Meals on Wheels

A few years back, I remember seeing a news clip highlighting the grocery store of the American future, Japanese present. The general concept behind this alternative grocer was that a shopper arrives and sits down in a private unit that automatically navigates the patron along the fixed track through the aisles of delight. My initial thought was that the concept was heaven for the lazy consumer, hell for the spontaneous shopper who, upon seeing the hot dogs, decided to have a cookout only to realize the hot dog buns were in Aisle 1, ketchup and mustard in Aisle 2. History will note that the slow-motion-roller-coaster-shopping phenomenon failed to gain traction in the United States, as Americans opted instead for the Flight of the Hippogriff at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park.

Well, it turns out that Japan wasn’t the first to adopt this cloud-cuckoo-land behavior. I’m convinced that the concept was simply trying to commercialize the Ghanaian shopping experience. Every major (and most minor) artery in Accra is clogged with street vendors. And any time a vehicle comes to a stop, transit-goers are immediately propositioned by the plethora of hawkers. Over time, my perception has changed far along the inefficiency-efficiency continuum; from thinking these street-clogging hawkers were the cause of traffic to realizing they were actually enabling me to multitask and complete all shopping needs without ever having to leave my taxi.

I’ve been amazed at the amount of roadworthy merchandise. From fresh fruit to pure water; toilet paper to DVDs; hammers to livestock. The street vendors have more than a WalMart Supercenter. But what might be more spectacular than the smorgasbord of obtainables is that the vendors are able to withstand the chronic open-sauna. If I stand outside, I’m usually perspiring within one minute; after one-minute and I’m a water fountain.

Recently, the convenient backseat shopping experience has been called into question by the Accra Metropolitan Authority. This authority just passed legislation making it illegal to purchase from a street vendor unless the street has been designated for that purpose. How these vendors will adapt to the new regulation and how I shop in the future is all in question. I guess if I want to shop while sitting, I’ll have to travel to Japan…Oh, who am I kidding. I’ll probably be at Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods.