[ad_1]
After his small Manhattan food stand lost customers during the coronavirus pandemic, Abdul Rahman – an Afghan salesman who arrived in New York City in 1992 – has returned to service, albeit at a fraction of the old company since the offices are still far from full.
Rahman and the thousands of street vendors like him, emblematic of New York sidewalks, hoped things would finally get back to normal in September.
But this is far from the case: “The business is like, 20, 30% (less) than before the pandemic”, explained to AFP Rahman, 44, standing in front of a display of donuts and other pastries. On the counter is a carafe of coffee, which he says he’s having trouble emptying.
With a wave of his arm, he indicates the place where customers formed long lines in front of his mobile stand.
Like yellow cabs, metal food carts – filled with coffee, muffins, bananas, and hard-boiled eggs – are part of New York’s cityscape.
An estimated 20,000 vendors are on the streets of the Big Apple, and many of them are immigrants with no other means of making money.
A city hall permit is clearly visible on Rahman’s cart, as is a photo of his three children, all born in the United States.
It’s been 20 years since Rahman arrived in New York City to escape the war in Afghanistan.
He moved to the sidewalk of Whitehall Street, south of Manhattan. It is a good location, at the foot of office buildings, near a metro exit and not far from the docks from which ferries filled with tourists to the Statue of Liberty leave and return, as well as boats carrying workers from Staten Island.
– ‘Better than nothing’ –
Some customers are loyal, like Mike Reyes, a maintenance worker, who says he comes every morning.
“We need affordable (things) like donuts, coffee, because I know in the city it’s very expensive,” he explained. “For me, they are really essential.”
But tourists are still few because of the Delta variant, so “people mostly work from home,” Rahman said.
According to a survey by the Partnership for New York City, only 23 percent of Manhattan’s million office workers returned to their desks by August, and employers were anticipating a 41 percent rate by the end. September – well below the two-thirds expected in May.
With a baseball cap on his head and a black mask over his nose and mouth, Rahman is hoping things will get back to normal in October or maybe January.
“I don’t know what happens in the future,” he said with concern, noting that he relied on his wife’s salary as a teacher to support the family.
For now, after 15 months of inactivity due to the pandemic, during which he was able to benefit from public aid, he prefers to go to work.
To get into town from his home in Nassau County, eastern Long Island, he must get up at 2:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.
“It’s better than nothing,” he said, although the time to earn between $ 800 and $ 900 in a good week is just a distant memory.
“If I stay at home, (there is) more pressure on me, and what should you do at home?” ” he said.
After 20 years of work, Rahman plans to change jobs. His wife tried to find him a job as a school bus driver, but it was only part-time.
Besides, “I know all the people here,” he said. “It’s been almost 21 years, it feels like a life here.”
[ad_2]
Source link