informal economies

02/12/11.  cinder-grey-ice-bound western outskirts of dayton, on the gettysburg pike, likely a 1960s effort to mark an edge for urban creep.  abandoned manufacturing estates, scruffy shopping centers fronted by sprawling cracked asphalt, side streets and boulevards to nowhere named after working class black heroes (James H McGee Boulevard), working class white heroes (Lori Sue Avenue), and working class aspirations (Cornell Drive).  on the north side of a crumbling concrete bridge over the wolf creek, skidded into the snowy west end of a T intersection and facing the intersection at a jaunty angle:  tan cadillac missing its driver side front wheel.  later model ford pointed straight ahead into the dead end of the intersection, not clearly involved in a collision, but possibly.  two men in tshirts and jeans inspecting damage.  in the southbound left hand turn lane at the light, another man climbs halfway out of his car and calls out across traffic -- "you need a tow?  got a truck around the corner..."  mildly annoyed shouted response, accompanied by a hand running over short-cropped hair -- "don't got money for a tow, man!"  the lack of other apparent options hangs in the air, so from the left hand turning man:  "you wanna sell it, then?"