Urban Living
There is a strip center near my house, hardly noticeable unless you live in the neighborhood. It has the usual tenants, a laundry mat, family style restaurant and a convenience store. And it is frequented not only by people like me who live in the area but also by those we are trained to call The Homeless but which might be more properly known as panhandlers or beggars.
I go to the restaurant every Saturday morning for a take out breakfast. This past Saturday I first made a stop at the store and was, per the usual, stopped by a relatively young guy, maybe in his late '20s, asking me for any spare change. I replied, "when I'm done in here" because I would walk by him anyway to go to the restaurant. When I came out of the store I handed him $2 and went into the restaurant.
I came out a few minutes later (with my pancakes and eggs to go), got into my car, looked up and there he was again, leaning into my half open passenger side window. He mumbled something about if I gave him another dollar he could buy a breakfast sandwich. Now I had given him the $2 because I thought that would be enough to get something for breakfast. Apparently I didn't take into account that he might have a particular item in mind which would cost more than that.
Perhaps this wasn't my finest hour. Although I was charitable, maybe I was not charitable enough because I replied rather abruptly, "I just gave you $2", started the car and took off. Did I have another dollar? Yes. Could I have given it to him? Yes. Do I feel regret that I didn't? No.
Maybe he told them to leave the bacon off.
posted by Presley Bennett @ 8/08/2005
3 comments
3 Comments:
I've given a homeless guy my entire lunch before (un-eaten of course) but I rarely ever - like I don't remember the last time if ever - give them money. They'll buy cigs, booze, drugs, whatever. But if I give them food all they can do is eat it.
You know what I don't get. Homeless people with dogs! What the...? You can't even feed yourself and now you gottta feed a dog too! (shaking my head)
I know this seems pretty calous, but I refuse to give money anymore. Last year, fresh out of college and on my own, I was working at a coffee shop. My last three months paychecks all bounced, and I had a theiving co-worker that would empty the tip jar if I wasn't looking.
Comming aross a dollar was a big deal for me at this time.
A few of my fellow coffee shop emplyee were painhandling on their off shifts. They boasted that they could bring in $100 dollars a day, not even on a good day.
Now, living back home with my folks, and being a partime substitue teacher when I'm not in grad school, I make only $70 a day.
I think panhandling is a right of every American...I mean that seriously...we are a free society, if you want to stand outside a convenience store and beg for money, go for it. And similarly, I believe everyone else is free to walk on by and refuse to give any. I almost always give money because, well just because...maybe a little of there but for the grace of God go I...and I don't care what they spend it on. I subscribe to the theory that I am only accountable for the giving, not what the givee does with it.
your co-workers sound like real slobs, Chipper.
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