Awkward Encounters With The Homeless

A Series.

Part of daily life in DC is a series of awkward encounters with the homeless. Awkwardness in basic every day social interactions, is a problem for me anyway, but for some reason when it comes to people asking me for money on the street, I can't seem to ever say or do the right thing.

Take this morning: I'm crossing the street on the way to Starbucks and a toothless woman waiting for the bus asks, "baby, can I borrow 60 cents?" She doesn't look too dirty or anything. I'm certainly not afraid of her or threatened. I just have some place to be and 0 cents in my pocket. Without breaking stride I pleasantly reply, "no, sorry." I take three more steps believing this to have been a successful and courteous refusal, however, one of us has been offended. As I walk away she angrily calls after me; "No, sir? I'm a lady, a female, you can say no ma'am, I ain't no 'sir!'

She had misinterpreted my "no, sorry," as "no, sir." Once again, I have failed. I consider apologetically correcting her error, but instead opt for the old 'pretend you can't hear, and walk faster' escape route of the short skirt wearing girl on her way to the club. Head hung, I enter Starbucks. I've lost my taste for coffee and overpriced generic pastries. My morning: ruined. I buy nothing, leave and enter a nearby computer lab to blog my sorrows away.

This has been an awkward encounter with the homeless.

Posted by: Hannibal
Photo courtesy of collectingtokens.files.wordpress.com