ya know, my new thing lately is..

[ericlee]

if I'm playing at a pub on a Saturday or Sunday, I'll hang out outside for a bit and have a smoke.

While having a smoke, of course a few folks who are down on their luck would walk up and ask if I've got a spare and if I have one extra, I'll give it to him. Shit, if I happen to have two packs, one 1/2 full and the other fully full, I'll give him the full pack.

Cause cigs are evil, they suck. Sucking and being evil is good!

No, kidding. But anyway, if you're not finished with the smoke, still standing there outside, they will probably ask for some coin or whatnot but, I always offer some conversation instead. I'll listen to them, their story. I'm not the occasional guy that tosses a dime into his bucket just to boost their ego for the day.

When they start asking for change and stuff, I advise them that I'm aware of shelters and charity..

And believe me, I have my standards though. If they smell like a dead cat that's been bloated and sitting in a drought for a week and talking to themself, hmmm.

So yeah. I want to know NY. What makes ny? The people. There's alot of down on their luck people in NY. Dont shun them away, be wise who you talk to and you'll hear perhaps and interesting story.

[ericlee]

I met this one guy, he didn't ask for nothing but a beat box to back his rhyme.

I said shit, I have my jaw harp in my pocket, I'll fucking jaw box (beat box with jaw harp) if your shit is solid.

He let some words flow, it was fresh and I spit out some shit like the human beat box on a juice harp.

Did we get change for that? Nope, we didn't set out a hat, people walked by and clapped and had a laugh, did a little shake of the butt and passed on by.

We did like 3 and 1/2 songs and called a quits. Called a quits cause during the whole session, we were building up freakin laughter.

[mikizee]

Thats awesome.

[ericlee]

I'm pretty sure I met Johnny Ryall.

[Yetra Flam]

there's an old italian excon who lives two doors down from me, who started talking at me one night when i was out for a smoke. he was talking about doing time in the "correctional facility," he never mentioned his crime, he just said it was bullshit. and he was talking about all the special priviledges that he got and how he had clearance. he talked really slowly and quietly. he was very likely fucked up. then his mother called him back into his house. later i found out he just likes young girls.

[ericlee]

there's an old italian excon who lives two doors down from me, who started talking at me one night when i was out for a smoke. he was talking about doing time in the "correctional facility," he never mentioned his crime, he just said it was bullshit. and he was talking about all the special priviledges that he got and how he had clearance. he talked really slowly and quietly. he was very likely fucked up. then his mother called him back into his house. later i found out he just likes young girls.

freak. Yeah, I pretty much can figure a person out right away. If they're trying to con then I don't even bother talking to them.

Today I'm working on Wall street and some drunken homeless guy started trying to fight out clients. He actually swung at a client and got punched in the jaw and I had to kick him off the property. My coworkers tell me he's a regular in the area. He'll piss on himself and roll in it.

[Yetra Flam]

on a related ny note: i am so fucking sick of these skinny bitchy obnoxious little williamsburg girls. jesus christ, i get it already. you're from the midwest and you're cool as shit and wear all the right clothes and you are infinitely better than i will ever be.
i hate all of you bitches

[BangkokB]

Every homeless person is conning you in one way or the other/Either that or you're conning them.
I do believe that some street folks are more enlightened than working class stiffs. I never gave $ to strangers unless I bought what I was looking for and afterwards the stories tended to be the same-But that was possibly part of the con as well but generally a Lady was involved. Not insinuating that women were the cause of their problems but just stating that everyone handles breakups different. Some say the hell with everything and lose it all being forced to retreat to the streets. That's a Hard Place to Pick Yourself Up From

Rent Pras's "Skidrow"

[mathcart]

Every homeless person is conning you in one way or the other/Either that or you're conning them.
I do believe that some street folks are more enlightened than working class stiffs. I never gave $ to strangers unless I bought what I was looking for and afterwards the stories tended to be the same-But that was possibly part of the con as well but generally a Lady was involved. Not insinuating that women were the cause of their problems but just stating that everyone handles breakups different. Some say the hell with everything and lose it all being forced to retreat to the streets. That's a Hard Place to Pick Yourself Up From

Rent Pras's "Skidrow"

Very interesting bookends to your thread BB!
:)

[ericlee]

Every homeless person is conning you in one way or the other/Either that or you're conning them.
I do believe that some street folks are more enlightened than working class stiffs. I never gave $ to strangers unless I bought what I was looking for and afterwards the stories tended to be the same-But that was possibly part of the con as well but generally a Lady was involved. Not insinuating that women were the cause of their problems but just stating that everyone handles breakups different. Some say the hell with everything and lose it all being forced to retreat to the streets. That's a Hard Place to Pick Yourself Up From

Rent Pras's "Skidrow"

I'm not trying to con them for sure. Honestly half of their stories they tell might be some fake stuff but I'll stick around and have a listen instead of moving away while having a smoke.

I just talk to them as people, that's all. I've seen homeless guys passed out and young kids would smack them, toss drink bottles on them. All kinds of vulgar shit.

The only homeless guy I actually gave money apon request was a young guy that was missing a leg. I've got a soft spot for that, he looked like he could be a soldier, probably wasn't but all I could think was an IED blew it off. I felt stupid afterwards though.

[funk63]

homeless people can be really kool. and i can relate to what you said about the stories. even though most of them are bullshit (this one guy told me he borrowed a kids skateboard and rode down a huge hill and hit this motorcycle at an intersection and did a flip and landed on his feet) whos it hurting? its interesting and funny and they are pretty thankful if you give em a cig.

[russhie]

I have enough trouble with weirdos on the street without stopping to filter them by weirdness levels. I was asked to dinner by some Jamacian musician on the train and when I declined he touched my bum. I'm in the process of ID'ing some guy to the police because he saw me on the street one afternoon and has approached me several times since, at my house even.

It might be ok for a guy to hang out and talk and jam with randoms, but it's a pretty different experience for young women, I guess. All you have to do is glance in their vague direction and they think it's a green light :(