PSA

I guess I’ve been lulled into a sense of complacency regarding the bums in my neighborhood. I mean, I wouldn’t let them watch my children (if I had any) or my puppy (if I had one), but, at least with the people I see regularly in my neighborhood, I’m not really suspicious of them. So on Sunday when I was walking on 6th and I see the guy who dresses in all white with the white make up and is always around the Union Square area, I don’t really think anything. He shook his cup of change in front of me and I said “sorry” and continued walking. As I pass him he smacked me upside the head! It didn’t hurt, but was definitely aggressive and even if it wasn’t, there is a very solid if unspoken rule that panhandlers should not touch you in any way while walking down the street.

I was so shocked (and with my visiting mother) I didn’t know what to do. My first impulse was to turn around and yell at him, but quickly rethought and kept walking. I saw a police officer a few blocks away and told her, but I didn’t file a police report or anything. Now I feel like I probably should have. I guess the very least I can do is let the (two) people who read this know to avoid the panhandler who generally appears cleaner than his local peers and wears all white, I think silver sometimes, but now that I’m thinking about it, I’m not sure if it’s the same guy. Better just avoid them all.