When he can find work on Reis' fishing boat, Mahsun is able to earn just about enough to eat and drink with, but this still leaves him with the problem of finding shelter at night. Winters in Turkey can be very cold, and one of his friends, in a similar situation, died from exposure. In this tragicomedy, Mahsun, a petty thief, cannot even get himself put in jail anymore, though this would solve his shelter problems. Instead, he steals cars at night, often just so that he can sleep in them. Rather than arresting him when they catch him stealing, the police simply administer a brutal beating. The owner of a teashop, who has "advanced" him hundreds of cups of tea on credit, hires him to clean the toilets and gives him a room to sleep in. Despite this newfound security, Mahsun cannot resist the attractions of a lovely heroin addict, and because of her he loses his new job and room.