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August 02, 2010
How not to beg
Three Yellow Lawn Chairs, originally uploaded by JeffStewartPhotos.
In downtown Chicago, there are quite a few beggars. At the corner of State & Jackson, there is one who stands outside the Walgreens and repeats "Help a guy get himself somethin' to eat," and his cadence sounds like someone selling peanuts at a baseball game. There are others, but he stands out the most.
Last Friday, I was walking around Wabash, when I heard the unmistakable sound of a cup filled with coins, being wooshed around. I'm sure this is the universal sign for "gimme money." When the person making the sound caught my eye, I was stunned: she was sitting in a lawn chair, the coins were in a plastic Starbucks mug, and she had a roller suitcase parked behind her chair.
Now, I know nothing of this woman's circumstances. I haven't seen her before, and unfortunately certain beggars tend to become fixtures. But she was such a non-pitiful beggar. The reason people are begging, presumably, is because they are completely out of options. No job, can't work, or can't get hired. Nowhere to live. No money to eat. This woman didn't look like that: she looked like her next stop was the bingo parlor. Why should I give money to someone who, for all intents and purposes, didn't look like she was struggling too badly?
I'm aware that appearance matters, and I think an unkempt beggar will be less successful than one who isn't dirty. However, there is a fine line between presenting oneself well, and not looking the part. A lady in a lawnchair just doesn't seem deserving of charity; a beggar in a rumpled suit, however, might earn a dip into my wallet.
I think the biggest part of this to me is the lawn chair. Lawn chairs spell relaxation. People don't take the MCAT in a lawn chairs. They watch fireworks; or Little League games. But they do not work in them. As I mentioned in my post about labor union giant inflatable rats, it is hard to seem outraged when sitting in one of these, or any sort of negative emotion.
So, to recap, lawn chairs are good for amusing, and bad for begging or protesting. I mean, look at these people - does this make you want to march on Washington? A note to future beggars out there: if you want to garner sympathy, looking relaxed in a chair isn't the way to do it. Try a milk crate or cardboard box instead.
entry no. 1496
Posted at August 2, 2010 04:39 PM