The other night I was in need of some beers. One of the places that I like to go to is Grand Slam Liquors. Even though that part of town is somewhat rough, I like to spend my money there cause I figure it's a local shop. There's the occasional panhandler but nothing too bad.
Until this time.
There was a guy, as soon as we pulled in to the parking lot waiting to give us the usual "Pardon me sir, I'm not homeless/I never do this" speech. I'm not against giving money to people. I'm usually a sucker for this more times than naught.
Lately I've been a little stingy, probably since I read this pitch article. A friend and I once paid the guy in this picture, and one of his friends, $5 to let us take a couple pictures with him. Then a 3rd homeless guy came walking up and asked where his money was. When my friend and I told him that we had given it to the other two dudes, the 3rd guy whipped out his dong right in the middle of the street at 16th and Grand and started pissing all over the street. I Swear, it's a true story.
Anyway, I'm getting off course.
The point I'm trying to make is, I'm not against giving money. So, this guy hits us up for some money. I have a little pocket in my car where I keep change from various purchases. I think pretty much everyone has one, if not you probably use your ash tray. This stash has somehow dwindled into a shit load of pennies, a car wash token, and probably 15 different flavors of pocket lint. I just grab a handful of probably all pennies and the token and hand it to the dude. I say "Here you go. Sorry, that's all I got." Guy looks in his hands, looks up at me and says, "A token?!?!" I say "Sorry man, that's all I got." Next thing I know, there are pennies, and a lonely car wash token, flying all over 6th Street. There's a guy and his girl parked on 6th Street just cracking up at the situation. Another homeless dude with a Hurricane wrapped in a brown bag koozie comes straggling over saying "Hey, man, why you throwing away money." The guy that threw the money then says "That's not money." Finally one of the dudes working at Grand Slam comes out and breaks up the party.
After it was all said and done I wasn't sure how to feel about the situation.
8 comments:
You deserved to get pissed on, giving money to street urchins like this.
Well, he didn't piss on me. He pissed in the street. But you're probably right.
That is why I don't give money to them. And how do people piss on command like that?
I can piss on command after 9:30AM most days...
The story is classic. You should have come back out and blessed him with a bottle of Thunderbird.
I keep a bunch of Canadian pennies just for this purpose. The only thing worse than American pennies.
ah, entitled, addicted "homeless" people.
yes, they deserve to take the cash i happen to have just because they happen to ask for it.
the trick is not to have cash and not to get involved in the "conversation" in the first place.
grand slam liquor's parking lot is the worst place to indulge panhandlers. it's probably better just to include the extra can of beer in with your own tab.
I found the hottest pickels in KC at Grand Slam. Actually the header on my blog is outside of there too... hmmm...
hey i saw you on Wyandotte and 38th.
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