Street smarts
Re: “Rant/Rave,” Dec.22, 2016
To Anonymous, who stopped to talk to homeless people on Granville. You are a kind soul, but having been on the streets myself I can tell you most of those people are not there because of societal neglect, but because they have made bad decisions or have bad habits. The tearful story you got from the guy who said he’d lost his Fort Mac job and had a sick daughter was possibly genuine, but more likely he saw you as a mark for a sob story, channeling Bob Cratchit from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Trying to get a fat $20 from you, which within the hour would have been shot into his veins, hopefully without the accompaniment of fentanyl. Anyone who lost a job at Fort Mac would have been eligible for months of EI benefits – more than enough time to find other employment. Perhaps not as lucrative, but even flipping burgers or washing dishes has got to be better than begging on Granville. Even binning is better. Dry your eyes, Anonymous, and console yourself with the thought that you did one smart thing that day -- you decided against inviting that con to your house. Don’t ever.
–Scrooge
New Year’s niceties
I’d like to thank some people out there this time of year. I’d like to thank the driver who stopped and assisted an older lady to get up a slippery hill this week; I’d like to thank the driver who gave me time to cross the road without riding one metre behind my heels; thanks to the neighbours and businesses who cleaned their sidewalks recently. One way to increase your business? Make it safe to enter! Genius! Thanks to the pedestrians for not talking on your cell phones when crossing a street or giving me the finger when I honk (just once) to suggest you move a bit faster due to oncoming traffic. Thank you to the random people who smile at others. Also, thank you to the people at Main and Hastings; when I sometimes drop off food, you are always appreciative.
–Anonymous
