streetwise

Also:

- Outstanding 1984 documentary film about street kids living in Seattle. I saw this movie when I was about the same age as all the prostitutes, hustlers, panhandlers and dumpster divers in this movie, and it made me appreciate my dull suburban upbringing a little bit more. It's an interesting companion to films such as Kids and My Own Private Idaho

- 1989 TV series about bicyle couriers in London

- 1998 movie about crack dealers in Washington D.C.

Source: IMDB

Chicago newspaper about the homeless and other relevant social issues, though they try to cover other news and events. The paper employs only the homeless and poor unemployed, who have to prove only that they are clean from drugs and alcohol addiction. This gives them the chance to scoop the major papers in the city on certain events, like when the Chicago Police Department was evicting and jailing hundred of homeless a few years ago from their camps on the heat vents on lower Michigan avenue.

It is up to the vendor to sell his papers; most peddle them on the streets or just inside the subways. It currently sells for $1.00; $0.25 goes back to the paper to cover publishing costs, and the vendor keeps the other $0.75.

There were enormous benefits to going to high school in the middle of downtown Chicago. You get to meet Kenny the Streetwise Vendor, who would have been a great guy if it weren't for the crack, or the other regulars who sing or dance or do any number of other things to sell to you.

Unfortunately, the drug testing created the problem of other, roving gangs of homeless, who'd steal the papers; they tell you to always look for the vendor I.D. before you buy the paper now.

Transforms from police car to robot and back!

PROTECTOBOT: STREETWISE

FUNCTION: INTERCEPTOR
"You have to know where you are before you know what to do."

Nothing escapes his notice...amazing capacity to adapt to understand his environment. Clever and determined--nothing deters him from seekinmg his prey--except an empty fuel tank. As car, has powerful double-mounted air-compressor cannon with 50 mile range; as robot uses blinding photon pistol. With fellow Protectobots forms "Defensor". Sometimes overheats as car.

• Strength: 5
• Intelligence: 9
• Speed: 6
• Endurance: 6
• Rank: 5
• Courage: 9
• Firepower: 7
• Skill: 7

Transformers Tech Specs

---

Streetwise had a strangely effeminate robot mode, due to the fact that the entire front half of the car swung down to form the torso and head, making his upper chest stick out like some kind of anti-gravity bust. I admire the designers' effort to make his transformation different from the Stunticons' standard, but this wasn't the way to do it.

There is a conception in popular culture that people that are streetwise are not academically intelligent and vice versa. This conception is embodied in stereotypes, such as the socially inept nerd and cool rebel.

First, it is necessary to explore the two concepts. The quality of being streetwise includes many features: procedural skills; persuasive and able to argue; pragmatic and probably a little cynical; mature in life experiences; good understanding of human nature and reading people; understands complex social norms (able to communicate ideas and opinions well, able to imbue significance into events feelings, understands the rules of social exchange); knows how to be cool (originality, conformity to some expectations but not others, style in clothes, understated and relaxed), generally not introverted, has a subjectivity. The quality of being academically intelligent includes the following: Understands conventions of writing, reading, and analysing; competent in well structured tasks; able to memorise and understand rich conceptual domains of knowledge.

I would argue that the two traits are probably not especially related. People can be streetwise and not academically intelligent. Also, while academic intelligence can add sophistication to being streetwise it by no way guarantees it. Academic people can be sheltered and lack life experience, understanding of economic and social realities and fail to apply their analytical skills to real world issues.