I'm interested in how the economy works in The Wire (or the real Baltimore).
We've seen dealers and kingpin that make a good living from selling drugs. But who are the buyers? Do they live in the same ghetto, or do they come from out of town. Also, how do they earn money to support their drug habits.
Also, how does Bubbles earn enough money to stay high. We see him selling t-shirts and working as a snitch, which is not very profitable.
Bubbles collected scrap metal and sold it to the scrap yard. He could just look at a pile or metal and tell how much it would get him.
The city is full of addicts. Even the government believes it could be 1/10 addicts.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-07-12/news/bs-md-sun-investigates-heroin-addicts-20140712_1_drug-users-baltimore-sun-heroin
I am sure a lot of the money is stolen or items are stolen to get drug money. They also probably borrow it from well meaning friends or family. Eventually though they run out of money and their option is die or get clean.
shareMany, if not most of the people who are doing drugs anywhere, are somewhat functional. Meaning they hold jobs, have cars, etc. For now.
The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. Samuel Beckett
I wonder why this aspect was not a part of the story.
shareWhen they did the Hamsterdam zone county people were shown to be coming in to score drugs.
((Damn the remakes, Save the originals.))
yeah, and later you see the young county girl in old face andre's store working as a whore, probably in season 4. then again speaking at a narcotics anonymous meeting which bubbs also attends, prob season 5.
shareBubbles obtained around 900 USD for every broken lamp post delivered to the scrap&metal buyers
shareYes many come from out of town but also many homeless in that area. Living in abandoned houses, etc. Selling t-shirts and working as a snitch wasn't very profitable but mostly all he had in mind was his next high and it was enough for that.
Some have real jobs and just spend a lot of their money on drugs. Others are stealing or borrowing from someone they know. Begging for money on the streets and then going to buy drugs with it. Some have small little jobs they help someone out and make enough to get high.
Bubbles sister for instance had him staying in her basement. One day she went to work and her door was kicked in and half her kitchen was gone.
In some scenes you see work trucks (landscapers, etc.) driving up to buy.
share