Child Pimpin' Pandhandler Chastises This Mama!
Today as I was about to enter a drugstore, I noticed an apparently able-bodied man standing outside with a toddler in a stroller. He was clean and dressed in casual athletic clothing. The toddler was also clean and sitting in a nice enough stroller in perfect condition.The man says to me, "Can you spare some change?"
I never give change (okay, never say never), but as he'd hoped, I took a brief moment to think about it, given the child with him. He got my mommy senses feeling a bit guilty. Coming to my senses and realizing that this guy was pimping out his poor little child instead of getting a JOB, I politely said, "Sorry, I can't," and I half smiled to be polite.
At this very moment, I found myself a bit confused because I couldn't find the entrance to the store. I don't go to this part of town often and I won't be back after a few other things I saw (Pharmasave at King George Hwy and 108th Avenue in Surrey, B.C.)! In my confusion, I laughed at myself when I realized that I'd missed the door.
So, I hear the guy mutter something I knew was unfavorable and directed at me.
I looked at him squarely and said, "Pardon me?"
He cowardly said, "What?"
I said,"What did you say?"
He said something like, "You think it's funny that I'm standing here with my kid and have to ask for money."
I told him no I didn't think it was funny that he was standing out of a store and using his child as an alternative to getting a job. He started shouting some other stuff, but I just walked in the store. The clerk heard what was going on and got security to take him out of there.
Now don't get me wrong, I know there are people in real need out there. I donate and when I've seen people who look really hungry, I've come out stores with food for them. But I think this is just sick.
And you want to know the sickest part? I bet the guy could easily find this blog post and not just because I posted the location above. It because he's probably at home right now with his Internet connection and all.
posted by Alice at 10:33 PM
NEW! 
3 Comments:
Sheesh. I don't blame you for being mad. And I think you handled the situation perfectly!
You didn't let the guilt get the better of you.
Maybe he'll leave a comment?
Feel better after some post therapy?
I do feel better, thanks! It happened about 10 hours ago and I forgot about it, but something triggered my annoyed-ness!
I don't mind saying never. There are a few reasons why.
1) I worked at a place where panhandlers used to bother us - downtown at Starbucks. Once we were all walking out with a huge bag of bagels, croissants, muffins, etc that were left over at the end of the day. He asked us for money and we told him we could give him the food instead. He cursed at us and got angry!
2) My Dad is in a profession where he gets asked all the time by streetpeople for money. He would offer to pay them for a couple hours work, and they would always refuse. Then he would have tools missing from his truck. :(
3) I had a friend who was homeless at one point. He told me that homeless people are homeless because they want to be. He said that there are SO many resources that there's no excuse to be homeless - that was coming straight from the horse's mouth so I believed that.
4) I've read books by anthropologists and sociologists (one was called the End of Povery by Jeffery Sachs) that talk about how parents in India and other poor countries will actually DISMEMBER their own children so they can be better and more effective at begging.
That's why I say never.
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