Historicist: "The city that nobody loves"
Elsewhere in the Ist-a-Verse
The Daily Photoist: November 23, 2009
Overheard on the subway between Chester and Pape. A homeless man is asking people for money and a mother and her teenage son are conversing.
Man: "Spare change for a homeless man, would you help a homeless man? The hostels are closed and I haven't eaten in three days. Would you help a homeless man, ma'am?"
Mother: "Sorry."
Man leaves.
Son: "Mom, that guy lives in our building!"
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Thanks, Kevin, for yet another reason why you shouldn't give money to homeless people.
Its like that guy at Sheppard station, he'll hold up a toonie & ask for a dollar or 2 so he can get to Mississauga. He'll hit up 4 or 5 people for money & then wait for the platform to clear, and keep going. And this guy dresses rather well, so you don't think anything of it. I then step in & expose him for the scam he is, he runs, I board train, he returns.
It's really remarkable the number of "homeless" people in this city who wear $200 shoes and have MP3 player headphones poking out of their pockets.
The real shame is that every dollar that goes to these individuals is a dollar that the truly homeless will never see.
Of course, idiots like these are no excuse to not give money to the homeless.
After all, how hard is it to slip Covenant House $20 bucks online?
You are quite right, Jonah. The New York City Subway has, for as long as I can remember, put up signs that say, "Give to charity, just not here."
There's a woman who's usually at St. Patrick station at the foot of the escalator who asks for money. I see her on my bus a few times a week in Etobicoke and lives in a bungalo near me. However, I don't know her story so maybe there's some sense in it.
If someone is hungry offer to buy them something to eat. If someone needs a place to stay, find out how the local shelter is and give them a referral to it. If they have terrible clothing or shoes, buy them replacements. If they are short bus fare, buy them a ticket. Having been on it, welfare here in Ontario pretty much covers a minimal room to stay in and food. Extra amenities such as soap, toothpaste, clean underwear, etc. can usually be attained at a local charity. What cannot be attained is freedom from some addiction, a return of self-esteem, relief from mental disease or some of the other things that keep someone truly on the streets and needing money.