bad product line - there's a reason for example that newspaper fellas are more tolerated, it's because people want to buy newspapers and it saves them a stop elsewhere. If he was selling breakfast rolls you could put in the microwave when you get to your office he'd probably do a decent trade

As for the language barrier - it's part of passing through the southside. Trying to be understood when trying to order a pint in Kiely's without the local dialect is a total 'mare loike, 'specially if you don't know to ask for "Heino".

foggy_lad

They used to be on the Commuter trains last year but were stopped after a few complaints to Irish Rail, they were there with the whole family including several small children who helped passing around the used looking air freshners which obviously added to the pressure to buy.

coylemj

foggy_lad wrote: »

They used to be on the Commuter trains last year but were stopped after a few complaints to Irish Rail, they were there with the whole family including several small children who helped passing around the used looking air freshners which obviously added to the pressure to buy.

We get away with relatively hassle-free rail travel in this country. On the continent you are guaranteed a guy with an accordion playing a few tunes and his helper with the cap for contributions. In India the world and his wife (and 15 children) are on board flogging food, perfumes and whatever you're having yourself.

ProudDUB

dowlingm wrote: »

My main criticism of this guy is he has a bad product line - there's a reason for example that newspaper fellas are more tolerated, it's because people want to buy newspapers and it saves them a stop elsewhere.

Yeah, but they are still a hazard to motorists. I only started driving for the first time in Dublin last week. I have enough to be getting on with getting used to things that I didn't have to deal with in the US, how crap the Irish are at driving & all the clueless pedestrians, with out having to worry about people standing in the middle of the road flogging stuff.

If they are doing it when cars are stopped at lights fair enough, but the Herald sellers at Five Lamps stand out in the middle of the road even when the lights are green. You have to swerve around them to avoid hitting them. If you are turning right onto Amiens St - which I usually am - that means into the lanes of on coming traffic. Madness ! :mad:

mikemac1

So he hands out the air fresheners and the note and then later comes back looking for money?

Sure just keep it, it's free

dowlingm

ProudDUB wrote: »

Yeah, but they are still a hazard to motorists. I only started driving for the first time in Dublin last week. I have enough to be getting on with getting used to things that I didn't have to deal with in the US, how crap the Irish are at driving & all the clueless pedestrians, with out having to worry about people standing in the middle of the road flogging stuff.

I used to hate see Echo boys in Cork on Penrose Quay because a lot of lane changing would be happening by people trying to turn onto Ship St.