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You know that summer has finally put in an appearance when Bill the Spud returns to Spring Garden Rd. Sitting on the benches in the warm sun makes you glad to be alive, until you hear “can you spare some change”
—senile
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2009.
25 Comments
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I watched Barrington dude in a wheelchair go from corner to corner – couldn’t make up his mind which way the suckers were coming.
I don’t really give a shit about giving change, I’m not ignorant to some of the uses of it, but just don’t care, however blatantly rude fuckers don’t get my money..and I tend to buy a couple of coffee’s on a cold day rather then give change
Who’s the fellow always playing the recorder?
I love the ones who don’t even ASK for change anymore….they just shake their stupid cup at you.
Take your cup and shove it up your ass…if you can’t even ASK for money and just shake your stupid little cup you won’t get any $$$ from me….not that you’d get any if you actually asked…but still.
FUCK panhandlers in this city are lazy these days.
I love recorder dude. One time he played me a song for a dollar and it was pretty good. Another time he sold me a poem about being schizophrenic.
Then there was that other time when he knocked on my front door wanting a coat hanger “to get back in his house,” that wasn’t so cool.
Man….there’s this one guy out there who tried to help himself to my friend’s burger…I see him all the time now. He peed on a lamp post one time while trying to sell me drawings. He showed me his tape (scotch tape) and told me not to steal his stuff when he went over to the pole to pee. And then I took the opportunity to high tail it to the NEXT bus stop to catch the bus.
It’s those feathered bums you have to watch out for. Waiting for those salty morsels of fried potatoes.
That is the only place where I’ll feed the starlings, Bro Tim. It’s too cute when I can teach them to warble for a chippy. Everywhere else they can FOAD.
What truely bugs me about panhandlers is that when people willingly give their change over to these lazy slugs, the poor sap HONESTLY believes they’re doing some good. Or they think they’re helping out “others less fortunate”. Which we all know is bullshit.
Honestly, the only one I can tolerate is the very quiet, thin and taller gentleman on SGR/Dresden with crutches. He doesn’t ask or solicit or shake his cup obnoxiously. All I’ve heard the guy say was, “Hello. Good morning. Thank you!”
The rest can kiss my ass.
Oh – and they’re getting YOUNGER now. Earlier this week I had some kid (not older than 15 tops) asking me if I had spare change. And the “…for a coffee/bus fare,” is getting old. Come up with some new material, you lazy fucks.
Nice goin’, Nice Goin’ Fat. (Meh…I just joined LTWWB…I should get a few lame comments free) You are right.
People need to learn that they are not making the world a better place by giving throwing change every which way. I’ve given away a half pizza that I doggie-bagged from a restaurant (not even sure if that was a good idea), but money? …definitely a bad idea.
NGF, that is the best of em… he’s always nice….
and good to see he’s up on crutches and not the wheelchair like last fall. Either he’s getting better or truly dedicated to some progressive story he’s pullin….
Never give him change though, none of us really have enough these days to be sure.
Bums want Bud the Spud too… That’s what they’re bumming for don’t you know? Bloody hell. I don’t give change anymore. Mostly because I’m tired of supporting the same homeless people over and over again. They clearly want to be there; so let them live it up, hobo style!
ps, saw barrington st. bench guy going home yesterday with a liquor store bag…. y’all may want to cut him off too. That hat waving bum.
Also you forgot the man who sell’s the story of his life……
Give them a toonie, loonie, a quarter even. For the love of god and all that is holy, please DO NOT GIVE THEM PENNIES! Transit fareboxes will thank you the day we can figure out how to animate them.
Dr. Fever – sorry to correct you, but it’s BILL the spud, apparently BUD is no longer in business, his chip van is for sale in Timberlea. I overheard 2 gobshites yesterday bringing everyone up to date on SPUD business, in between smoking, coughing and hawking phlegm up as I tried to eat my fries – where’s a good fucking Taser when you really need one????
The aggressive, smarmy ones can go fuck themselves. Sometimes I give some change to the ones who are polite, and I always try to not ignore them. I don’t want them to mewl or be obsequious, but being polite is a bare minimum. I can’t stand the traveling, crusty hipster types who smirk at you like they’re entitled to your money because you work for “The Man.”
I try not to judge people who are on the street, simply because I don’t have all the facts.
One of the things I’ve learned about homelessness is that many of them drink on the streets to stay warm if they don’t have adequate clothing or shelter.
Here is an eye opening article about what it is like trying to get off the streets, if anyone’s interested:
http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/2009/…
Hey – anyone know more about BUD’s truck for sale? I need a chip truck of my own.
andy, stop the mobile version from throwing up 60 links before the rest of the page and we’ll talk.
He’s very friendly, zZz. Don’t mind giving him “my last penny” at all.
And no worries, No Dogma. We’re all tight here somewhat lol
Is this the Bud the Spud truck? $375,000?? Seems crazy expensive.
http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-bu…
Yep, that’s Bud’s place. But he’s selling the spot too. The location is key. I’m actually upset that he’s selling the truck.
The guy with the crutches is very nice, and I always talk to him, and the other super skinny SGR dude with the giant blonde hair. He’s always friendly, and doesn’t ever ask for change, but wants to be noticed. I think the crutches are a scam though, I overheard another bum say to him one day “so you’re doing the crutches thing eh, I did that for awhile” And I had seen him pushing his own wheelchair once. I wont hold it against him though. I’ll continue to smile at them all as long as they’re nice, and refrain from being creepy.
AHAHAHA the guy with the blonde hair is hilarious and he always tells me I’m pretty hahaha.
but from what i heard today,he is retiring,and looking for someone to take over in his name,any takers.