Thank you to those of you who are kind enough to say, “No, I’m sorry I can’t spare any change.” or “Your song is lovely, I wish I had some money to give you.” Ect. You are all awesome.
Screw you guy who holds his pockets to stop the jingle sounds (we’re not going to jump you and beat you up because you can’t spare any change.. we understand being poor…) or the woman who says a rude comment while walking past.
—crusty hobo
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2009.
I SO don’t believe any of them made this post…but I suppose I’ll play devil’s advocate and play along….
WHY are you bumming?
It’s not that we hate you… we just hate that you
1. want something for nothing
2. don’t contribute to taxes yet draw from them should you (and this is an example only) drink too much mouthwash or something….
3. never seem to stop bumming or want to get on your feet anymore.
I hate my self every time I say sorry to a someone bumming for money.
Spare some change?… No sorry buddy. Its just so natural but i always walk away thinking why the fuck did I say that Im not sorry, and I shouldn’t be.
And those awesome people saying sorry or they like your song, much like myself, most of them are lying to you because they are not sorry either(probably not)
Are you sorry for not having a job? Probably just as sorry as Im not giving you any tax free income.
I work too fucking hard to feed somebody’s goddamn addiction. I can’t even afford my own, thanks.
Shut it crusty hobo!! Just shut the $%&k up!!
Get a real job you useless, lazy, waste of air, drug addict/alcoholic!! If you’ve got the energy to stand around shaking your little Tim Hortons cup all day, then you’re fully capable of getting a real job!!
You made your life choices and messed yourself up in the process. Why the hell should I pay (literally) for your mistakes/bad choices?? And why should I even be pleasant about telling you “No. I don’t have spare change.”?? If I want to tell you to go F&*^ yourself and leave me the F^&* alone, I’ll do so. You are a scab on society and should not be tolerated whatsoever. I really don’t care about your schizophrenia/mental health issues/drug or alcohol addictions. Everyone is fucked up/has issues of their own, but the vast majority of society deals with it every day, just fine. So quit pissing and whining that people aren’t nice about not wanting to give you money and get a job already! Your bitch was well written so you’re obviously capable of menial data entry at the very least.
And before any of you bleeding heart liberals out there start bitching me out and telling me to be compassionate, let me say this: I DON”T CARE!!!! There are various programs throughout HRM to help get the homeless/addicted back on their feet and do you know how many of these lazy shit-sacks actually try to get themselves back on course?? Less than 1% of the “homeless” population. These people made their choices and are responsible for their own actions.
Well, sometimes people are homeless for reasons beyond their control, but I’m convinced the majority of them just do it because it’s EASY. It’s a lot easier to stand on a corner and shake a tim hortons cup than to fill it with some coffee and hand it to a customer…
…the only good one I saw that actually made me chuckle a bit was the old woman who said on her sign she couldn’t get a job because she had no teeth…I suppose that’s pretty valid.
BUT, I’ve been informed on a few occasions that a few regulars on the streets actually have quite nice apartments and shit and just play up the bum thing to make money.
I’m sorry for the ones who don’t have control over their situation and sure if I was homeless and couldn’t do anything about it I’d probably want to be drunk or stoned, myself, but, it’s not my job to give you money to buy a coffee or fund your bus trips when I can barely afford to buy myself a coffee and come May, fund my own bus trips.
man, that’s likely what I would have said yesterday….
bad day.
Lucky OP, there could have been a massive,heated gang-flaming if your timing wasn’t perfect.
In some professions, like the oldest, no teeth would be an asset wouldn’t it?
I bet you own a computer, I give you money everytime and I’m sure your richer, drunker and happier than I could ever be.
Never Wrong, you read my mind. Why should any of us have to pay for other people’s fucked up choices??
Let’s all tell them, “Yes we do have change but we’re not going to give any to your lazy ass”.
Miles, you kill me. 🙂
I’ll have to agree with TTFN and Never Wrong. The only ‘spare’ change i ever hand out goes to the guy playing his insturment, or of course, the chalk-master. If you’re asking for people’s money, at least offer something in return that may actually make people want to hand it out to you.
There’s one guy in particular who hangs out around the LC on Agricola. He asks EVERY single person to walk/bike down that street for money and smokes. Shit, just the other night i saw him dart across the street in traffic just to ask someone for change. When people say ‘no, sorry’ to him, he gets really mad and mouths off to them. Last summer he told my friends and i that he was going beat us and steal our beer, which sent us into drunken hysterics, which sent him into a fit of rage. (It’s funny, because this little crackhead is only about 5 feet tall).
People like this guy are a clear waste of space, and Halifax is full of them.
your asking for hand outs? and complaining ? what do you think your selling. 5 seconds of ambient back ground noise? get a job, or at least take your art to the next level.
I used to see the Chalkmaster all the time in Toronto in front of the Eaton Center. Last I heard he was trying to save enough coin to open an art studio or something.
I once saw, with my own eyes, and heard with my won hears the following:
I was walking down the street next to commons and a nice shinny BMW pulled in to let someone off. Out jumps a kid (probably mid-teens) looking like like he was just rescued out of the woods. torn sneakers, torn jeans, huge back-pac, hasn’t seen a razor in weeks, typical homeless look. He then leans back in the car and says “ok mom, I won’t be late for dinner – bye” and proceeded to walk to the quinnpool / robie intersection with a sign that read “homeless and hungry please help, anything will do”
He really looked the part so I complemented him on his moms ride, it was pretty sweet.
His mom’s probably pimping him out as a street urchin to help pay for that car. Sad really.
Lots of people who ask for money on the street have homes. Lots of homeless people don’t ask for money on the street.
When I used to go to school downtown I walked along Barrington a lot. One day I came upon a young girl panhandling for money at the corner at Sackville outside the eye place. She caught my eye right away because she looked really young and kinda clueless. She was wearing some Mom jeans and a windbreaker and some shitty sneakers….not in an ironic way, but more like in a “I don’t have any money for cool clothes” way. The next day she was out there again with her hat. I stooped down and asked her how old she was and why she was out here panhandling. She said she was 14 and she was out there because she was staying with her friend, and her friend’s parents were making her go out and panhandle to pay for her room and board. I was pretty disgusted…the idea that there were actually people out there who, instead of giving a vulnerable girl a place to stay, would make her go out there, sit on the cold pavement and ask strangers for money. FFS. I had an idea to give her my phone number in case she ever wanted a non-fucked-in-the-head person to talk to or stay with, but the next day she was gone and I never saw her again. I’ve always regretted not having that idea sooner, and always wondered what happened to her…
Jesh
Give some of these buddys some sort of credit
A-yes they should have jobs but they dont
B-yes they should pay taxes but they dont
C-not all of them are junkies
Sometimes people are just down on their luck and dont have family and whatnot therefore make them homeless. I understand this is not ALL cases
Never Wrong: I can assume from your screen name that you get off on being inflammatory, so I’m not going to waste my time debating your flurry of misguided hatred. However, I will question your source for the 1% statistic you threw out there. Where exactly are you getting that number? I seriously doubt it’s from any sort of reputable source, or any source at all. In fact, right there is the potential subject of a pretty good bitch: I can’t stand people who use made-up statistics to try and make their unintelligent/ineloquent points of view seem valid…..
A guy by my place is out on the sidewalk all day.. but it’s not a very high traffic area which makes me think that even with a min-wage job, working the same time he spends on the street smoking and asking for money he’d easily make 3 times as much money… but, yeah guess that’s the point of being a bum..
The best I saw was a middle-aged gent being STOPPED and then asked. The person bumming was sitting on his ass with his hand sticking out.
So, when asked if he had any spare change, the man looked at the bum, patted his pocket and the pocket jingled. The bum got excited at that sound, but the other man said, “No!” Dude walked off with the biggest smirk on his face.
Another one was last week when a bum asked a group of us walking by to “spare 40 or 50 cents”. So a guy ahead of me, turns around and asked if they could spare a mortgage payment.
And don’t hate on Never Wrong for his opinions on these wastes of resource. He is merely stating what a lot of us are thinking and I support it. I feel the same way he does.
Like PK once said about these people: we don’t like that they ask or bum, we don’t like their sense of entitlement that its our duty to support them.
I was once told that you can ask anything of anybody but they have the right to refuse.
“we don’t like their sense of entitlement that its our duty to support them.”
I totally agree with this.
I live on one end of Spring Garden and work/go to school at the other. If I gave 5 cents to every bum I ran into in the past few months alone, I’d be broke. Sometimes I literally grab my keys to stop them from jingling because I know they’ll assume it’s change.
Besides that, not once has any of them even remotely recognized me, even though I’ve given them change the odd time and walk by them at least twice a day. Maybe they should try to recognize people’s faces and not bother people like me twice a day; I know I’d feel a little more inclined to give them something.
Never Wrong: I agree. …but I wouldn’t have said ‘scab’, since scabs are useful. I probably would have gone with ‘pox’.
Miles (from home): I thought that even before I read your comment. Thanks for commenting and saving me from debating how to put it. lol
mcscreen name: W T F ? That should be enough for everyone to cut off the free change right now. Even for those who don’t come from a rich family, I’ve heard some squeegeers pull in (I won’t say ‘earn’) as much as someone with a 60 000 $ salary takes home after they PAY TAXES.
Ah, the timeless homeless person debate. I’ve helped people out that looked like they’ve needed it, but I hate the guys who do it day in, day out. They look like they’re as high as a kite or crashing like one, and I refuse to feed that. It’s not my fault that you decide to drink Lysol everyday. Kick the habits, get clean, get a job. Living in a shitty apartment with nothing more than a cot, is far better than freezing your nuts off on a corner, or pissing yourself day after day. NW is absolutely correct: there are many outreach programs out there to help people like that get back up on their feet. Problem is, you gotta stay clean for most of them.
meOw: First off, no I do not “get off on being inflammatory”. I just don’t give two thrids of a flying f&*^ what people like you think of my opinions and will not sugar coat them. I refuse to hide my total loathing for panhandling scumbags. I was the sous-chef of a rather nice downtown restaurant for a few years. In that time I offered dishwashing jobs to at least a dozen bums. Do you know how many took the job? One. And she still panhandled all day anyway. She spent the morning at the windsor street exchange and the afternoons downtown, then worked doing dishes at night. She was paid an above average wage, plus tips. She split a one bedroom apartment with her gf out in spryfield. My point is that she made close to $20,000 a year, all tax free and still carried a sign that said she was homeless and needed help. The vast majority of bums on the street are just lazy alcoholics and drug addicts, who refuse to clean themselves up. As for the 1%, that comes from a woman who works for one of the drug outreach programs here in Halifax. A friend of mine is currently undergoing addictions counselling and staying in one of the group homes. There are a certain number of spots available for people coming from the streets and a certain number available to those who are coming from a voluntary detox program. She said that the spots available to those looking to get off the streets and clean themselves up are almost NEVER used. It’s almost entirely people who come from a voluntary detox program.
Dr. Fever’s right: most don’t want to or don’t have the will [power] to get clean or keep a job…I doubt working for min wage and having to BE somewhere at a certain time piques their fancy. (piques? peaks? lol)
And NGF and JMO’s got it right: I don’t like how entitled some of them feel they are to MY money…it’s not my job to support everyone out there. I can barely support myself at this point (rent and such takes a lot out of someone with limited saving on student loan)…but you don’t see me out there bumming for change, now do you?
Maybe we all should, everyone go out once a week and “bum” and make sure to take up all the “reg” bum spots,
Oh up yours.
The bums will be with us always. I don’t know who the Christ said that.
Last month I saw one of the SGR bums (red hair, super tall, very cheery) yell at a bongo-playing busker who set up a spot about 30 feet away.
The bum actually said, “Next time you want to talk about this, come see me.” Bongo Man just looked at him with a ‘WTF?’ expression.
Very territorial for public property…
EXACTLY
60 000 dollars for squeejeein? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Right.
I will say that half of these people are not homeless, yes. But 99 percent of the half that do live in apartments live in overpriced shitholes that they cannot afford on any minimum wage job.
I busk, because yes, I need the money and the 10 hours a month of work i get isn’t enough to feed myself. I don’t smoke crack, or drink more than the average workin’ folks. And I think I can speak for a good lot of people who busk on the street when I say that. However, ironic as it may be, when Im asked for change from the tim cup shakers, I never give it up, and I hold down my jingling change. I don’t mind when people do that when I busk, but theres no need for rudeness on the part of the asker, or the walker.
I also hate rude and persistant crackheads, and I’m not the biggest fan of panhandling, -I think one should try to do something for their change (busk, etc)- but its one of the oldest occupations in history, and its not going to go away anytime soon. So instead of wasting your energy on trying to come up with clever little quips to throw in a bums face, just ignore and keep walkin’.
And besides, lately, the only options around seem to be call centres and fast food joints, and frankly I would rather sit in a dirt mound and play music all day, everyday, for the rest of my life than have either of those as a career.
ps, the OP was definately not a “crusty hobo” in the traditional sense. My guess is a young crusty punk.
Somehow I think bums are providing a service. Perhaps not one that manifests itself materially. For me, they make me think about the many reasons one could be on the street. Shit, life is just so difficult in so many ways. Sometimes we hear their story and when we do, most of us do have compassion. I’ll admit I struggle to have compassion sometimes, like when I make up their life story about why they are not ‘real’ bums. Deep down however, I feel connected to them. I don’t generally feel inclined to give them money either but some with their sense of entitlement doesn’t normally bother me. I think our anger towards them stems from our inability to help them and/or our frustration with seeing ‘failure’. Yes I know NW is not angry because he can’t help them, he’s angry because they are not working and getting ‘free’ money…hmmm jealous perhaps. To me, street people look tortured and I really doubt it is “easier to hold out a Tim’s cup then to fill it with coffee”. If it’s really that easy, then why aren’t we all bumming instead of working? Unless you’re Mother Theresa you’re likely out to make money the easiest way possible. For most of us here in this society, that means getting an education as we know it’s a safe bet to get a decent paying job. I suspect the little bit of money street people make and I highly doubt its 60 000, is “easy” money. And if they did make 60 000 then I say “good for fucking them!” I can think of much seedier corporations making far too much money at the expense of others and the environment but that’s a whole other bitch. I suppose if all bums had to do was hold out a cup and money just fell in, but I suspect they have to endure a lot more, their share of rotten weather and abuse, judging by the number of people on here who hate them.
So if you’re thinking they must want to be there because we have programs for them that they chose not to use. AA, NA, mental health facilities, disability cheques, yet they still fall through the cracks. Then on that same note we also have programs for weight loss and smoking cessation yet there are so many obese and/or smokers who have fallen through the cracks. Oh wait they haven’t fallen through the cracks they just have this sense of entitlement that we’ll look after them when their arteries clog and diabetes or cancer sets in. So if you want to get your shit in a knot about them or do the whole I DON’T CARE routine go ahead, it’s your stress level, if you think it will help you or them then go ahead, hate away. If you’re going to talk about a sense of entitlement then let’s talk about health care. Our health care system, your tax dollars, are going to people who are, not just bumming on the street, but are drinking, smoking, eating them selves to death. Many don’t feel the need to curb their smoking, drinking or eating so as to lessen the cost of health care. Why? Because we have a sense of entitlement. We are entitled to be human. Therefore: WE ARE ENTITLED TO BE FUCKED UP AND HAVE OTHERS PAY FOR IT. We are already paying “for other peoples fucked up choices” with our tax dollars, clearly. Bankruptcy, greedy or fraudulent insurance claims, ALL other peoples fucked up choices coming out of our pocket in the end.
What pisses me off far more than bums ever could are people at work hounding you for money to send their already over privileged kid to France or where ever.
Bums just are, and I believe they are here for a reason, yours to figure out or not
wow #@%$ that was alot to get of your chest, I can’t contol what the gov and other org does with my tax or their money. I can however control my own money. I personally have been yelled at. I am polite when I refuse but I have been followed into a store and yelled at when I left because I lied about not having extra money. Well I didn’t lie I had to buy milk that used the last of my money. i don’t resent people who earn money doing nothing, I resent people who make me feel like i have to show them my budget in order to not give them money I can’t afford to give them. I shouldn’t be made to feel guilty because I saved a little change and wanted to treat myself to a coffee instead of being begged for it outside a coffee shop and looked or spoken to in a pissy way. I think it’s the “How dare you spend your money on yourself and not me” atitude that is the worst. Some of us are only one step away from being their too.
#@%$: I have no issues whatsoever with people earning tax free money. Hell, I worked under the table for years. So no, I’m not “jealous” as you assume you pompous ass. It’s like JMO said, I can’t do anything about the government taking taxes out of my paycheque. What I can do is say no (in any fashion I please) to some lazy ass bum on the street. I also have no problem with people like Leek, who actually busk. At least they are actually trying to earn that change and not just expecting it be given to them. Quite frankly, I am of the opinion that the busker festival should be required to have at the bare minimum 50% of the buskers be local (meaning within the maritimes).
“I can’t contol what the gov and other org does with my tax or their money.”: So does that mean you like to see your tax dollars not go to health care since much of it is self inflicked? When you develop coronary artery disease due to your lifestyle ‘choices’ should we be pissed that we have to pay for your bypass surgery. No we’ll just take it out on the bums that ask for 50 fucking cents.
If a street person starts yelling at you it is likely for two reasons A) you were rude to them or B) they have mental issues. I’d just keep walking and leave them to their misery. I suspect they endure a lot more abuse then you do.
yup that is exactly what I said. BTW I pay for medical insurance so don’t worry about my health.
I’m not sure if you ever tried to pay for something and be 50 cents or more short but the stores don’t accept “sorry I had to give it to the bum outside, will you give me the milk anyway?”
I am never rude to them even when I am the one being mistreated by them.
They might have mental issues and if you read my post then you would of read that I walk away and they follow me right in the store.
” I suspect they endure a lot more abuse then you do”
Does this mean I have to accept their abuse? How do you know this? I know that I do not have to put up with abuse from anyone. I can not justify being a doormat because some drunk has a worse life then I do.
NW – I agree with you about the Buskers, earning their pay (thats what it is ) and keeping it somewhat local.
Notice bums like the OP are gone in the winter and back in full force come the first nice day of the year. Usually they’re teenagers who actually live at home.
In fact, you don’t see too many bums at night, mostly during the day. Ever wonder where they all go? Well I followed one and it ended up in a very nice house in the north end that the likes of me, can’t afford to live in, and I’m not a but, a guy with a full-time job.
Well mr/ms bum, I’ll jingle my change right in front of you and tell you I don’t have any, do you have any to space because I certainly need some. beer is really expensive these days!
leek, I agree with ya, probably went back to his nice room and typed this up on his PC. Internet cafes usually require you to by things to use their computers. I highly doubt a bum would spend money on that!
Im think im gonna side with #@%$ a little on this one. Although some bums are assholes, some non-bums are assholes too. Many bums are going to have mental problems as well, and those mental problems are not going to allow them to get a job. Take for example, someone who made some really bad choices, maybe did a little too much acid one time or something, they went to “detox” they are clean from all drugs, so the programs out there are no longer of use to these people because they are clean. But now they are basically fucked in the head, have absolutely no social skills, and nobody wants to be around them to work with because people are scared of them. What are they to do then? Like I said, I don’t feel obligated to give them my money, but I don’t know their past, and I’m not going to be rude to them because of that….Most bums that have been rude to me have obvious mental problems, so I let it go.
fallingangels, usually you can tell who those ones are. But the ones that own dogs and can afford to feed them and obviously have all kinds of jewels hanging from their bodies, not to mention that $100+ shoes I’ve seen on some of them, those are the ones I have no sympathy for or any respect.
They’re just leeches!
O yeah I agree with that too, Those people I would never give money too, however I still wouldn’t be rude to them unless it was obviously some punk rich kid being rude to me, and even then i probably just give them the finger and walk away, not really the aggressive type…in most situations anyway
1fallingangels1: “Take for example, someone who made some really bad choices, maybe did a little too much acid one time or something”
So they’re not responsible for their choices? They chose to take whatever drugs screwed them up. They chose to do it again more than likely. And again, and again. Everyone is responsible for their own actions. I will not have some bleeding heart liberals tell me that I should cut them some slack, because they made a bad choice. Carla Homolka made a bad choice. Conrad Black made a bad choice. Bill Clinton made a bad choice. Michael Jackson made a bad choice. So should we be cutting them some slack too? No, because everyone is responsible for their own actions. It’s people like yourself and #@%$ telling them “It’s ok. You fucked your own life up, but we’re gonna take responsibility for it” that perpetuates the cycle. You’re saying that because they fucked up, I should tolerate them being assholes? F%^& that.
And as a side note, I was attacked by a bum 3 years ago. No, I don’t mean verbally, I mean physically attacked. Long story short, I was in Timothy’s on SGR with my gf at the time. This bum comes inside and starts bumming the patrons for change. I’ll ignore them outside, but coming into an establishment to bum change, no way I’ll let that slide. So when the bum asked me for change, I told him to leave me the f*&^ alone and get out. If he wanted to bum outside, fine, but don’t be so bold as to come inside and bother me. The guy freaks out and comes at me with a chair!! Security did absolutely nothing, just stood there and watched. I had to chase the guy off myself. So if you think that your pitiful arguments are going to sway my views on bums, think again. I have a lifetime hate on for them, with good reason.
A permit is required to busk in Hfx. I know people who quit their jobs in the summer to do it because it can be a lucrative living. I’m sure those who do it year-round do it not just for the love of the music (a chosen career path) but for the love of your money.
You presumptuous Haligonian fucks! Listen to yourselves going on about bums and pan handlers… as if any of you have one iota of talent! You WISH you could sing or play an instrument! Jerks.
Kay, I think your greatest talent is the ability to really miss the point. How many of these 40+ posts are talking about buskers in a negative way? Unless you consider the tim’s cup maraca an instrument, we are not talking about musicians and singers here.
uh…kay…last time I checked I didn’t need to know how to sing or play an instrument in order to become a pan handler…and never wrong, your far from perfect, nobody is and everyone is a stupid immature kid at some point. Im just saying, you don’t know other people’s perspectives or life history, I’m not saying you have to give them money, just don’t be rude and obnoxious for no good reason (yes some bums are a holes, but not every one of them is, so don’t make that assumption and treat everyone of them like shit)
1fallingangels1: First off, I never said I was perfect. I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes in the past, but I’ve always been the one to pay for them. I take full responsibility for any and all of my actions. Secondly, when at any point, did I say I was rude to every one of them? Did I say “I treat all bums like shit”? No, I didn’t. Your ability to miss the point of a post is on par with kay’s. Just because everyone is a stupid immature kid at some point, does not excuse them from the choices they made.
Talk about missing the point!?! You bitches are going on about pan-handlers. The OP is bitching about busking and the presumptuous behavior of Haligonians… LOL, all of you just validated the OP.
First of all, I can’t hate on buskers. Some people really enjoy playing music, and if you can’t get your song on the radio, someone’s gotta hear it.
Secondly, I gotta say, the North End bums are the worst. You can’t say “sorry” without them getting all up in arms about it. The formerly mentioned guy at the LC on Agricola is really aggressive. I work nearby, and when he asked me for change and I said sorry I don’t have any, he went off saying “oh you always say that, you have more money than you know what to do with, blah blah blah…” Yes, that’s why I don’t have a car and walk to work, and will be paying my student loans back for the next 13 years, because I have more money than I know what to do with. Give me a break.
Another time I saw a guy ask a blind man with a seeing eye dog for change. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the blind man is much better off than the homeless guy, he’s reasonably well dressed and appears to have employment. But seriously, he’s blind! That seems ignorant to me.
lol Kay for a while I was thinking that you or Nai changed their name on here to #@%$. I think you need to read OP again because it was panhandlers unless “crusty hobo” is a new busker routine.
NW – thank you for reafferminig what I said about them following / entering a store and harrassing people.
Sarah – I agree the northend bums are usually the worst, I have had to deal with the liqour store one myself.
it would of been funny if the blind guy said sorry my dog left his wallet at home.
Actually never wrong I think you may have missed MY point, In my first post that you had disagreed with I clearly stated that : “I don’t feel obligated to give them my money, but I don’t know their past, and I’m not going to be rude to them because of that…” That being my point you replied that: “I will not have some bleeding heart liberals tell me that I should cut them some slack” and “telling them “It’s ok. You fucked your own life up, but we’re gonna take responsibility for it” If you had actually been paying attention to the point I was making, you would clearly see that I was not saying that we should “take responsibility for it” and that rather I was just trying to say to consider your lack of knowledge about some ones past life before you curse them out and treat them like shit. Perhaps the example I gave was a bad one, so how about using an example related to another post: a young immature kid, (and we all have been there) falls off his bike and gets a head injury, now has mental problems resulting from it, and lacks a supportive family to look after him blah blah blah badda boom badda bing..he is a homeless man with absolutely no social skills on the street. Never wrong, if you had had an injury that cost you the ability to “take responsibility for your actions” and had no one to help you, that doesn’t make you deserve to be treated like shit. So you may have not said that you were rude to everyone of them, but you did miss MY point
I think the ultimate problem here is rudeness. Neither side has the place to be rude to the other, regardless of “social standing”, addiction, age, living situation, or appearance. Seems to me the argument is going in circles, when the whole point the OP brought up was rudeness. Even if the “bum” in question is a spoiled rich punk, if they’re being polite about what theyre doing, there should be no need to express open contempt. Sure, have your opinions about them, like anyone else (the grocery clerk, coffee slinger, or coworker) but unless they give you a reason to be rude or agressive towards them, just keep walkin’.
awesome point leek
I agree with leek, we should all be more polite, but what I also think is the problem is that the non-busking/panhandling public is made to feel like jerks simply for not giving away their money, even if they do so in a polite fashion.
I personally, have a lot of student loan debt, so I really never have extra money. I also buy 90% of my clothes at either Salvation Army, or when they’ve been marked down 75% at the mall. I have the knack to do this well and look like I’ve spent a lot of money on them. This makes me a target when I walk down the street, because I look like I have money. I don’t have the time to explain the origins of my wardrobe to every panhandler on my walk to work, so instead I look like a rude jerky rich lady who won’t give away my “spare change” to the unfortunate guy with no home. I shouldn’t have to dress like I’m poor to save myself from feeling guilty about not having extra change, I feel bad enough as it is that I need to think about where every dollar is going. I never ignore them, or am rude to them, I always smile and shake my head no, or say “not today”, but they still make me feel like a jerk. It’s the same feeling you get when you can’t afford to tip really well, or give to the Santa ball at the mall when you walk by. It sucks, but I shoudn’t be made to feel that way simply because I can’t afford it.
kay definitely has an extra large forehead and major horse teeth. probably why she thinks she’s hot shit somehow.
*dies*
OMG NGF. You just made my life.
My boyfriend works at a liquor store and he can point out anyone who is a regular. Most of the people bumming for change are liquor store regulars.
PAS, sometimes I think you are the female me. You often say what I want to say using almost the same words I would use. Except for the part about dressing like a rich lady…I only do that on weekends.
Wow, stardustpearl, i worked at the LC once and was able to pick-out the regulars. They were the people I saw repeatedly.
Thats how I could tell they were regulars 😀
Btter a Liberal Government than a self absorbed Conservative Dictatorship!!!! I’d rather have the Libs creat programs and get them off the street than have to walk by it everyday! Fucking heartless Conservative Nazies, go to America where your kind belongs!!!
JMO, YOU need to read the original post again. I’m going to *gasp* defend kay on this point.
The OP is a busker (though possibly with no permit), NOT a beggar (or worse, a demander!).
Did you miss the “Your SONG is lovely […]” part?
QED
Haha, great minds think alike! And hopefully when you say we use the same words you also meant about the “santa ball” thing, I really have no idea what else to call it, but hoped people would understand.
…some clarification on my squeegee kid post.
1. (to leek and #@%$) I did not say that some squeegee kids make 60 000 $ per year. I said they may make as much as a taxpayer with 60 000 $ in annual income actually takes home in a year(after taxes). That is more like 45 000 $. …still a lot, but you should read more closely before you criticize.
2. That was not a guess. That was a figure obtained directly from one of said squeegee kids in an interview.
3. 45 000 $ per year means roughly 150 $ per day. I don’t have any problem imagining that happening. Extra info: This was a squeegee kid washing windows at a very busy intersection in Winnipeg.
4. I am very against giving money to beggars, but I have less of a problem with people who actually do something for money. There is the issue of tax evasion and the negative impact of distracting or impeding traffic, but the objection I was getting at was the “this person really needs money” guilt-tripping at work. If you want to exchange money for a window cleaning, that’s fine. I was just trying to knock down the guilt effect by providing one of many examples of people who look the part but are definitely not needy.
Goddamn it, I keep missing out on these pissing matches. First, what has kay done? Second, I’m getting the feeling this has all digressed, but even so, aren’t we jumping to conclusions here? Who knows if this is a hobo/addict…perhaps they’re expressing sympathy FOR the poor…and THREE: word to the wise, if you give to the homeless, stop it. You’re better off donating to charities that support poverty and don’t go squandering it off on alcohol/cannabis/prostitution. I’m done.
FUCK omit lines 3-4. Overlooking is a bitch. In this case, NO SYMPATHY OP. All I can say is: watch 50 Jobs in 50 days.
Dino Jr., since you’re asking and not assuming (thank you…so many people are incapable of that), I’ll mention as nicely as possible that the title of the original post is “on behalf of US crusty sidewalk inhabitants”. Therefore the OP is a beggar/panhandler or busker.
About the pissing match involving kay, the short version is that kay pointed out that the OP is very likely a busker, and JMO said she(?) was wrong. On that point, JMO was wrong and kay was right. The OP mentions singing or playing music.
…and… What did you mean by “FUCK omit lines 3-4.” and “Overlooking is a bitch.”? …not criticizing, just trying to understand.
It’s been a long day, No Dogma. I had realized that I misread the bitch, therefore my third and forth lines are rendered pointless. Thanks though. Now time for my triple espresso…
Ahh, 1fallingangels…understood. I figured you meant MY lines 3-4, since I numbered mine. Why staying up so late, BTW?
To kay…I’m pretty new here, but I already see that not many people agree with you much. It’s hilarious, but I’m happy to show some love to anyone when they are obviously right.
Don’t even get me started ND. Arguing with the woman is pointless, yet strangely entertaining…
Hmm… I said 1fallingangels, but meant Dino Jr. My bad. …doing a flurry of postings here. I love this place. I can’t believe what I was missing out on until two weeks ago.
Oh, and I haven’t seen any reason to throw down with kay yet, but if I ever do I’m sure it will be epic.
Dogma, I can speak from experience (to your want of a showdown with kay), it’s frustrating, and fulfilling all at the same time. Just a word of caution, she’s apparently experienced everything. Oh, and one final note, provoking her is like shooting fish in a barrel. Just talk about her, and she’ll flip out. It’s kinda fun.
sorry I guess I didn’t consider someone who stops me and offers to sing you are my sunshine for money a busker. We have one lady around here that tells poetry again non busker. my bad.
I did’t have a problem with Kay (that I’m aware). I really did think one of the two changed their name cause of all the love they get lol.
ND – yes I am a she
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine… hey, get over me all ready! For the record, yes, Kay is my name and it’s ALL girl sans the horse teeth (whatever turns your crank, Fat), I don’t use an alias and, no, I don’t have some other account here in the the Coast’s Member Directory. I’m one with respect for musicians, squeegee kids, drug addicts and underdogs, that’s all. You bitches are so sensitive sometimes, geesh!
Thanks Kay … 50 cents dropped in hat.
worth every note! hehe
I think its time for Kay to get an avatar.
i think its time for a joint.
No Dogma, It’s ok I can forgive you, I understand how hard it is to get me off your mind once you have experienced my stellar coolness….just kidding 🙂
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kay definitely has an extra large forehead and major horse teeth. probably why she thinks she’s hot shit somehow.
Posted by Nice Goin’ Fat on April 23, 2009 at 1:34 PM
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Personal Attack #5. (He really has a thing for this Kay person…)
Bump… very consistent this fellow is.