Harlem

Coffee break. We are parked in front of a bakery. Regulars continue to come by the Winnebago to pick up condoms. A few homeless teenage prostitutes are willing to be interviewed. We see toddlers walking around the destitute street where the Winnebago is parked.  Most of the toddlers are accompanied by siblings who are only a few years older.  There is no parental supervision.   For these children, it is not unusual to be on the streets by themselves close to midnight.

We are on our way again, Bronxbound.

Hunts Point, Bronx.

As we arrive in Hunts Point, George explains to us that this is one of the worst sections  of New York City. We drive on through bleak, empty streets of this industrial area; eventually small figures begin to stagger out of the darkness. A very young girl, strung out on crack asks us for a sweater. She wears only a summer dress in the middle of winter.

We encounter mother and daughter prostitute teams. The ladies receive hygenical kits containing wipes for cleaning after contact with their clients. After they have gone, George tells us that, out here, there is no access to lavatories and/or heat.

George is familiar with some of the prostitutes; some are new to the area. He talks to all of them. Some feel safe enough to enter the Winnebago while others will only venture to the window. A hungry woman wolfs down the rest of a sandwich that I find in my bag.

A lone boy, not yet seven years old, walks his dog.

We drive on.

Queens

As we enter the area known as the children’s stroll, George tells us about the different prostitution zones of the City.  In this neighborhood, we see pimps. A brawl starts. George does not interfere, he does not even call the police. His sole purpose here is to distribute condoms. He  tells us  that he can only help the child  prostitutes that we see working the street if he maintains a neutral relationship with the pimps. In this area we can not do interviews. As we watch the girls walking the street, George tells us that most of them are not even  15 years old. We see them getting into cars with as many as three men. Some of these children disappear and are never heard from again.

The police are nowhere to be seen in this area.