A "Grit-Your-Teeth" Handout Line

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 10/13/09 at 11:57pm

So I'm walking to the grocery store and there's a young Black guy standing in front of a liquor store approaching me and yelling to me to give him some money.

Well, I am not about to give a handout to ANYBODY standing in front of a liquor store, first of all. (If I see them digging in the trash for food, I give the person any read-to-eat food I have and sometimes a bit of cash.)

But this guy starts calling out (from 10 feet away) that he needs money because he needs a drink because he got in a fight with his wife and the police came and told him to go take a walk to cool off.

This guy's delusional to think that I would choose to help him pour liquid fire on that tinderbox.

I really wanted to tell him off instead but I bit my tongue and just walked faster. I was hoping he didn't have any kids and that she would get some some sense and leave him (even if she did have kids).

[SNAFU]

Posted: 10/14/09 at 12:45pm

You should have just looked at him straight in the eye and said,"Sorry my dear sir, I don't understand a word of English." and moved on.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 12:07am

Ha! I love it.

However, given his obvious hostility and bizarre sense of entitlement even after bad behavior, I thought discretion and avoidance the better part of valor.

Let him chew someone else's ear.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 1:05am

Yeah , I did say that once and got the nearest trash can thrown at me!

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 1:13am

You tryin' ta get me into trouble?

[SNAFU]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 1:41am

I would NEVER suggest someone do something without first trying it myself! Well except kiss my butt, I am not that flexible.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 1:43am

Now THAT was quite a visual.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 11:43am

So I'm walking to the grocery store and there's a young Black guy standing in front of a liquor store approaching me and yelling to me to give him some money.

Could you possibly explain what the point was of including the fact that the guy was "Black" in your first sentence? Is the reader meant to presume that when you write about people they are, by default, white unless specified otherwise?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 9:30pm

Was that INADVERTENT racism or ADVERTENT racism?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 10:24pm

It's racism. The advertentness is irrellevent.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/15/09 at 10:48pm

I find it interesting that this is worthy of a thread. In NY, you run into that type of exchange several times daily.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 2:18am

And that's just over coffee with Dad!

[nmartin]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 7:03am

"I find it interesting that this is worthy of a thread. In NY, you run into that type of exchange several times daily."

You don't have to be in NYC to have this happen. Quit calling this person racist. How stupid.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 11:38pm

Really? Well, what relevance IS his Blackness, anyway?

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 11:43pm

'Quit calling this person racist. How stupid.'

Shirley you can't think I called her racist.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 11:49pm

And why is the "B" in black capitalized? Is is a proper noun?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/16/09 at 11:49pm

I did.

[Yawper]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 5:44am

A common tactic in these parts, if such pan-handling is anticipated from someone, is to beat the expected pan-handler to the punch by being the first to ask "any change to spare?"

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 10:45am

I once did that ^ and to my chagrin, the poor guy offered me his meager handful of change.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 11:31am

I find that incredibly moving, Jane. And the perfect antidote to the start of this thread.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 1:00pm

I know, Namo. I felt like crap after doing that.

I get a kick out of those who ask for money to "get their BMWs out of the repair shop." or some similar reason! I'm likely to give them some change for being creative.

[Yawper]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 2:58pm

You must have lucked out and found someone truly needy, Jane, or been duped. Around here it's pretty well known that some of these guys make beau coup bucks in a week (as much as I do working two jobs).

Every so often one of them gets spotted walking his prop wheelchair home when he's 'off the job.'

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 11:55pm

"Around here it's pretty well known that some of these guys make beau coup bucks in a week (as much as I do working two jobs)."

Those stories are largely myths.

[Yawper]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 11:57pm

some are, some aren't

Detroit has a rather large underground economy.

[tazber]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 11:57pm

Well you could always quit your 2 jobs and panhandle.