the good, the bad, the ugly

The Ugly

I drove over to see Calvin yesterday.

I first went to the rear entrance of Tiger Wheels – he says he baths there, in the trough where they test the tyres. “Yes”, he says, “:it’s cold these days, but a man has to wash.”

Nobody there, so I drive around the front of the building next to his usual place of business.

A strange sight awaits. There’s a guy standing begging at the lights, just where Calvin normally stands. Not that his being there was specifically strange but he looked clean, definitely not the homeless type in any way.

Looking over at the nearby empty car sales lot, I see a guy sitting on the pavement next to two racing bikes propped up against a wall, watching our beggar intently. He’s wearing a good quality leather jacket, well made shiny shoes, a cap, and shades.

A strange place to sit for someone so well dressed.

Could it be that he belongs to Mr Beggar, and that those could be their bikes?

I wait.

Folding up his board the “beggar” walks over to the bicycles,

and together the two count their earnings for the day.

Mr Beggar stows his board into a bag,
shrugs on his own leather jacket,

He mounts his cycle,

and they ride away..

Do you know this man?

Original photographs available.

Taken with a Panasonic Lumix FZ8, a block away..