In High School I sold Popsicles for two summers in a former meter-maid vehicle (motorized three wheeler)
I soon learned that you sell more to poor people than you do the well to do.
You sell more in the first week of the month than the three remaining weeks combined. Sadly it
had to do that welfare checks came out the first of the month.
Selling to men at construction sites was more profitable than neighborhoods.
You get a fabulous “farmer’s tan”.
You sell more on a sunny moderate Spring Saturday than you do on a hot August day (summer anticipation)
You sell more between 7 PM and sundown than during the noon to 7 PM time slot (both parents and most kids are closer to home)
People who still have their Christmas lights up on their houses in the summer, will never buy Ice cream.
Driving by an outdoor boy scout jamboree is Popsicle Man heaven.
Never tell a customer how much you made on your very best sales day, they will never buy from you again.
When a kid says their Dad said they could use Dad's prized coin collection to buy Ice Cream, the kid is lying.
If a kid is trying to steal ice cream with a toy bat, it is OK to take the bat away from them. It is not OK to then carry the bat in your cart as a souvenir.
Kids will clean out all loose change in a house. The parents never have anything left for Coin Star.
Forgetting your music is still on is a social miss step and can be embarrassing.
You soon learn to predict the weather.
You always hope there are lots of apartments on your route
Quote from my Dentist:
"If you sell to the masses you will live with the classes, but if you sell to the classes you will live with the masses"
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9 comments:
Since you jumped into the meme, you should go ahead and tag some people. :) Of course, then you'd have to do all the required things like link back to HC and to other odd jobs posters.
On second thought, let's just enjoy a popsicle.
What great observations. I have a neighbor who leaves Christmas lights up year round, and a filing cabinet in his driveway to boot. (And it's a nice neighborhood.) But, yes, there's a rhythm to his life that is completely incompatible with eating popsicles.
i love this story.
llama momma,
I always wonder if people like your neighbor is from, nurture or nature, that makes them that way?
Nancy,
Thanks for your encouragement. I will do more like this
This post brought back memories for me of when I was a little, little girl and the ice cream truck would visit the apartments.
I wonder if ice cream trucks are more likely to visit apartments than neighborhood with houses? I've been thinking about your first few observations--about poor people being more likely to buy--and I don't think I've ever seen an ice cream truck in a well-to-do suburban neighborhood.
Dear The Walk,
You are very observant, I will add your comment to the post.
Oho, it took me a bit to make it over here, but I just got the link to you as part of our series on Lessons from Odd Jobs.
My favorite lesson by the way:
"People who still have their Christmas lights up on their houses in the summer, will never buy Ice cream."
HILARIOUS!
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