Life on the pavements is a world of its own. Outside dentist , barber, shoe-black and
vendor , to mention some of the few , make up one huge market of their own . The pavement
living serves in two ways. It wins bread for one and fulfils the buying needs of those who
have no courage to enter big shops. You have to have patience if you want to hit a good
bargain, you have to haggle until the price is brought down to half the original sum.
These traders on the footpath range from small pins and pencil sellers to the photo
grapher's studio. One thing of immense advantage ablur these professions is that there are
no advertising expenses involved. The traders self-advertise all the time.

New look at the open air dental clinic. The whole operation theater  has been set up under
a shady tree. The dentist who is a quack assumes the airs of a professional expert . He
goes about his job with a cool nerve of the patient. If you need a hair -cut , the hair -
dresser on the footpath beckons you . All his tools of trade spread before him. There is
dust on his razors or the pair of scissors . Broken toothed combs soap gives off a strange
smell. But the customers do not bother about these things. They get prompt service without
waiting for turns. With your head bowed Before the Barber, you are also the listening
audience to his talk of the day . But one word from you and the result is a bloody cut.

A fortune teller is not hard to find either. It is the most paying business of the day.
He has to invest no capital at all. The methods of fortune- teller differ with men. Some
use a parrot or a bird to disclose the destiny of the people. Others resort to astromy and
the influence of stars. He knits his brows , closes his eyes or gazes skywards, or stares
at the customers and predicts things. A brilliant future is painted for everybody . Hopes
are rekindled . The shoe -blacks on the pavements do not wait for you to notice them.Their
trade prospers in competition . Needing it or not , in a vigorous stroke or two your shoes
get a new shine.

Then there are those who claim to cure all the diseases with a single medicine. Medicines,
tooth power, ointment, antomy are sold with a promise to bring quick relief . The
eloquence of these physicians and surgrons seems to heal the buryers on the spot. The
buyers get carried away, and so does their common sense, while these quack pile up the
money in their bags.
Such is the life on the pavements.