Friday, August 28, 2009

50 Dollars!!??!!??

I am just stopping by here for a quick story, then back to packing.

I worked late in the square tonight so I was able to sleep in a little and then get to work by 11am. After waking up I ran some errands and dropped a few things off at my new apartment and then had to make one more stop before going back to Cambridge. I will not say who I ran into or where I ran into him (other then the fact that it was in Chelsea) but I do have to say I am amazed at the audacity of this guy's request.

While walking down the street I get stopped by a gentleman asking for some money. Normally I just say hello and keep on walking but he stepped right in front of me and put his hand out to shake my hand. Never having been one to walk away from a hand shake I shook the guys hand and went to keep moving when he started his spiel "I know what your thinking, that I just want some money but it is more then that. You've seen me around , you know where I am" well this was true I HAVE seen him around so now I am intrigued. "You see I normally work for so and so but they are in the hospital this week and I am out of work until he gets back on his feet" now you have to remember that I do not remember the exact words coming out of his mouth and my paraphrasing is making him come across as much more coherent then he actually was, I continue to listen. "so to get to my point, I am going out on Sunday and just need 50 dollars for dinner with my buddies and two packs of cigarettes." Excuse me? 50 dollars? Your asking me for a hand out, in the middle of the street and it is 50 dollars? For dinner? When is the last time I spent 50 dollars on myself for dinner? So he goes on for a little bit more and I have enough so I politely tell him I have to get to work and do not carry cash on me.

His response as I am trying to extricate myself from this situation was " Well, I know who you are and I am not going to vote for you!" I ask him his name and where he is from and inexplicably he tells me and I respond "Your not in my district, your a republican, I'm not running for reelection and you haven't voted in years!" Having campaigned in Chelsea for numerous people for over a decade and having done projects on the district breakup and voter blocks while in college I am quite well versed on where everyone is from. Not to be deterred he shoots back "well can you at least buy me a cup of coffee on your debit card?"

Were you expecting me to say I bought him the coffee? Who am I Tip O'Neil? Of course I did not buy him the coffee I told him to have a great day and walked away. I just canceled my cable subscription to save money and I'm going to give you 50 dollars to go out on the town?