People of Need

Sitting on the train on my way home from a long night of working overtime, I and everyone else on the train of my car was besieged by a homeless man begging for food and money to subsides until his Social Security check came through this Thursday. It was officially Wednesday morning, 12:30 AM and I look at him, I am sure like many of the passengers, like he is absolutely crazy. We did this because on the first instance of him telling of not having funds until his next check, there seemed to be a consensus on the train of, "Join the club." For others on the car who are better with budgeting their money, I am sure the thought process was why in the world did he not budget the money from his last check to last until the one he is currently awaiting arrives. With the looks of incredulousness gazed upon him, he tried another method of begging and that was to tell of his need to wear adult diapers, one of which he was wearing at the moment, because he had The AIDS Virus which contributed to him being unable to control his bowels. Of course, he made this statement when he was standing in front of me. Many were thoroughly grossed out on the train, and threw money at him to get him out of the car before an involuntary bowel movement happened. Before he moved through the car, collecting his bounty the whole while, a fellow entered the train on the other side of the car and proceeded to give his spiel on why he is begging and why we should give him money. The guy who had just begged for money looked back with a look of contempt as if he were offend by the guy coming upon his territory before he vacated. Meanwhile many of us on the train car just shook our heads at the ridiculousness of the situation. Times are hard, and many on the train are coming from low paying jobs that we work long grueling hours at and these beggars come on the trains and treat them as a playground that rewards them with money for playing at life.

I have sympathy for all who hit hard times, but have none for those who do not take appropriate routes in which they can get back on their feet. Social Service Agencies, unemployment benefits, and the budgeting of such are that which allows for some dignity in paying bills and living life in a upstanding way when times are down financially. The transit system is not the way for one to rebound financially.