Friday, December 18, 2015

Pro Spotting

If you click to enbiggen, with a keen eye you will see, just to the right of the street tree, the elusive professional panhandler in his natural habitat.  You can tell he's a pro because he is wearing his PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) .
Well the reflective vest anyway.  I may have to write him up. He's lacking his safety glasses and hard hat.
I see this guy every day. I don't acknowledge him ever. I bet he's pulling down at least $200 a day.
I estimate this because I've seen the high end mountain bike he has tucked up under the overpass.
White guilt pays. Schmucks.





1 comment:

  1. In the 1970s as a teenager I surfed a lot. One fine day I was faced with the decision of whether to quench my ravenous hunger or buy gas for the trip home. Having filed my belly I stood outside a convenience store for gas money. I simply said I needed gas money...no sad sack story, no pleading. In 20 minutes I had enough change to buy what I needed. But so surprised by the rapidity of amassing a good income I lingered until I became consumed with guilt (about another 40 minutes).

    That experience made a huge impact on my life as evidenced that I can recall it so well these many decades later. The lesson I learned was Americans are very charitable. And there are many folk looking to capitalize on that charity.

    I figure if one is to put themselves in that place along the roadbed, they have sucked up whatever humility they had. Therefore, they deserve something. However, I have learned to be even more discerning in my charitable giving. I've been pelted with store bought food I gave away because they wanted alcohol instead. I have been threated with a knife in my side for not giving as much as they thought I had. those and a few other similar experiences have also taught me.

    My most favorite was the obviously homeless guy who picked me out of a mass of Christmas shoppers to give me the speech about how his car 'blew up'. I queried if his car actually blew up. Yes, blew up. Like a bomb exploded? (me waving with my hands) like parts lying all over the place?

    Yes! he replied. Imagine how loud his protestations as I walked away thanking him for a good story. He even asked me to write him a check. And, I kid you not, that since I will be writing him a check I should write it for a large amount, oh say, $500.

    ReplyDelete

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