Hydrant #1 [onward!]

mr. g age: 75-80 address: Market & 49th St. Sunday, 22 September 1:30 p.m. Mr. G is sitting on a bench outside the Shop Rite. The two older gentlemen who were also sitting there with him, joking and laughing with passersby who they knew, have just left. Mr. G does his grocery shopping here, at the Thriftway on 43rd and Walnut, and at B.J.'s wholesale place out in Springfield. He gets to all of these places in his car. He is old and gets tired and sore from walking too much, so he prefers driving. Today Mr. G is here just to hang out -- he often comes to this same bench in front of the Shop Rite to sit and chat with the people he knows and who also come here to be social. Ther aren't really any other places in the neighborhood -- homes or establishments -- where he likes to go to socialize. He used to get out more when he was younger, but doesn't go out so much any more. Mr. G worked for forty years at the Tasty Cake plant on 29th and Huntington Park, "doing just about everything". He retired 16 years ago. Mr. G moved north from South Carolina when he was 19 years old. He lived in Brownsville, Brooklyn for a while, and has lived around Market and 49th for thirty years. He lives with his wife. She does not like to go out much, except to go to restaurants -- out on City Line Avenue. Mr. G goes to City Line Avenue to buy clothes at The Big and Tall Man store (he is, in fact, a big and tall man). He buys nice clothes downtown at Boyds. And he mailorders all of his medicine. When Mr. G leaves the neighborhood he goes to Frankfort, North Philly, Atlanta, Florida and Queens -- all to see family. He used to go to see the Phillies play, but all the walking at the stadium gets him tired. And he used to go down to Atlantic City too. He can't remember the last time he went to the movies. When Mr. G's grandchildren come, he does not let them out in the neighborhood alone. He makes them go with their parents. And he doesn't go out at night at all anymore -- "it isn't safe". If he's already out, he'll come home, but he won't leave the house once he's already there. If he runs out of milk or needs something: it will wait until morning. [4 routes]