A Pearl of Wisdom from My Mother
My mother has a hobby. Some moms are really into knitting or cross-stitch or collecting dolls. My mother has honed her skills so that she can spot a hooker on the street.
"It's all in the purses," she says, sagely. "Prostitutes don't carry purses. Think about it, it makes sense. Someone could steal their purses while they walk the streets."
My mom has made hooker-spotting a hobby. When she drives down into high crime areas, she likes to guess which women walking the street are actually hookers.
I remember driving down Lake Avenue toward Lyell with her once.I believe we were going to the VOA thrift shop. She was keeping a tally of how many hookers she saw. I tried to play her game.
Me: (gesturing towards a blonde woman wearing a hat and jeans) How 'bout that one over there?
Marlene: (making her disgusted face) No, Kim! She has a purse. She can't be a hooker.
Me: Well, maybe she needs to carry stuff around with her.
(Marlene just snorts.)
Hooker-spotting must be an acquired skill because I am not good at it. However, Marlene's hooker-spotting instincts have been passed on to my brother, Pete, who claims he saw a hooker not too long ago.
Me: How did you know she was a hooker?
Pete: Well, this van stopped on Driving Park and this woman ran up to the driver side window.
Me: Maybe she knew the person.
Pete: No, she was maintaining eye contact with the driver.
Some mothers teach their daughters home skills like knitting and cooking. My mother has tried to teach me the valuable skill of spotting a street walker.
