Make money

By the end of Saturday night two youngsters stopped me on Oxford St. "Boss! Take us to our car! It's parked two blocks away. K'mon! Good price boss!" First of all I made sure where I was supposed to go. It really seemed close. "Ok guys! Give me a fiver and I'll take you." One of them had some change in his hand but the other passed me quickly a lovely, brand new 20£ note. Smoothly done. One of them got on my trike already... The note look impressively true. However when I touched it I didn't even need to look for a water mark. "I don't want it guys." The seated got off quickly. "What?! Why?!" "It looks too new... Too good... And the paper when you touch it..." "What?! Too new?! To good?!" The "bad" one looked at me with a scowl. "Ok. Leave him!" - said the "good" one. "You don't want to make money, maaan!" - exclaimed the "bad" one. I always admired a doubtless acting skill those people possess. They could, honestly, use it better than that...

Never mind the money!

Late at night I was getting through Brewer St. There was a smartly dressed gent in the corner with Upper John St. He flagged me down. Even though his clothes looked decent his face was livid and swollen. He was clearly well soaked. He held a mysterious wooden box. "Hey! Can I sleep in your rickshaw for five minutes?" "Excuse me?" "I need to wait until that shop there is open." It was about 4am. "So would you let me sleep in your rickshaw, for a while?" "A brilliant idea!" - thought I. Now, it was a pure conjecture of mine, but I thought he might be a compulsive gambler waiting for some antique shop to open, so he could sell everything except the kitchen sink of his own or even somebody else's. Anyway my rickshaw had never been a hotel and I felt good about it. "Look! Let me take you to Balans Cafe on Old Compton St. They are open 24h. It would take us two minutes!" "Ok! How much?" "Just a fiver!" "What?! You said it was only two minutes away! A fiver to go there and bring me back here!" "I'm sorry but I'm not gonna wait for you there... I'm just trying to help..." "Oh! It's all right! I will survive!" He seemed offended. "Well, your life is not in a danger."- I agreed - "Have a good night!" "Never mind the money, mate!" He shouted after me reproachfully. Surely he didn't...

Urinal

Once I stopped in Cambridge Circus to use that urinal there. (Btw it's a great touchstone! One can tell newcomers from London dwellers straight away, while peeing... First ones giggle and try to take a picture of you. Others just pass by or join in...) So I left my rickshaw behind and approached the "touchstone". Much relieved I let my mind to drift away for a sec. All of the sudden, out of the tail of my eye, I spotted a rickshaw passing by. There was a customer sitting on it and a driver... "Hey, wait a minute!" - I said under my breath - "No way that guy is a rickshaw rider!" I took a closer look. The trike already moved on from Cambridge Circus and actually was crossing Charring Cross Rd., heading for pavement leading down Shaftesbury Ave. It was nearly on that paving when I realised everything. It was my rickshaw!!! Those bastards were basically taking her away! I dashed in pursuit of my lovely baby! They moved on through Shaftesbury Ave's pavement. I got them quickly. They were drunk, friendly and very proud of their prank. We shook hands and I offered them a lift.