I was at a street fair a few months ago in a small college town and saw a similar booth-- although they didn't have a "prem-van", they had some sort of sanctioned banner proclaiming "words of peace" by prem rawat....

Under a small tent you could sit in a chair and listen to prem's latest inspirational drivel...not sure if there was a video as well, or it was just audio.....

There were two sad looking premies there-one grayed out loser in his late 50's and a younger woman, the daughter of some premies...they looked awkward, but were doing their best...

I think the reason they have headphones is that it takes a little more effort to sit down in a chair and don the headphones (and hopefully stay for at least a few minutes), rather than just glance at a video for 30 seconds and move on when you realize he says nothing...at least with the chair and headphones you might feel obliged to stay for awhile and engage in some banter with the premies, and then realize its about nothing, except prem's "words'....

Who knows the reason, I just remember seeing it and feeling sorry for the premies...

They are caught in such a bind, and the only way to stay involved is to just deny prem's real life situation....they can't see WHY it doesn't sell, although it's plain as day to any common sense onlooker....

What's also sad is that many of the premies feel that this is their one method of some sort of "giving back' to society, much the same way people feel about joining other groups deidcated to bringing about social change etc.....it takes many of them away from engaging in real and meaningful social actions that could make a difference...

What a waste!