Rug Burn Junky on 5/3/2008 at 00:36

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Come on, if you're going to talk about not giving money to bums, at least make it interesting. The same "I can't justify giving money to panhandlers when I'm in debt myself" line that every future yuppie* has ever used is pretty much a horrible cliché. With that lack of imagination, you may as well have kept this thread to yourself.

*though, judging by your horrible white trash lack of style, I know that's inappropriate.

There's a great panhandler in my neighborhood. He sits out on a milkcrate by the Boro Hall train station. Looks a little like Robin Harris, the standup comic, or Doc Louis, the trainer from Mike Tyson's Punch Out. Black guy, mid 40's, paunchy with buggly eyes.

So anyway, he sits out there all day, talking to any passerby that will listen. Most days he's really nice, Saying "Hi, how are you." or "God Bless you" (even if you don't give him money. I've given him change now and again. Gave him half a sandwich a few times, and once even bought him pizza.

But then, there are the other days. The days when he gets, how shall we say "ornery." On one such occasion, I was walking home from the subway, and passed him on his milkcrate. Smiling, he says "Got a dollar?" Likely having nothing but folding bills on me, I just let out a terse "Sorry, man," didn't make eye contact, and kept walking without breaking stride, my well honed New Yorker 100 yard stare in full effect.

That's when he broke the rules. He got up and started following me. Being that he was bow legged and not too spry, it wasn't exactly fast, but follow me he did, yelling at the top of his lungs "I KNOW you got money, but you ain't sharing. You're the DEVIL, the motherfucking DEVIL. You hear me?"

That pretty much shocked me. But I still had the presence of mind to turn around and yell back "Yeah, but I'm the devil with a dollar" before continuing on my way, still laughing.

Haven't given him shit since that day.

Martin Karne on 5/3/2008 at 01:51

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If you're a poor student getting asked money every time, then no, you aren't a bastard.

Ghostly Apparition on 5/3/2008 at 04:05

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Never thought you would come right out and admit that, but hey I'm not going to argue with you.
Any more breaking news? lmao

Thief13x on 5/3/2008 at 04:32

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interesting enough to drag your dumbass in here apparently

and I don't get the point of your story nor why it took a whole page to tell...was it to show that you can stand up to a hobbling homeless helpless broke begger?

I posted because i've really been questioning what to do? I feel like if I ignore them i'm not even treating them humanely but otherwise I get all stressed out and depressed hearing their life story and end up losing 20 bucks

aguywhoplaysthief on 5/3/2008 at 04:48

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What doesn't make sense about this story is that when asked, he ran, instead of saying "no", or "sorry".

I think that makes you pussy, not a bastard.