Sweet Tweets

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

That rose guy

If you regularly drive through the intersection of West Paces Ferry and Northside Pkwy here in Atlanta, you are bound to see Robert and his roses. I don't have to drive there often, and other than the closest Taco Bell being located there (important to know the closest one at all times in case a chalupa urge strikes), one of the few reasons I will go by there is to pick up some of the most beautiful roses I've seen.

I used to think he was some kind of bum, peddling ratty flowers on the corner and hustling people to make a quick buck off of some sympathetic Buckhead Betty. That changed several years ago when I received a perfect bouquet of pink roses. They weren't arranged in a vase with a suffocating amount of baby's breath, but they opened up to full rosy glory and lasted weeks. When I found out that they had been purchased on a street corner, practically in a gas station parking lot, I was shocked. That guy? Sold you these? Huh.

Turns out Robert is his name. He's been selling South American roses on that corner for almost 2 decades. And his best customers are captains of industry and those Buckhead Bettys I thought were being taken advantage of. It's not uncommon to see Mercedes and BMWs pulled up making floral purchases.

Things aren't always what I assume them to be. If I hadn't been introduced to it by someone else, I would have missed out on this completely. Which would have been a shame.

Where else can you find beautiful roses for only $12/dozen?

Well...I guess Costco. But have you seen what a madhouse that place is? I'd much rather risk getting run over at a busy intersection than possibly get in path of the woman who's cart is piled high with economy-size jars of mayo and a pack of 75 rolls of 2-ply toilet paper obscuring her vision.

2 Remarks:

Stewart said...

Yep, that guy's been on that corner for as long as I can remember, and I grew up going to school down the street. I've never interacted with him though...

Dubbayoo said...

He sold roses on Old National Hwy in the 70's. He's not your typical street corner merchant.