The mobile phone covers and/or knick-knacks sellers trollies in the centre of Leeds.

[Leodian]

Passing by today (May 18 2017) I noticed there were 6 mobile phone covers and/or knick-knacks sellers with their trollies at or very near the junction of Briggate and Commercial Street. There was 1 (possibly 2) more a little further up Briggate and 2 more a bit further away on Commercial Street. As it seems to be rare to even see anyone looking as if they may be buying from the sellers I wonder how there can be so many in such a small area?

[mhoulden]

There exists the Leeds City Council Act 2013 which was brought in to give the council some powers to restrict the size and number of pedlars' carts. It is a bit of a can of worms because they're subject to looser rules than fixed street traders and they operate somewhere on the edges of the law. I think they tend to be tolerated as long as they don't get in the way too much.

[volvojack]

[quote="mhoulden"]There exists the Leeds City Council Act 2013 which was brought in to give the council some powers to restrict the size and number of pedlars' carts. It is a bit of a can of worms because they're subject to looser rules than fixed street traders and they operate somewhere on the edges of the law. I think they tend to be tolerated as long as they don't get in the way too much.

On my last visit,which was on a Weekend, it seemed that the City Centre was swarming with these sellers. I wondered just how many they could sell when they all seemed to be vending the same product. also how many maybe carried a Licence.

[chemimike]

Having a suspicious mind, and agreeing with you, I wonder if some are a cover for selling a less legal product

[volvojack]

[quote="chemimike"]Having a suspicious mind, and agreeing with you, I wonder if some are a cover for selling a less legal product.

I wonder if they even need a cover up these days, At the same time i was in Leeds last week i met up with a pal of mine in his Local pub in Beeston. whilst we were sat there he pointed to a young lad stood at the bar and he was passing over small packs of something in exchange for cash and Gary said that this was a regular occurance . when i asked how come the Landlord does not put a stop to this practice, he said the either he also is a "User" or is too frightened of reprisals. Anyway it is a sas state of affairs in these modern times.

[volvojack]

Having a suspicious mind, and agreeing with you, I wonder if some are a cover for selling a less legal product.

I wonder if they even need a cover up these days, At the same time i was in Leeds last week i met up with a pal of mine in his Local pub in Beeston. whilst we were sat there he pointed to a young lad stood at the bar and he was passing out small packs of something in exchange for cash and Gary said that this was a regular occurrence. when i asked how come the Landlord does not put a stop to this practice, he said the either he also is a "User" or is too frightened of reprisals. Anyway it is a sad state of affairs in these modern times.

[jma]

There exists the Leeds City Council Act 2013 which was brought in to give the council some powers to restrict the size and number of pedlars' carts. It is a bit of a can of worms because they're subject to looser rules than fixed street traders and they operate somewhere on the edges of the law. I think they tend to be tolerated as long as they don't get in the way too much.

It's what happens when Victorian legislation is used in the 21C. I'm old enough to have learned the definitions of both a pedlar and a hawker by heart at police training centre.

The term “pedlar” means any hawker, pedlar, petty chapman, tinker, caster of metals, F1... or other person who, without any horse or other beast bearing or drawing burden, travels and trades on foot and goes from town to town or to other men’s houses, carrying to sell or exposing for sale any goods, wares, or merchandise, or procuring orders for goods, wares, or merchandise immediately to be delivered

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vic ... /section/3

It's strange that the definition of a pedlar begins with "any hawker" because a hawker is defined as having "a horse or other beast bearing burden" so on that basis, the terms "hawker" and "pedlar" are mutually exclusive. Also, it's been amended because I'm pretty sure it used to include "mender of chairs."

[blackprince]

If I ever used them I would have used the terms hawker and pedlar interchangeably until now, but it depends whether he uses a horse , or beast of burden. Well you learn something every day! Some houses would have a "No Hawkers" sign by the gate. I haven't seen such a sign for years. I doubt if the house owners were aware of the technical distinction and that they could still be pestered by pedlars or crafty Hawkers who had left the horse out of sight