Patrick

. . .and they said registration would end the humor here.

Ellen

My husband drives the same route out of NYC every single day to work for the past 5 years. He told me that every single morning there was this same guy standing on the median panhandling for money. My husband started giving him a quarter a day out of his parking change. After about 6 months or so, my husband had pulled up and was passing him his quarter, when the guy says 'hey mister, I have been on this job for months. How 'bout a raise?' True story. My husband now just waves as he drives by.

And my story. Saw a homeless man sitting on a stoop next to the restaurant I was walking into. After ordering my meal, I felt so guilty that I ordered him a soup 'to go' with bread and plastic spoon. I went outside and gave it to him and told him to enjoy dinner. He took the bag and said 'what's in it?'. I told him, and he handed me back the bag and replied, "sorry honey, I am not a soup person." Guess what I had for lunch the next day. Amazing.

wantsomesun

Ah yes the humor is back......

I'm now hearing the song "I love New York, I love New York...I love New York...I love New York.....in my head.

Lol.

Happy travels.

Elainee

Not just New York. I am on the train from NYC to Washington, DC. I had gone to the Carnegie Deli for a sandwich for the train. Those sandwiches are huge so I only ate half. When I got off the train in DC, a panhandler comes up to me for money for supper. I offer him my untouched half sandwich. I said it was very good and from a great deli. He asked what kind of sandwich..when I told him "tongue", he made a face, walked away saying "How could anybody eat that!"

dianee

I was in NYC visiting a friend & had to catch my plane back to Houston that afternoon - Mother's Day Sunday. We had just finished a quick lunch & were rushing back to her place to get my luggage. As we came up to the street from the subway, a ragged young man stopped me on the steps. My friend had cautioned me about smiling at or talking with strangers but I couldn't resist when this fellow tapped me on the shoulder & asked, "Are you a Mother"? I said that I was indeed & that I had a son about his age. With that he handed me a lovely red carnation, got down on one knee (we're still on the steps with the crowds parting to go around) & sang "Happy Mother's Day to you." We must have been a sight - this unlikely pair but for a few minutes, with both of us crying, this ragged boy gave me a wonderful honor. I feel like he must have had, at one time, a remarkable mother of his own. I brought that carnation home, pressed it & still have it as a special reminder of my Mother's Day in NYC.

theladyjess

These things also happen in the Seattle area. When I lived south of Seattle, in Tacoma, I had a co-worker who had a similar experience. She saw a lady on the side of the road pan handling with two children. My co-worker went to McDonalds and bought $10 in gift certificates. When she offered them to the lady, the lady refused, saying she only wanted cash. Needless to say, my co-worker had McDonlad's for lunch.

One other time I was waiting for the bus to go to work at the Tacoma Mall. There was a guy waiting at the bus stop who all of a sudden started yelling at the top of his lungs at the cars that went by. Once on the bus, I found a seat far away from him, and got my driver's liscence soon after. No more bus rides for me!

suzanne

I just went out to get some lunch. There's this flower shop on 23rd St. that I pass by every day...it has a bench out front with a 6-foot tall teddy bear on it that's been sitting there for at least 6 or 7 years (yes, they take it in at night). Anyway, today a woman was sitting on the bench holding the bear's hand. I don't think she's homeless, just lonely.