MANHATTAN WILD, EIGHTIES STYLE

Before Former Mayor Rudolf Giuliani took office, Manhattan was a place for the street- smart pedestrian survivor.

Bike messengers out-brazened traffic and shot through red lights using whistles held between their teeth to shrill at us to get out of the way. Their colorful outfits gave a tough aura to their wild and fast job. At left meet Angela Weaver, Vincent Gibbs, Larry Fields, Edgar Reiges and Pablo Cruz.

At the same time, steam from the cities heating system took on a surreal quality, giving pedestrians a disembodied, ghostly appearance. At left see Mark hailing a cab while Heather wears a cloud above her shoulders, and Peter’s cloud surrounds his face.

Squeegee men, who manned most corners appeared out of nowhere to wash car windows for a tip whether the driver wanted this service or not.
And, while we’ve always had the poor, some who begged for money, their titles changed from Pan Handler to Beggar to Homeless.

For the pedestrian and driver alike, to go into the street was a challenge.