Beggars unwanted for holiday

For the past week or more, the street vendors who usually ply their trades in front of my office building have made themselves scarce.

They've deserted good spots right across the street from the University of International Business and Economics. Thousands of people walk by this two- or three-block stretch everyday.

Until recently, passers-by could purchase roasted sweet potatoes, chestnuts, apples, small pets, books and DVDs from the bicycle carts parked along the sidewalks. The aromas of those roasting chestnuts and potatoes were a welcome improvement over the usual odors of big-city living: exhaust fumes, sewer gas and garbage.