Some crabby old woman on SGR asked “Change for coffee?!?” I replied, “No thanks I’m going use my change to buy a coffee for myself.” To which she replied with “Fuck you %^$##@ mumble grumble &^%$&$” It’s my money! Go get some of your own! She would probably have more luck if she lied and asked for change for the phone or bus. I don’t really feel sorry for someone if they can’t afford their 12 o’clock (noon) coffee. —I Don’t Even Like Coffee
This article appears in Sep 1-7, 2011.
You could have ignored her. Instead, you give some smart ass condescending comment? Sure, it’s your money and you can do with it what you choose. If you are going to act like an arse about it then why are you shocked at being called out for it?
“It’s my money! Go get some of your own!”
Um, correct me if I’m wrong, but, wasn’t that what she was trying to do? And I agree with Raoul, (great name, btw), unless the person is being completely beligerent or aggressive to begin with, then there really is no need to spout off condescending remarks like you did. You essentially just rubbed her face in the fact that she couldn’t afford a coffee. Pretty douchebag move on your part, OB. If you didn’t feel comfortable giving her money, you could have bought her a coffee. If you had no intention of giving her anything, all you had to say was “no, sorry”.
Or buy her a coffee….
If you really wanted to make a point about it, you could have bought an extra coffee and then poured it out on the ground in front of her….
pssst snubiz… I already said that…lol
oh that’s just low zZz, dirty and lowwwwwww lol
O – sorry matey! I missed that bit! I’ll buy you a coffee!
Sa-weet! Thanks. Perfect timing too, Snubiz. I can see that 2 o’clock wall that I inevitably hit everyday, just coming into view now. I don’t feel like trying to climb it today so you bring the coffee, I’ll bring the Baileys. 😉
Why did you give her a flip answer and not expect a flippant response? You are the crabby b!tch in this one, my dear coffee bean.
Donarious has a friend who he claims got a panhandler to dance for him because he said he wouldn’t give him any money unless he did something for it and suggested dancing.
And correct me if I’m wrong, but that money’s not REALLY hers, now it is?
I had to do that once on halloween…
I said, “trick or treat”…
and they opted for “trick”.
:-/
You’re on!!!
Why don’t they tell the truth and ask for change for…….insert addiction of choice here.
I tell them, sorry, the government takes all of my spare money. They usually get a kick out of that one 🙂
Yes it is your money to do with as you wish. But did you really have to respond with the smart ass comment? Was that really necessary? Couldn’t you have just said “No, sorry” and kept walking?
Oh, right….I forgot, you’re better than she is. Jerkface.
It’s true. The same friend also bugged a group of panhandlers with a barrage of questions once and kept asking, “Money for what?” and “Why?” In the end he gave them a smoke each but no money.
The old hag that the OB is talking about is a little, smelly old coot who is actually quite rude and bossy to people. One time I saw her ask another random person for a smoke, the person politely declined, and the old bag smugly asked, “Why not?!” It was amusing. So I asked for a smoke and the lady offered me one in front of the bag.
This old bag is the one who stands in front of Lawtons and McDonalds, looks like a mix between a pug and terrier and wears big thick-lens glasses. PK once saw her get on a bus and when asked if she was going to pay the fare she snapped, “Can’t I get you next time?” Then some schmuck coughs up $2.25 for her while another person offers the driver $5 for the fare if he had change or something. THe old bag kept the $5.
The OB had every right to tell the swamp hag what he was doing with his money instead. It’s not condescending to tell a panhandler that you’re buying something for yourself. It’s actually more rude to ask a complete stranger if they have money for you.
I wonder what the rationale is behind asking for coffee. I assume she would spend it on any number of things, including possibly coffee. Is it, “I’m a mentally ill homeless person and a hot drink would be nice?” Or “I’m tired and need my caffeine” or “it sounds better than wine.” I mean there’s her, there’s that guy who asks for $ for bus tickets, some other people ask for it for food, and still others are honest and say they want to buy booze. I guess it depends on the person 😛
A few years ago when my lunchtime walk took me past the church that was built in a day (South park street?) there was this poor soul who would always ask “can you spare $3.75 for some food?” Now, you can’t get much more specific than that.
OP, the useless old hag would probably use the money for drugs…..maybe if you give her enough, she’ll overdose and society will finally be rid of one more beggar.
I didn’t think OP’s comment was that bad. “Change for coffee?” “No thanks, I have my own change” As if the panhandler was offering him change.
I thought it was quite funny.
OOHHHHHHHHHH OP’s talking about the pug dog lady! The one who carries a stack of 20s and 50s, yet tries to bum money and bus fare and smokes off of everyone and puts 40 cents in the bus fare box and expects that to be enough. And donarious is right — she added the $5 to her stack of cash in her pocket.
She gambles, that’s why she never wants to buy anything for herself and bums. She goes into mcdicks and buys coffee, and will question you or tell you off if you don’t give her money or smokes. She also lives around South Park.
I don’t think she’s hurting for coffee money.
I just ask” can you break a $20?” there just isn’t a good way for them to answer that.
some guy asked me that one day, “change for coffee sir”, i said okay, how much you got to give me.
I would have said Wow, for 1 quarter I get to help you get coffee AND sex.
I asked a guy panhandling if he had change for a 50 and he stupidly said yes. THEN the lights went on and he looked a little sheepish.
GV: this is a true story.
PK, myself and an ex of mine were hanging out on SGR once and a panhandler comes up and asks for spare change for the bus because all he has is large bills. We all give him a look, then look at each other, and one of us asks, “Go into a store and ask them to break a bill into change for you.”
He just stood there with a sheepish look on his face looking at us. He then started asking others who repeated what we said.
There is this chubby, scatterbrained young lady who I’ve seen a couple times around town who is always asking for “change for a pop” or bus fare. I first encountered her when I was with my Chinese friend. I of course told her no but my Chinese friend handed her a twenty and just said to pay him back later… He wrote down her number and stuff and afterward I was like “WTFQWHFWEIHF?!?!” And he said that’s just how they roll in China and that he’s given strangers money in Beijing and they always give it back. Poor lad, he of course didn’t get his money back and I actually saw the bitch again and she had the nerve to ask me for money again. She also seems to be a compulsive liar and has all these crazy stories and apparently had cancer twice and loves to smoke.
Does she have curly hair?
Hey everyone, there are specific protocols that a pan handler must do based on city bylaws or they can be fined or arrested.
I dont know what they are in halifax because their website sucks, but go to a place like calgary or winnipeg and the panhandler must: not walk alongside or approach the pedestrian because this is an agressive and intimidating move to some. They must not go wandering through parking lots knocking on windows, they must position themselves off to the side of the natural flow of people , etc etc
Yes she does Donairious, brown, curly frizzy hair, usually in a ponytail.
Yeah, that’s probably the same scammer I used to see all the time. One time she was exchanging her “earnings” inside Lawtons – while holding up the line for 5 minutes – only to ask the first person she ran into outside for spare change. This was just right after she got $25 in bills. And she lives/lived at the big apartments that on Queen where Alexandra’s Pizza is.