saveopieanthony.net
06-08-2004, 01:23 PM
Now i don't want to go on a rant here...but I've had enough. I'm seriously angered now but what is (presumably) homeless people asking me for money CONSTANTLY. I'm past annoyed now...and I need to release and see if I'm crazy. (i possibly might be...i don't know.)
First off, i'm not a racist, i'm not stuck up and genuinely feel sorry for "poor" people. (feel free to hit the O&A inappropriate bell if needed) I'm a 26 year old white male that usually wears kakis and a collared shirt to work. I don't look "rich". I'm not rich. I take the LIRR to Penn and take the 1/9 Subway downtown for 20 minutes. In almost five years of my long commute through the bowels of Manhattan I am asked constantly for :
a) Money (#1 obviously)
b) cigarettes (close second)
c) metrocards (at least four times)
d) a light (i know...no $...)
e) coffee/something to eat
Now I don't make a lot of money. I have an "office" job, but I worked through college as a bar back (not a bartender with a ton of tips..) so I know it's hard to get by. I'm glad I'm doing what I'm doing, but I barely make my rent now. I've already started brown bagging lunch because I can't have $1 Cheeseburgers/Fries/coke from McDonalds or Wendy's everyday.
All of these incidents happened in the past month or two, and have been adding up.
Incident 1 :
Last week in front of MSG smoking a cig a woman and I was asked to give her $9 (nine dollars) for a ticket to Trenton. I was like here's a dollar..." and she was like "how am i going to get home?" and stared at me. I said "listen I don't have $9..take the PATH train to Trenton instead of NJ transit. It takes $1 to get on." She was like "I guess I need $8 to get my black ass home huh...." and started walking away COMPLAINING that I ONLY gave her a dollar. I was like "you're welcome". (note, my friend the accountant talked to me over a drink and said to "earn" $9 after taxes, one has to make about $16-$21 before taxes...keep that in mind while you are paying for stuff too...thanks Mike)
Incident 2 :
There's a homeless vet (he says so on a cardboard sign so he must be right?) on the street where I work and I literally pass him 4 or more times a day, (AM, Lunch to and From and going home) and he asks me for a smoke EVERY SINGLE TIME. I started giving him some and finally I was like "dude, I can't afford 4 times a day everyday" and now he has an attitude staring at me EVERY day. I have to give him cigarettes or be afraid of getting a screwdriver driven into my neck on the way home?? That's the look I get. I added up 4 cigs a day is a pack a week, which is about $8 (in Manhattan about) which turns into $466 a year !!! I mean come on now dude...find another corner or something.
Incident 3 :
"Attention Attention"...the fuckers on the subway. Locked in a metal tube usually on your way to and from your job, you have to travel as FEARFUL HOSTAGES waiting for them to go away. Asking for money on the train is illegal...but everyone does it. Think about it...IF YOU GIVE MONEY TO FUCKERS ON THE TRAIN ASKING FOR IT...YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE MORE FUCKERS ASKING YOU FOR MONEY! Bum 1 : "i made $2 on the train...." Bum 2 : "i'm going to try that...i'll bring my guitar". by the way, doesn't it take $2 to get on the subway? if you wanted something to eat, couldn't you get something from McDonalds or something instead of bothering me on the subway? you have to get $2 to break even...
Incident 4 :
There was this guy (he's still there but doesn't say a damn thing to me now) white, middle aged, dressed like a construction worker with a backpack asking for money for a train ride home because he got robbed or lost his wallet...i don't remember which. I gave it to him once, and he came up to me again with the same story...and I was like "dude...you lost your wallet last week" He got all offended about saying "you think you are better than me??" and getting loud and threatening...and was a buzzkill and i kinda got scared and pissed at the same time and when home. that ticked me off...then I saw h
First off, i'm not a racist, i'm not stuck up and genuinely feel sorry for "poor" people. (feel free to hit the O&A inappropriate bell if needed) I'm a 26 year old white male that usually wears kakis and a collared shirt to work. I don't look "rich". I'm not rich. I take the LIRR to Penn and take the 1/9 Subway downtown for 20 minutes. In almost five years of my long commute through the bowels of Manhattan I am asked constantly for :
a) Money (#1 obviously)
b) cigarettes (close second)
c) metrocards (at least four times)
d) a light (i know...no $...)
e) coffee/something to eat
Now I don't make a lot of money. I have an "office" job, but I worked through college as a bar back (not a bartender with a ton of tips..) so I know it's hard to get by. I'm glad I'm doing what I'm doing, but I barely make my rent now. I've already started brown bagging lunch because I can't have $1 Cheeseburgers/Fries/coke from McDonalds or Wendy's everyday.
All of these incidents happened in the past month or two, and have been adding up.
Incident 1 :
Last week in front of MSG smoking a cig a woman and I was asked to give her $9 (nine dollars) for a ticket to Trenton. I was like here's a dollar..." and she was like "how am i going to get home?" and stared at me. I said "listen I don't have $9..take the PATH train to Trenton instead of NJ transit. It takes $1 to get on." She was like "I guess I need $8 to get my black ass home huh...." and started walking away COMPLAINING that I ONLY gave her a dollar. I was like "you're welcome". (note, my friend the accountant talked to me over a drink and said to "earn" $9 after taxes, one has to make about $16-$21 before taxes...keep that in mind while you are paying for stuff too...thanks Mike)
Incident 2 :
There's a homeless vet (he says so on a cardboard sign so he must be right?) on the street where I work and I literally pass him 4 or more times a day, (AM, Lunch to and From and going home) and he asks me for a smoke EVERY SINGLE TIME. I started giving him some and finally I was like "dude, I can't afford 4 times a day everyday" and now he has an attitude staring at me EVERY day. I have to give him cigarettes or be afraid of getting a screwdriver driven into my neck on the way home?? That's the look I get. I added up 4 cigs a day is a pack a week, which is about $8 (in Manhattan about) which turns into $466 a year !!! I mean come on now dude...find another corner or something.
Incident 3 :
"Attention Attention"...the fuckers on the subway. Locked in a metal tube usually on your way to and from your job, you have to travel as FEARFUL HOSTAGES waiting for them to go away. Asking for money on the train is illegal...but everyone does it. Think about it...IF YOU GIVE MONEY TO FUCKERS ON THE TRAIN ASKING FOR IT...YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE MORE FUCKERS ASKING YOU FOR MONEY! Bum 1 : "i made $2 on the train...." Bum 2 : "i'm going to try that...i'll bring my guitar". by the way, doesn't it take $2 to get on the subway? if you wanted something to eat, couldn't you get something from McDonalds or something instead of bothering me on the subway? you have to get $2 to break even...
Incident 4 :
There was this guy (he's still there but doesn't say a damn thing to me now) white, middle aged, dressed like a construction worker with a backpack asking for money for a train ride home because he got robbed or lost his wallet...i don't remember which. I gave it to him once, and he came up to me again with the same story...and I was like "dude...you lost your wallet last week" He got all offended about saying "you think you are better than me??" and getting loud and threatening...and was a buzzkill and i kinda got scared and pissed at the same time and when home. that ticked me off...then I saw h