"Rather smart thinking," he told the young man, looking around at the crowd. "In my day it used to be a tree, or lamp post. Didn't have these confounded monstrosities churning out plastic food," he said, tapping the wall of the van with the end of his cane, as if berating it for its very existence.

"Can you see where there might be some sort of stage, or whatever? A central point? Where the midnight count might be called?" he asked.