The $1 Picture

Working in a rough part of town. First ten people I approach, they are well into their Memorial Day Celebration by 3:00 Friday afternoon. When I ask to take their pictures, their answers are all the same. “What will you give me?” “A great picture of yourself”, I say. “No deal” they answer.

So I try across the street with this guy and get the same response. I was taken by the matching hat and shirt combo, so, for the first, and hopefully last, time, I shelled out a buck for the privilege of getting the pic you see here.

The street corner was divided in a holy war, with God’s warriors on one side, keeping away drug dealers with a combination of righteous zeal and indignation–and a police camera on the telephone pole.

I ventured to the front of the convenience mart, right under the police camera, thinking I was safe from the drug deals. I ask a guy (not pictured here) rolling his kid around for his pic, and he gladly agrees, but does not break his stride. So I follow him to the edge of the parking lot where he starts his negotiation with the dealer. In the middle of the negotiation, he asks the dealer to step back six inches so I can get his pic.