Wednesday 31 August 2011

End of Ramadan

On Regent St. an Asian guy waved at me saying something. I got closer. "How is your business?" "Ups and downs." "I'm a rickshaw rider too." - he explained - "For me it was very quiet today." I looked at him and asked: "Aren't you a Muslim?" His answer was quick: "I am a Muslim!" "Then why have you been working?" -I asked - "It's the end of Ramadan today!" For a little while he seemed to be pretty perplexed, then he laughed: "I know boss, but I need money!" He looked at me: "Are you a Muslim?" "No I'm not. But I need money too." We laughed and I drove off.

He's black!

First day of Notting Hill Carnival, seen from perspective of a rickshaw rider, was nice and easy. In comparison with last year there were much fewer people around. Recent riots on streets of London might had been the cause. Monday was different. The whole area swarmed. One could see many more Police officers around. Standing on top of a hill I was waiting for potential customers to take them to a tube station near by. Crowd around me was peaceful and in majority very friendly. Every now and then groups of hustlers could be seen too. At some point a black couple, both in their forties, asked me for a lift. As they got on my trike a number of black youths approached me. Some of them started to shout: "Big man! Give us a lift!" They saw my customer then. "He's black!" - they cheered loudly and walked away...

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Toy boy

Late at night Leicester Square area is full of interesting and exotic individuals. As the night grows elder every hustler starts to feel lonely. Time comes to look for some squeeze. Apparently no chat up line is too bad when a pair of tits is at stake. Wolf packs of hustlers persistently chase flocks of lasses. Winner of another night was definitely a teenage boy showing off his ripped abdomen to some girls walking on the other side of Coventry St. "Princess! Hey! Princes!" Girls didn't seem to be impressed. "Princess why don't you take me home?!" Girls were clearly all about going away. The young wooer though, wasn't about to give up. Pulling his shirt even higher shouted: "I could be you toy boy! Look! Look! I could be your toy boy!"

Tuesday 16 August 2011

The mighty elbow

I have been a rickshaw rider for years. I remember that guy since the very beginning. I guess he must be a crackhead. Through all those years I've been seeing him practicing the same thing. He must have reached a perfection long time ago. He blocks those payphones inside the red phone booths around Soho, so people can't get their change back. Every now and then he checks his "snares" out. He walks around fidgetingly and always seems to be in a hurry. One by one he gets into phone booths and, cursing loudly, inexhaustibly bashes them up with his elbow until the trapped coins fall out. What a punch he must have after all those years...