I realize that satisfaction and joy and good things in life is a heart thing, not a location thing. So in a way it’s more than just being back in Jo’burg and making it work, it’s about finding the cool in the mundane, the beauty in the face brick apartment complexes and the freedom beyond the security fences.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Shopping at intersections: the easiest way to shop this festive season.

I'm simply amazed at the amount of drive through everywheres and convenience of getting anythings here in the good ol US of A. Wow, America, impressive. I for one want to stop and get coffee just about every 50 meters (or yards or feet or something), just because it's possible.

As one does when travelling, I compare the strangeness of countries. "Ooo you can drink tap water here but not there" "I can afford a full day at the Spa here, but nothing to eat there" "I would go to jail for this in this country but not in that country... interesting".

Out here in the North West of the glorious USA they have a lot more drive through stops. Cool.
Back home in darling Jozi we have drive by intersection shopping. (Yes, this is yet another post about fun at the intersection.)

So let me share just that:
Let's start of the basics, not to uncommon a sight world wide I should think
The newspaper guy.
The guy who started it all. The guy who made other guys think "hey, that guy earns a living selling stuff at redlights... hmmmm, must find a gap in the market and fill it"

So important events created a gap.
Just by driving around on a Saturday you'd be able to know some important game was on. Fail-proof.
Sadly I have no pictures of this but other events like Christmas and Valentines day will surely fill the streets. I'm not home right now but I could bet my favourite Disney character's life on the fact that Santa hats are being sold on William Nicol right now (well not now cause it's the middle of the night now...well)

Then, the basics you'll find just about anywhere:
Sunglasses... because you know, you're driving, you forget your sunnies, you're sad because the possibility of an accident just increased, fret not, this guy will be there for you within stops.

Phone cover guy, this gap must have been created because busy people upgrade their phones like every week, and who has the time to actually go out and buy a shocking pink cover? Clearly nobody.

Again, making perfect sense, license covers, for your car. You're in a car when you see this so it's pretty easy check if you need one.

Food guy
That's one less trip to the store for you. Jo'burg can do convenience too.

And then there must surely be a big market in the kids section. I'm rather childless myself, but imagine the power of buying toys for kids to shut them up works wonders. Or there must just be a significant amount of parents that forgot to buy little Suzzies friend that birthday gift. Now it's Saturday morning, time for the party, but no gift... suspense. No problem Mom can just drive the Beyers Naude route to fix that dilemma.

a barbie poster, fancy?

pink ladybugs, yes?

a marching Winnie the Pooh, wish I had a better picture of this.

a toy bow and arrow kit... hoping that this is a 'toy'

fake snakes, how awesome

There are so many other amusing things sold at traffic lights, I could go on forever, or could at least do this post in volumes or maybe alphabetical order.
Hmmm... coming next. Volume two: Atlas posters to chargers. Volume three: Dinosaur blowups to Tacky paintings... we'll see.

under what to add "juggling plastic chicken guy" ???

And just because I'm in the States at this minute I'll end off with this pretty darn weird thing you can buy at the side of the road.

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