Fairpark Car Wash Hosts Penny Pitching Championship

I can see why neighbors are suspicious about the activity going on all day long at the car wash on Malcolm X and Marburg in Dallas.  When we pulled out our cameras, everyone scattered.  Everyone except for my new friend M.J.

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He didn’t want his picture taken, but he entertained me for nearly an hour while I waited for the owner to show up.  MJ decided he wanted to take a break from washing cars to see if he could hustle me out of a few dollars.  He first proposed we bet on flipping quarters.

Amused, I agreed and pulled out a quarter.  “Heads I win, Tales you lose!” I declared, “You call it!”  I quickly went up a dollar before MJ realized there was no way for him to win.

In an effort to win his dollar back, he then challenged me to a game of pitching pennies.  Each player tries to throw his penny closest to the curb, who ever pitches closest wins.  At first, MJ had me out classed.  Every one of his tosses seemed to nestle up against the curb.  Clearly MJ had some practice at this.  But then I got the hang of it and came roaring back. 

For the next half hour, MJ and I laughed, hooped and hollered.  We had a blast.  In fact it was the most fun I have had in weeks.  We may come from very different neighborhoods but we were very much alike.  To competitive gamblers looking to make a buck!

The competition was fierce in the end, I lost 2 dollars to MJ.  It was cheaper then a movie and much more fun.

The owner, also a Dallas County Constable, finally showed up.  He acknowledged drugs are “probably” sold at his car wash.  But he claimed to be a victim.  Insisting he can’t watch the property 24/7 and neither can the police.  To quote the owner, “I understand the frustrations of people around here, I’m frustrated and I’m in law-enforcement!”

MJ chimed in, volunteering to watch the place for the owner.  For a small fee, of course.