It took half a dozen or so attempts before her shaky legs eventually carried her to the other side of the street, to the side where a handful of boisterous young men were drinking beer and tossing rude remarks at passing teenaged girls who were mostly grinning in response, as though the lewd remarks that were being flung their way they were fulsome compliments.
It took the young men some time to recognize that the woman who had crossed the street was trying to attract their attention. When they became aware of her they seemed mildly irritated.
These were what are loosely described as ‘road men,’ layabouts whose favourite past time include dressing well, drinking beer in public and spending most of their time in idle pursuits. They assumed, correctly, that she had crossed the street to ask for money and before she