CHABOT COLLEGE FLEA MARKET
          















 

 

 

 

 



 

 
 November 21, 2009   Hayward, CA

Arrived there around 7:00 and saw that the parking lot was quite wet with huge puddles located in a number of areas from a early morning shower. Daybreak had was already there and I pulled up to my space.  I had an over-sized area because a normal-sized space is just big enough to fit my van in.

A rather boring, uneventful and cool day except for one instance.  I strolled over to the bathroom area located within the college 'compound.'  I entered and walked toward the back of the men's room.  Kid's... close your eyes please.  There was a small, pudgy Mexican guy around 5'4 and weighing approximately 200 pounds with a reddish pullover knit standing in front of the commodes.  There were 4 urinals on the left and a set of 2 and a smaller one on the side that I chose to go to.  I saw this guy suddenly dash over behind me and position himself in front of the urinal beside me.  I thought it was kind of strange as I glanced over my right shoulder to see if there was anybody using the ones in back of me.  I saw nobody.  As I turned my head back around I saw this pervert looking down at me and quickly turned his head forward when he saw me turn around.  He quickly finished and I don't think he did anything, to tell you the truth.  He walked back around me and stood in front of the commode.  I finished and turned around and took a look at him.  I really didn't know what to do.  I didn't have a cigarette butt, so I couldn't flick it at him with my two fingers (Midnight Cowboy).  No, really he stared at me and I gave him a weird look.  I could not believe that this guy was hanging around on a college campus doing this.  I walked out and had to return to my booth because I was alone and did not want any of the riff-raff stealing from me.  About an hour later, I reported it to the campus security, but I would assume that this pervert had long departed the scene.

I keep asking myself if this really happened.  Do I really dare put this incident in my review?  I picture it over and over in my mind and I still see the same thing. Sorry, I saw what I saw.  No mistaken.  A spade is a spade.  A pervert is a pervert.  I don't know if this guy makes regular appearances there or what.  Very strange.  I think that this rest room has to be monitored by campus safety and the police department.  Sorry, but it really happened.

THE EARLY BIRDS swarmed the flea market during the early hours between 7:30-9:00 as they tried to find the 'real deals' amongst the vendors before anybody else spotted them. I had no bargains at anytime during the day.  One guy saw my backpacks and asked for the price.  I had previously sold them for $12.00 and had lowered the price this year to $10 since I was phasing these out of my inventory.  So, I looked at him.  I knew this guy was cheap.  "Eight dollars' came out of my mouth.  "Is that your lowest price?" he asked.  I looked at him.  "THE ABSOLUTE LOWEST."   A few seconds later, I hear him say....  "How about 3 for eight dollars?"    Wow.  I told him emphatically and beyond the shadow of a doubt "NO."  He left.

I guess that other vendors selling similar merchandise are all struggling.  No good shows this weekend.  I know a number of people that did the Mountain Mandarin Festival in Auburn, but I pretty much knew that they would even have a hard time meeting expenses and that was no place for me.  I had done the show 5 time's in year's past and declining sales and locations with each passing year.  I guess that their spaces were 'sold out.'