Alice Wishes To Return To Crab Circle When It Reopens
Despite the backlash she has received because of her unsanitary practices, popular crab vendor Alice Waugh said she will be returning to 'Crab Circle' when it reopens next Thursday.
Johnathan Henry
Waugh, who has been selling at the Heroes Circle food spot for decades, was captured defecating in a bucket at her stall in a video on social media. Health authorities subsequently inspected the spot and ordered it closed after several breaches were found. Waugh told THE NEWS that despite all the negative comments, she will be returning because she has bills to pay.
"Mi siddung yah boring, mi a think bout how mi bills dem aguh pay," Waugh said. "Right now, mi fridge empty. From week mi fridge empty." She said that although many people are claiming they will never purchase from Crab Circle again she knows she has loyal customers who will support her.
A whole heap a people call mi a seh wi doh bash yuh, dat can happen to anybody. All this morning one [customer] call mi and seh 'Alice memba yuh stall a open back suh yuh si as yuh reach and start duh yuh business, a we dat again. Wi nah leff yuh out because wi know you is a clean decent woman'," she said. Waugh said that she was unable to attend the training and certification programme organised by the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, in partnership with HEART/ NSTA Trust because she was sick.
"Mi neva get fi guh because mi pressure went high when them call the meeting and when time mi pressure high, mi eye dem get dizzy because mi pressure di all the way over 200," said Waugh, who believes that the closure and the backlash contributed to her health issue. But she said she now has an up-to-date food handler's permit, as at the time of the closure in October, hers was expired.
She added that now that the location has bathroom stalls, she assured customers that her 'one mistake' will not be repeated.
"Mi tell them sorry already... is just a mistake. Is just a sickness," said Waugh, who had previously explained that she had diarrhoea on the day of the video. She added that she is not worried about any further backlash, because eventually the negative will pass.
"All the people dem a cuss mi, dem neva buy from mi yet, neva. But yuh know some people just talk fi a likkle while then them come back. Nuff people just talk weh tek place, but afta them just seh 'Cho a Alice dat and a our friend dat'," she said. Waugh said she no intention of mingling with any other vendor and just intends to focus on selling her items and rebuilding trust with her clients.
But she admitted that she has a strong resentment toward the vendor who recorded her and posted the video.
"All when mi see she drop deh suh and a dead mi nah look pan har. Mi have up people inna mi heart, enuh, and yuh si when mi hate yuh, mi hate yuh wid a passion," Waugh said, adding that the vendor lied that she relieved herself at her stall multiple times. Still, she told THE NEWS that she has received encouragement from one of her fellow vendors who knows her as a clean person.
"One girl call mi and she sey Alice try don't come back and deal wid the people dem who bash yuh, cah mi mek sure tell di people dem seh you is the cleanest girl up there suh which part them deh," Waugh said.
NEWS CREDIT : THE STAR JAMAICA
