Paul Bass Photo
Kirk Bankasingh checks on a load.
Inside the Wishy Washy Laundry Wednesday morning, Sparks’ eyes were sparkling.
Sparks — aka Kirk Bankasingh — was beginning another day hustling paying gigs. Someone had agreed to pay $10 to have two loads of laundry done for them inside the sometimes hectic laundromat at the West River crossroads of Norton Street, Derby Avenue and George Street.
It was 9:30 a.m. Bankasingh had on Nike sandals with Bomba socks, and a gleam in his eye glitter on his eyelids from the previous night’s female illusionist gig, a private party in Fairfield, where he performed as Tyra Banks. (“It was a fetish party. I’m going to leave it at that.”) He said he returned home at 4 a.m., made it to Wishy Washy when it opened for the day at 7 a.m. He generally connects with 15 or so customers, up to three or four a day. “If you want to go get some ice cream or go shopping or church,” he’s there to watch and wash and fold the clothes, Bankasingh said while folding a shirt during a commotion-punctuated conversation on the “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” program.
Laundromat owner Lucy Zhang said Bankasingh is not an employee but is allowed to charge people to handle their laundry. Bankasingh also calls in when there’s a problem at the facility and the cops need to be called, Zhang said.
Bankasingh, who’s 44, said he lived for a while in New Haven as a kid until his parents moved out due to crime concerns. His grandfather still lives near the laundromat, across from the St. Raphael’s campus of Yale New Haven Hospital. Bankasignh said he has been back living with a friend in New Haven in recent years.
The word on the street Wednesday? “Be safe.”
Does Banaksingh feel safe these days? WNHH host Babz Rawls-Ivy asked.
“Sometimes not really,” responded Banaksingh, who said people will come into the laundromat inebriated and act out. “You see what happened inside here. A whole lot of nonsense and mess. … People drop bottles, arguing … I’m far from saying I’m a saint, [but] I know how to act.”
Bankasingh said he is hoping to take his Tyra act to Europe and to work with RuPaul’s Drag Race.
More immediately Wednesday, there was more work to line up: A friend was looking to pay to have someone clean rooms at their home in the afternoon, another of Bakasingh’s sidelines.
Click on the video to watch the conversation with Kirk Bankasingh on the“Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s“LoveBabz LoveTalk” program.
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Click here and see below for previous“Word on the Street” episodes and write-ups.
Word On The Street: Dumped Trash Disappears
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Word On The Street: Callaghan Suits Up
Officer McKernan Refuels For Double Duty
Word On The Street: Fred Keeps Moving
Word On The Street: Mimosa Mania
Word On The Street: Terry Hands Over The Brakes
Safety Hunter Keeps Eye On The Rising Tiers
Leather’s Grandson Returns To The Soil
Jorge Opens A Door
Word On The Street: Dad Awaits The Call
Word On The Street: Bridgette Beats The Sun
Word On The Street:“Blessed,” & Ready For Busy Barber Season
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The Word On Garden Street: Turkey Times Two
Dr. J Clears The Way
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Butts, Burger King Wrappers Vanish At Wendy’s Drive-Thru
Skateboard J Does A 360
Word On The Street: The Banana Vote Emerges
Word On The Street: Sprinkler Heads
Word On Orchard Street: Cheap Gas
Word On The Street: Keep On Truckin’
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Word on the Street: Coach Lance Called It
Word On Dixwell: Scooter Saves Gas
Budding Architect’s Word On The Street: New Haven’s More Laid Back Than Hong Kong
Word On Street:“Smell Good In Your Hood”
Blood (Pressure) Talk Comes To Barber’s Chair
Word On Street: Rizzo Can Stand The Heat
The Tomato Plot Thickens
Without Illusions, Lamont Stewart Makes The Most Of His Morning Walk
Pro-Punk Poet Prof Starts Summer Stretch
Barista Soaks Up New Hometown Flavor
Word On The Street: Park Pre-Work Workout Sets The Tone Homeless, & Working Exit 5
Aldo Salazar Does The Circuit
Brisa Mendoza STEMs The Graduation Tide
Timmy Turner Takes The Long View
Bike To Work Week Pulls Up To State Street Station
He’s Making Sure Soldiers Won’t Be Forgotten
Legion Ave. Rite Aid Closing; Actor Bummed
Word On Church St.: Drugs Are Everywhere
Indoor“Sunrise” Breakfasts Resume For The Hungry & The Homeless
“VillaFame” Has Designs On The World
Cherry Trees & NFTs Blossom In Wooster Square
9th Square Grows On New New Havener
Warbler Watcher Waits In The Woods
Reggie Gibson Makes A Clean Sweep
Sorry, Wooster Street: This New New Havener Has His Eye On Whalley Pie
Demons Stalk Methadone Run
Surveyor Bundles Up
Grandpa Boyd’s Toes Froze
Jay Jordan Shows Up Early For First Day At Mickey D’s
Track Champ Sets Sights On Firehouse
Can Collector Seeks Redemption
Reborn Stetson Library Opens Its Doors
Mom Prays To Pause Violence
Commuter Rolls With Switch To Train
Word on the Street: Math
Word At The Barber Shop: Ukraine Needs Our Help
Word On The Street: Pain At The Pump
Hamden’s Female Leadership Team Marks International Women’s Day
Taylor Picks Up Her Step
Wednesday’s Word on Grand:“Survival”
Turbocharged Community Soup Kitchen Plans Return To Indoor Dining
Prof On Track To Put Pain Behind Him
Word on The Street: New Beginnings
Lyric Hall Goes With The Flow
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Budget Airline Celebrates 100 Days At Tweed
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(Waste)Water St. Report: Omicron Still Fading
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Word On The Street:“Level Up”
Word On The Street: Paying Rent, Staying Safe
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Word On The Street: Caffeine
Word On The Street: 10 AM Georgia Hots