Two Bums, One Location

While grocery shopping at a particularly fancy Ralph's, my wife and I have been hit up for money on several occasions.

One particular time, we were begged upon by a man in pretty shoddy-looking clothes and hair. He asked us politely with a smile for some spare change. After we shook our heads no and walked on ahead, he emphatically stated "That's okay, I still love ya." Then he began singing.

I'm not sure if it was his cool demeanor or his pleasant voice, but both my wife and I felt we just needed to give him a little something.

Now, we're not affluent by any means. In fact we're pretty poor. But this was such a strong feeling of charity that filled us that we had to oblige. We busted out a few dollars and handed it to him as we drove out of the parking lot.

Flash forward. Several weeks later.

Same grocery store, about the same time of day, same situation. Although this time it was a pair of young skater dudes begging. Their story was that they needed like 60 cents to ride the bus home.

First off - they were on skateboards. I remember having to skateboard home a few miles because the only skate park was on the other end of town. Secondly, they asked so belligerently as to turn me off completely to their claim. I felt accosted. Not because they're young "hooligans" or that they looked dangerous or anything, it was just their tone. I've had a great deal of people in LA give me that tone - the "I'm-more-important-than-you-and-I-am-condescending" tone. I ain't havin' it. I never do.

Suffice it to say that those two kids did not get a couple of bucks, nor any spare change. Maybe next time they should try getting off their skateboards and asking nicely. Then I would consider sparing a few duckets.

(A nice song wouldn't hurt their cause either. Just sayin'...)