tmm99
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- May 15, 2008
- Messages
- 5,227
I know we have talked about panhandling and homeless people and our encounters with them on this board before, but I just ran into one at Safeway parking lot, so I thought I'd write about this.
I was looking for a parking spot and saw this old lady (looked about in her 70's) with a shopping cart. I glanced at her and her face was sunburned and she had a scarf covering up most of her face. Her shopping cart was full.
When I parked my car, I wanted to approach her since she did look homeless, but I wanted to make sure before I gave her anything. (I didn't want to offend someone eccentric who just looked homeless). When I got really close to her (I did see that she had a sign that read "Homeles Lady"), she stopped me before I did anything, and showed me a piece of paper with a shopping list. (Whole cooked chicken, BBQ sauce, veggie tray). She asked me if I could go get them for her from the store. She said she would go in herself, but she gets panic attacks. She gave me her wallet, and I said, That's OK, but she said, Oh I have money, please take this, so I took the wallet. I started going down the list to make sure I got the right items (Is that strange?? I thought she might have a favorite brand of BBQ sauce. I didn't know how big a veggie tray she wanted.) I don't know what I was expecting, but she was totally normal and articulate.
Anyway, so, I went in and got her stuff, came out and gave her the groceries and the wallet back. (As you probably guessed, I didn't spend her money. I did open her wallet though - there was a bunch of $1 bills and I saw one $5 bill, but I didn't dig through it so I don't know how much was in there, but I am sure the money probably more than covered the cost of the groceries she asked for.) She peeled off the blanket that covered the top of the cart and put the groceries in there... I saw some old plastic bottles with water and some colored drinks in the cart.
She was very grateful; Oh, you haven't even gotten your own stuff yet, you are so sweet, etc, etc. I don't know why, but I feel very sad right now.
I should have at least gotten her a sunscreen.
I was looking for a parking spot and saw this old lady (looked about in her 70's) with a shopping cart. I glanced at her and her face was sunburned and she had a scarf covering up most of her face. Her shopping cart was full.
When I parked my car, I wanted to approach her since she did look homeless, but I wanted to make sure before I gave her anything. (I didn't want to offend someone eccentric who just looked homeless). When I got really close to her (I did see that she had a sign that read "Homeles Lady"), she stopped me before I did anything, and showed me a piece of paper with a shopping list. (Whole cooked chicken, BBQ sauce, veggie tray). She asked me if I could go get them for her from the store. She said she would go in herself, but she gets panic attacks. She gave me her wallet, and I said, That's OK, but she said, Oh I have money, please take this, so I took the wallet. I started going down the list to make sure I got the right items (Is that strange?? I thought she might have a favorite brand of BBQ sauce. I didn't know how big a veggie tray she wanted.) I don't know what I was expecting, but she was totally normal and articulate.
Anyway, so, I went in and got her stuff, came out and gave her the groceries and the wallet back. (As you probably guessed, I didn't spend her money. I did open her wallet though - there was a bunch of $1 bills and I saw one $5 bill, but I didn't dig through it so I don't know how much was in there, but I am sure the money probably more than covered the cost of the groceries she asked for.) She peeled off the blanket that covered the top of the cart and put the groceries in there... I saw some old plastic bottles with water and some colored drinks in the cart.
She was very grateful; Oh, you haven't even gotten your own stuff yet, you are so sweet, etc, etc. I don't know why, but I feel very sad right now.
I should have at least gotten her a sunscreen.
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