Doing my vending business here in Vancouver is no different when i was still doing my wholesale business in the Philippines.
When i was still back in my home country in the Philippines during the late 90s
doing my memory chips, computer motherboard, hard drives and software deliveries to my clients, during the months of July, August and September there are always warnings of tropical typhoons as we call it in the Philippines.
Manilans ( Urbanites living in the city ) are used to the flooding,
gridlock and traffic standstill. During the heydays of computer boom where there are about 20 million of people living in a very densely populated city of manila, the demand and hunger for computer parts is insatiable.
I have floods of orders and it is meant to be delivered even thou there is a tropical storm,
in Manila city the government categorize the storm as signal number 1 for intermittent rains, signal number 2 for heavy rains causing some flash floods and meant that elementary and high school are deemed to be closed for such occurrences and signal number 3 is declared as public emergency meaning that work and schools are closed and everyone has to stay safe with storm passing about 150 to 200 km/ hour.
It was also a coincidence that during that time frame on my journey in business that i had several trusty scooters and big motorcycles
and they are used for 90 to 120km/hour when using them in the intra city deliveries. In the computer business everyone that i serviced are open even thou it is category signal number 2 storms knowing that there are flash floods up to the knee-deep on some streets.
You see when you are selling high priced small parts, you can get away with a small speedy scooter in Manila
where traffic is often grid lock or in complete chaos, when there is a blockage you simply make a quick turn and go for a side street and Manila is a maze of small streets interconnected and if a delivery van cannot pass then only a scooter can squeeze through. Actually my kudos to all my scooters and motorcycles that i really was able to succeed in the computer parts business during that time. After all a scooter is easy on gasoline and maintenance.
Presently here in Vancouver, BC whenever there is a snowfall warning,
i still try to go service my vending locations, i as usual got up early morning and headed downtown where i need to service some locations during the later part of the week and especially towards weekend.
The thing is that i use a huge delivery van a Ford T-150 with cheap products ( chips, pop and chocolate bars ) and im not that nimble and quick as with a motorcycle since you have to stay in your lane and if there is a snowfall warning even thou you are extra careful the vancouverites are not used to snow and get huge delays.
The difference with tropical storms in Manila is that i had several partial flooding
that reach up to my brakes and almost reaching my engine at times when I am drive a car while braving my way to reach the corner that the water is lower than knee-deep and praying that the engine will not die or else, i think you have the picture.
The demand for my chips, pop and chocolate bars i guess is the same here as compared when i was selling computer parts during my days in Manila, it is only that it is harder now because you have to find a big space to park and you need to have your heavy dolly and bin filled with certain specific favorites on every different location that you go to.
I was making the comparison of the 2 different scenarios when doing business in Vancouver, BC and Manila City. In Manila you can get away with quick deliveries since they are ordered in advanced and well packed, unlike here you have to be a psychic to know what the machines need to be filled when in the process of putting the products into your bin and travel time after struggling in finding a parking space.
I have learned my lesson that if there is a snowfall warning,
it would be wise not to push the issue and join the chaos and gridlock. Better be safe than sorry. There are a lot of vehicles today from downtown going back home after the onslaught of snow and there seems to be a standstill of crazy rubber burning wheels turning uphill and not advancing.
I was lucky that i always made a detour even thou the side street is covered with snow and still make it to the next major street with a lesser slope towards an early way back home.
Conclusion :
If you are self-employed and think that because there is a calamity like tropical storm or a snowfall warning,
it might be better just to run alternate route that is on your turf and make time in doing some paperwork and much-needed errands and perhaps go for that long awaited well deserve haircut i would say !
