My night....(hmm, controversial?)

[vivilasvegas]

So my boyfriend and I are walking to the EL from Chili's, leftover package in hand. This homeless man, (or just down on his luck) grabs my arm and asks if he can buy my leftovers. I look at him and say "sure $10", so then he says he doesn't have any money. So of course I'm about to start this long conversation about the ramifications of telling lies, but my boyfriend drags me away. So we're walking, and I turn and look, and the guy is following us very closely, trying to intimidate us. I can tell he's going to grab my purse.
And then sheer panic. I realized he was going after the food!!!!!!

So finally I turn around and ask him if he thinks I'm a bleeping tourist!! (no offense) What are you gonna do, follow me home so I can make you a sandwich?? So he leaves....

At this point, my boyfriend and I are on the EL, feeling like the tough Chicago kids we are. We get off, we walk home. We think maybe we'll join the Guardian Angels and protect the streets.

So now we were going to split part of the leftovers. I ask him where are they?
We look at each other, and tear rolls slowly down his face and I realize, we left them on the train.

***edited to change title****

 

[Shagley]

Just out of curiousity, why didn't you give the hungry man your leftovers??

 

[vivilasvegas]

Just out of curiousity, why didn't you give the hungry man your leftovers??

Because I didn't like the way he grabbed my arm.

I've lived in this city my whole life. I'll give when I can, but not if you come at me aggressively.

 

[NAB]

I was thinking the same thing. You knew he was homeless why would you tease him and ask how much he would pay....He only grabbed your arm after this.

 

[vivilasvegas]

I was thinking the same thing. You knew he was homeless why would you tease him and ask how much he would pay....He only grabbed your arm after this.

Good God, read my post again before commenting please.

 

[NAB]

Sorry you posted to the one above before I finished I was only going to write the first part. I was only thinking of the part were you said you thought he was going to grab your purse.

 

[ktpool]

very, very

 

[momrek06]

Sorry OP: Do not take this as a FLAME at all....but like the other Posters...I would have definitely given this man the food....yup....!!

Kinda funny how the food was left by mistake on the EL...."Our Lord works in mysterious ways"...yes he does!!!

DH & I lived in NYC from 2000-2004 and I have seen allot there..YIKES!!! But these people whether or not you realize it...are desperate and scared and mostly hungry....

 

[lulugirl]

You thought he was going after your purse but it's funny that he was just going after your food???!!!
Hungry, homeless people sure are hilarious aren't they?

 

[vivilasvegas]

Hmmm, guess I'm a bad person.
Oh my god!!


I'm not going to explain myself to you guys, but if I don't feel like giving my leftovers to an aggressive man, I don't have to.

The post was supposed to be lighthearted. Obviously the part of him going for my food was my lame attempt at humor, I'm pretty sure he wanted my purse.

I'm sure some of you on here would have probably gone to the cops if it happened to you!!

 

[barkley]

the problem of agressive panhandleing has gotten so bad in san francisco-the advocates for the truly homeless have asked that money be given to organizations and not handed out on directly to individuals (allot are not homeless, they are agressive oportunists who "dress" the part to verbaly and physicaly threaten people into handing over money. a bay area news station did an undercover report and found that some of the most aggressive owned very high end apartments and thought it was a "fun way to sucker tourists").

i won't travel there and some other tourist areas because of the problem.

 

[NJBlackBerry]

I'm not going to explain myself to you guys, but if I don't feel like giving my leftovers to an aggressive man, I don't have to.

The post was supposed to be lighthearted. I'm sure some of you on here would have probably gone to the cops if it happened to you!!

Lighthearted? Wow. Chicago sounds like a really funny place.

You came on here to brag about how tough you were.

You came across like a young jerk.

 

[AC7179]

I think the way you told the story, it didn't come out as you intended.

I understand that you didn't appreciate his aggresion, but it came across as you mocking his situation.

 

[vivilasvegas]

Lighthearted? Wow. Chicago sounds like a really funny place.

You came on here to brag about how tough you were.

You came across like a young jerk.

holy pasta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was sarcasm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know???
We don't think we are tough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow.

 

[vivilasvegas]

I think the way you told the story, it didn't come out as you intended.

I understand that you didn't appreciate his aggresion, but it came across as you mocking his situation.

Well, I reread it to my friends, and we must all be jerks, because they laughed.

Besides, he wasn't one of the regulars on my route, so I didn't know him.....sorry, but that's true too.

Now excuse me, I'm going to steal little children's ice cream and kick some puppies...

 

[PrincessKitty1]

I will offer to buy meals for people who try to bum change from me, but I will ABSOLUTELY NOT give anything to anybody who is aggressive or from whom I get scary vibes (e.g., walking up to me in a secluded place, etc.). I will not do anything that I think might risk my personal safety. However, I also would not taunt them (the $10 for the leftovers thing is way over the top).

Grabbing your arm is battery and you don't owe anything to somebody who intimidates you physically or verbally.

 

[cardaway]

Wow. Turns out the act pales in comparison to the posting about it later.

The good news here is it's very possible another homeless person had a good meal that night.

 

[vivilasvegas]

I will offer to buy meals for people who try to bum change from me, but I will ABSOLUTELY NOT give anything to anybody who is aggressive or from whom I get scary vibes (e.g., walking up to me in a secluded place, etc.). I will not do anything that I think might risk my personal safety. However, I also would not taunt them (the $10 for the leftovers thing is way over the top).

Grabbing your arm is battery and you don't owe anything to somebody who intimidates you physically or verbally.

He was smirking when he offered money, and it was crowded. The $10 bucks thing flew out of my mouth!! The only time I got nervous was when he kept walking behind us, trying to get closer.

 

[Bbgrizzle]

This was probably a pretty scary situation for the OP, I know I would have been scared. I don't blame her for being defensive with the guy, he was following her! Why should she reward him for his aggressive behavior? I'm sure she didn't really have time to stop and ponder about how hungry he must have been.

 

[MELSMICE]

If I believed he was going after my purse, I would have handed him the food or laid it on the ground & took off.

Your post was not lighthearted - it was an insult & a mockery of a homeless man. How sad.