Like persons all around the world now, we at Bahamas Press stood shock and wondered, what is the straw market coming to? The hot tent on Bay Street has turned into a fighting ring in front of guests. This is just disgusting!
Like persons all around the world now, we at Bahamas Press stood shock and wondered, what is the straw market coming to? The hot tent on Bay Street has turned into a fighting ring in front of guests. This is just disgusting!
I hope them straw vendors behaving their asses and stop being a disgrace.
what she say.. You een gat no house or no car! Boy they are really important points to raise up in an arguement. Dey probably not even Bahamians fightin.
If the straw vendor had to pay overhead expenses, I think they would conduct themselves and their environment better than that, Sometimes, when we get things to easy it is hard to appreciate it.
I am still baffled by the notion of the ‘straw market’ still being regarded as a cultural icon. The present s.m. is nothing more than a cultural eyesore. What is also disturbing are the undeserved concessions given to stall operators. Concessions such as:
i. Rent- The s.m. is the only place I know of where persons are allowed to operate a personal business, making personal (un-taxed) profit, while being relinquished the responsibility of paying for overhead expenses [light, water, etc.]. And, the so-called “rent” they pay is a joke. I may be mistaken, but I think it is ,$200.00 per month.
ii. Free marketing [brochures,phonebook,tours,etc.]
iii. Compulsory training- Are vendors required to achieve ‘BahamaHost’ certification, or any other customer-service or hospitatlity-based training?
iv. Health/Wellness- As s.m. vendors come into contact with a wide range of persons from all over the world, they are potentially exposed to numerous diseases[commnuicable and non]. Are they required to obtain and renew public health certificates, as other hospitality-related workers are required to do?
v. Quality Control- If vendors were required to meet and maintain a high standard of quality and cultural relevence, with regard to the goods they sell, then our once internationally revered “Straw” market would not now be declassified to nothing more than a flea market full of non-indigenous products.
It is my opinion that strict guidelines and requirements need to imposed upon the national ‘flea market’ before any consideration is given to ‘assisting’ them with any rebuilding efforts, because more than the physical aspects, the cultural and service-related components of the market need a complete and comprehensive overhauling. Then, and only then,will the rebirth of Our National Straw Market be a reality.
All of you are correct that straw market is a disgrace and the straw vendors are the nastiest! Their attitude stinks and they are all selling the same stuff. I live in FPO but I am originally from Nassau. I have family in the straw market and on one of my visits I went downtown to window shop and to see my cousins who worked in the straw market when I made attempt to enter, my whole body shot down! I couldn’t go any further than the front and I immediately turned around. What a mess!
These people donot have pride!
I remember Mother Pratt said one time while visting the straw market she passed the restroom and the stench was sooooo deplorable that when the tourist asked where the restroom was she wanted the ground to swallow her up! She was sooooo embarassed. These people need to pay a fine for their indulgeness and this fine should be hefty. And they so like be in the open….. so dogone nasty!!!!!!!!!!!!ewwww!
Start the construction!!! I see the Parking Lot now!!! Bring it on, I say, Bring it on.
dam flee market filled with rats, garbage and smell of jonser…come one our tourist deserve better vendors may get upset but aye i call a spade a spade you want the government to spoon feed youll and youll dont want the small rental fees? com the hell on youll does drink out a year worth of rent on friday when you make ya RUM runs get real
i say turn that old straw market site into a mordern parkin garage. it will pay fa itself within 2 years no matter what they charge to park wayasay
Wutless, the thing is they HAVE and association and a president but they so Wutless they cant get their act together. They have been an embarrassment for a long time.
You are right, why they call it a Straw Market when they selling knock off Gucci, Coach and Luis Vutton.
Wutless these Straw Market people have an association, believe it or not. They have a president too. They just have a bad attitude and cant get themselves together.
They have been an embarrassment from long time and you are right about the goods they sell there. My wife’s niece goes in that Straw Market once a month to buy knock off Gucci and Coach goods. She even bought Louis Vutton luggage from there. So why call it the “Straw Market”?
we need to do away with the “straw market” oneca and for all. not only because of this type of negative press but because it not what it was and the present vendors dont seem to give a dam about upholding the legend that is the straw market, they selling crap thats not bahamian, they attitude (generally) sucks and they nasty as hell.
why ya think they cant get they act together and get together as an association and govern themselves and show the government that they are serious…..they jokin forget the market and use that money to fix up bay street
they embarassin our country and i een fa that !!
The straw vendors are a disgrace to the bahamian culture. It is a shame that tourist have to put up with such low class people. I know when they get back home, they will have us for jokes. This makes me shame to be a bahamian.
The place is already hot and dirty and they still do not know how to conduct themselves. I am starting to see why the gevernment have them under that hot tent, like a bunch of animals.
That how they does act with one another.
This is such low class behaviour.
I remember working in the building opposite the old straw market when I was younger. Almost every day I looked through my window and saw a straw vendor being toted off by police with a large crowd following as our tourist stood by and watched with amazement. It was shameful then and I see technology has advanced the shameful behaviour now.
The Straw market people have made enough money over the years to put their kids through school, keep their families fed and put a little aside for their old age; mostly at the expense of the rest of us. What they haven’t done is look to the future and adjust their plans to keep up with the rest of the world. Sorry to say but the S.M. is not “world renowned” and is not what attracts visitors to the Bahamas. Some, having experienced a visit to that place have let it be known they will never return. The vendors, to quote, “are too pushy, have very shoddy merchandise, all sell the same stuff and keep their surroundings in a filthy manner”.
It would be interesting to know who the real owners of most of the stalls are. And I exclude those who are the workers. They just have a job and no doubt barely exist.
I say move the S.M. further east way past the old site. Make them pay an amount of rent equal to what the merchants pay for their square footage rates and require they meet the standards applied by the Board of Health.
Perhaps it is time they all band together and build their own market on land they buy. Then they’ll soon become savy enough to know they had better keep up with the times and the desires of the tourists.
People are always talking about “the poor straw vendors”, when really for the most part, they represent the worst of the tourism product the country has to offer. They don’t deserve a dime of taxpayer’s money for a new market.
Yeah I saw this thing on youtube. This place is going to the dogs.
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