Today I went crazy on a panhandler

OK, So I used to be a good nice compassionate person but I am so freaking tired of these panhandlers that today that I feel I’ve lost my goodwill. Today, I had a really stressful busy morning at the office and when lunch rolled around I decided to treat myself to lunch at Togo’s even though it takes almost my entire half hour lunch to get there and back and not much time to actually eat the sammich, still I hoped to have time for a few bites so I was happy to see that there was only 2 other people in line ahead of me.

So they make my sammich and all went well, they made it just perfect with extra pickles and peppers just like I like it and things were looking pretty good time-wise. As I exited Togo’s thinking that perhaps I might even be able to eat HALF of this lovely Avocado and Cheese on Parmesan bread my heart sank as I saw a pan handler trying to get money from someone either trying to get into or out of their car just a few stalls away from my car. “Crap! Must leave ASAP” I think to myself.

I tried to hurry and get into the car hoping that she would be busy with the other unfortunate person but no, I was just getting my key into the door when here she comes all smiles and starts to say something to me. Dammit! I’m not going to be able to make a clean getaway and I just did NOT want to deal with her, so I kind of got this wild look in my eyes as she approached me and started to speak but before she could get a word out of her mouth I screamed at her “YOU GET AWAY FROM ME! JUST GET AWAY FROM ME I SAY!!! Well she turned and scurried off faster than you would believe! What?! Wow! I’m going to have to remember that one! That worked pretty well. I may practice that one in the mirror a little just so I look really deranged!

There was a time when I would have given her a quarter maybe but been resentful about it. After-all. I work hard for my money. Why should I simply give it away to someone I don’t even know just because they are having a hard time and what gives them the right to expect it? I mean, it’s not like I don’t donate to charitable causes, I mean, I need the tax write-off you know, and of course there’s also that warm fuzzy I get know that I’ve helped save the whales or that someone else can get some use out of that gaudy bead covered sweater that I thought was so cool back in 1986.

In looking back I realized that my perspective on giving money to panhandlers started to change one day when I was sitting in the Home Depot Parking lot in my car minding my own business waiting for hubby to come of the store with his nuts and bolts. This raggy looking skanky-crack-ho type of woman comes up and knocks on my car window. I roll it down to be polite and she asks in this little wimpy high little voice all nice and respectful like “Excuse me, do you think you could possibly spare a dollar?” well I don’t even have a dollar. I have my ATM card, and 32 cents in my little cupholder thingy in the car and that’s it. I tell her I’m sorry that I don’t have a dollar but here is some change that I have and guess what? She takes it but her whole demeanor changes. Her eyes get this mean glaze over them and her voice got hard and loud and low and she says “yeah well I’ll see what I can do with that!” I was shocked. Here I was giving her my money, which I worked for and it wasn’t good enough, in fact, my 32 cents was apparently an insult! HUH??! I was shocked and I said “Excuse me? The least you can do is say thank you!” She turns around and is all like, “oh I do appreciate it blah blah blah…” yeah right!

Well that really pissed me off and I decided then and there that I wasn’t giving any of more of my money to anyone that asked just because they had the audacity to do so.

So now I’m thinking up more unique ways to get these people away from me when I see them coming, like what if when I see them coming I beat them to the punch and ask them for money! Hey that might send them scurrying faster than my crazy woman approach! Gonna have to try that next time. Yeah! So like, I see one coming and I could say “Hi there, hey, do you think that you could possibly spare ten dollars? I think I lost my wallet and like hey HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING???!!!” BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Yeah. I like it!

Cheers and TTFN.