Unlike Highpoint, the entire length of the shopping centre at Airport West is chockers with businesses in the aisles or walkways between with the more formal businesses with their own premises.

Some of these seem permanent and of regular business nature, such as the ones promoting health or IT services, or wanting to buy whatever gold people have lying around their homes.

Others are selling the likes of cheap toys or calendars or mobile cases or haircare products.

But there’s heaps more spruiking gimmicky stuff and seemingly as many selling raffle tickets for charity.

In regards to the latter, I am skeptical – like everyone else, I’ve read the stories about how little of the money raised so-called charity enterprises actually ends up with the stated recipients.

I’m for sure not someone cut out for this kind of public sales pitching.

So in some ways I have sympathy for those taking on this kind of work.

Backpackers looking to extend their travels or battlers looking for a break – where’s the harm?

But in other ways I find myself resenting some of the tactics used.

Particularly when it comes to taking advantage of the profoundly human and instinctive reaction to engage with anyone who makes determined eye contact or makes an effort to start a conversation.

I find such ploys hard to resist,

Maybe in the tedium of such work, any engagement is to be desired – and bugger the sale and the commissions.

This week, in his desperation to get some action going, one of these sales people even made comment on my moustache.

This is far from uncommon, but still it usually emanates from people not working – as far as I know – on getting me to open my wallet.