Friday Fictioneers – Common as muck

~ neilmacdon
chicagomg
Photo Prompt © Marie Gail Stratford

Whaddaya mean I can’t be here? Whodyathink you are? Oh, you’re the doorman? Well, whoopiedoo, I’m a street-sweeper! You ain’t no better than me. Whodyathink keeps the pavement clean for the lovely ladies ‘n’ genelmen?

What? Of course I’m dirty, you eejit. Muck does that to a bloke. I’m good enough to keep your customers from stepping in poop, but not good enough to be one? Get you!

Silly hat but nice coat, by the way. We’ll see how pretty the jacket looks when you have to clean up your own crap because I ain’t gonna ever again.

 

Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here.

Fancy sharpening your skill with writing exercises? The Scrivener’s Forge offers a new exercise every month to hone one aspect of your craft. Take a look at this month’s exercise on point of view.

83 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers – Common as muck”

  13. Neil, I agree with all the previous comments. I found the dialogue very authentic and I really found myself walking in his shoes. You would like to think that these barriers had broken down in our world but not always. You have definitely done your bit to redress that through your story.
    I have been caring for four pups and can relate to the role of street sweeper at the moment, athough our cutie pies are well and truly worth it.
    xx Rowena

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  14. A biting social commentary on attitudes to people according to their roles and status. I very much liked this piece, Neil. Particularly because, only last week, I was having a grumble about the lack of appreciation of and respect for the people who do the least pleasant jobs in our society. We really need their willingness to do the work and we can’t do without them but, overall, people don’t appear to value them. Your story said it all!

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  16. Well told. My village has been and still is lucky enough to have a gentleman who sweeps the streets etc. They have all been kind sociable gents. We undervalue them at our peril.

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  33. Maybe I’m just being adverse here, but not sure if this fellow would have felt at ease if the doorman had let him in. Not sure what I’d think if ragged grubby sorts wandered through a hotel lobby wjere I was staying. Hopefully I’d be charitable.

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