“I’ll do $25 for three, okay?” a vendor haggled with a potential customer on Monday, near the bus stop at the northeast plaza. The vendor held a tote on one arm, as she tried to convince the customer who looked down inside the bag.
“I got it from a store, from Macy’s,” the vendor continued. It was hard to tell what she was selling, but it looked like skin-colored tights.
The two reached a deal and the vendor walked on. Before police established a 24/7 presence here, some vendors laid out blankets to display their wares, but now, they sold the goods from shopping bags, on foot. Twenty feet away, two police officers and public works employees stood, appearing not to notice. At the bus stop, a man pulled out clothing from his black duffel bag, then seemed to reconsider — he put them back and got on the bus instead…