Las Vegas Photographer Tiffany Brown

20080621 amado

so, i roll up to my 3pm assignment on wednesday and it’s hot out, around 107 degrees. i park in the shade and there is a man sitting against the rear of the building, in front of my car.

there is a bucket and some rags next to him, and his parked bicycle. as i get out of the car he asks if i want a car wash. i say no, almost as a reflex, but as i got my gear out i noticed my car was actually filthy. i ask him how much. he gives me the pitch. i ask if he has water and he points to a spicate on the building. hah. classic. so i say, sure, and we agree on $15.

wash it up. the car was practically a new color of dirty and aside from stealing the whole rig i figured a bad car wash was the worst i was gonna get. i locked it up and went in to shoot a quick business portrait.

when i came back out a half hour later my car was SPARKLING! i’m not sure if he put whatever he was jacked up on in the soap but i swear it is the cleanest my car has ever been!!

we chatted while he finished the tires. he said the IRS owes him eight million dollars, among other rumblings about someone else screwing him out of money, though i never could get the answer for what.

it’s been three days and the paint hasn’t peeled off yet and the car is still sparkling like i just pulled away, leaving Amado in the shade with his bike and bucket.

i’ve thought about Amado a number of times since we crossed paths for those few moments. i’ve wondered what he spent that $20 on? where he sleeps? what he was high on? how long he’ll be able to poach that business’ water before they run him off? how most people respond and treat him when he offers his services?