For years I have asked myself an age old question, Do pimps really carry canes? I do not ask this question hypothetically or unprompted. I think that many of us have a stereotypical image in mind when we think of pimps, and for the last four years, I have seen a man around Toronto’s Discovery District who exactly fits this stereotype. This particular denizen of the District is always wearing a two piece suit with a t-shirt underneath it and a fedora that exactly matches his suit. Over the years, I’ve seen him wear white, blue, orange and light yellow. I may have seen him in a black or grey suit, but that seems unlikely given the man’s penchant for pastel colours. The most remarkable part of his attire is not his monochromatic suits but rather, the duck headed cane I’ve never seen him without.
I first spotted this man three summers ago while I was taking a leisurely lunchtime stroll along King St. West. I returned to work stymied by his demeanour and attire, and promptly asked my coworker what she made of the man I had seen. We could not come to any conclusions about the man’s occupation but we agreed that he was certainly dressed in a pimp-like way. Since then, I have seen him on Queen West, on Bay St. and on Yonge St., always wearing a pastel suit and carrying the duck head cane. This post was promoted because I saw the man in late August in the Eaton Centre’s food court drinking tea from a clear mug at Aroma. While I put a lid on my coffee at the table next to him, several questions came to mind: Is the cane an aid or an accessory? Do you wear jewel tones in winter? Do you have something against collared shirts? What brings you to this area around lunchtime? How is the tea at Aroma? Are you a pimp or are you just trying to look like one? My questions went unasked and unanswered. I gave one last look at the man I called The Pimp and departed the food court with my coffee, sure that this would not be the last time I encountered this denizen of the Discovery District.
The title of this post is not meant to make assumptions about the man’s lifestyle or personality. Rather, it is in reference to a line from Risky Business: “I’ve got a trig midterm tomorrow and I’m being chased by Guido the Killer Pimp.”
Song of the Day: Sing by Ed Sheeran
OR
Guido the Killer Pimp by Tangerine Dream
Hey CHCH,
Excellent little story there. Fantastic use of the word ‘denizen’ in a non-derogatory way. Hopefully, one day, you shall weed out what his true job is.
Keep up the good work.
Brenton