8.15.2007

I'm a Coward, but Not an Asshole

There was a letter to the editor in yesterday's Post about treating the homeless with humanity. If you don't have change or even if you don't want to hand a stranger a spare quarter, at least look them in the eye and say, "Sorry, I can't help you today."

Yesterday, outside the Tenley Starbucks, a man was sitting down asking for change. One person he asked, an older white man, responded with "No wonder you're poor if you keep drinking that expensive coffee."

You son of a bitch. Hell, I prefer it when some asshole gets asked if he has change, answers "yes," and then walks away. But this guy takes the cake. Making flippant comments to someone in need? Is that how you get your rocks off? Well fuck you, you lily-white priviledged fuck.

He was acting like something similar couldn't happen to someone he loves. Well it fucking can. Al Gore and football coach Andy Reid were both in the news for trouble caused by their children involving drugs. Prescription drugs and heroin is like jumping in the express lane to homelessness. Look at former Florida Governor "Jeb" Bush. His daughter Noelle has been in and out of rehab with severe drug addiction issues. So, asshole, yeah this can happen to you or your loved ones. It doesn't matter how much money you have or how great a parent you think you are.

And fuck me for being such a coward and walking away. That motherfucker deserved to be shamed in front of all of Tenleytown and I couldn't bring myself to say a word to him. Instead I resort to bitching semi-anonymously on the Internet. Awesome. Good for me.

I'm sure you have all witnessed similar ass-hattery from people here in Washington. It's inevitable in a city with such a high homeless population and such a high concentration of privileged fuckers, douchebags, college students, etc. That coffee jab can't be the worst. I'd love to hear your stories in the comments.

32 comments:

  1. Rusty ... so you admit you're a douche now? Rename the title of your post to I'm a Douche and I'll never leave Rusty is a douche comments again.

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  2. yet another piece of self-righteous posing. when some homeless person asks for change, i ignore them and continue on my way. i don't owe them anything, not a response, not a look, nothing. i don't see anything wrong with that.

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  3. Look at former Florida Governor "Jeb" Bush. His daughter Noelle has been in and out of rehab with severe drug addiction issues. So, asshole, yeah this can happen to you or your loved ones. It doesn't matter how much money you have or how great a parent you think you are.


    Ummmmmmmmmm...

    She is part MEXICAN.

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  4. I agree, fucking mexicans, blacks and other minorities lack the intellect and self control that the better races do. Look at their fucking countries, they come from shit and are shit.

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  5. See what kind of commenters you get from posting about gun control and commenting on Michelle Malkin's blog, Rusty?

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  6. I dont hate the blacks. I just hate the puerto ricans and the gays.

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  7. Anonymous, if you are going to leave crazy comments, have the balls to say who you are. You write that you are anonymous because you are ashamed of your views because you know you are wrong.

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  8. The asian loves black cock! Ha! Awesome

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  9. Homeless person to me: "Can you spare some change."
    Me: "Sorry, I can't help you."
    Homeless person: "Don't fucking apologize to me!!"
    Me, shocked: "What the hell? Would you rather I just ignored you? I don't have any goddamn change!"


    So maybe... goes around, comes around? Maybe that dude was just having a bad day. And homeless people can be pretty big assholes too.

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  10. I frankly hate jews who are gay.

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  11. jaime, that's why i ignore homeless people asking for change. they are not entitled to any kind of response or acknowledgement from me and i am under no obligation to explain myself to them.

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  12. Okay, ignoring the ignorance, immaturity, and racism above in favor of actually staying on point:

    How about a story in the reverse? I was on my way to work last week when an overweight homeless man in a wheelchair said to me (in the most disgusting voice I've ever heard), "Ohhhh yeeaaahhh...take off your clothes... Let me put it in you... [remainder of comments omitted due to vulgarity]" I turned around and said to him, "YOU are DISGUSTING." Which, of course, made his day. He responded, "Yeaaahhhh, yeaaaahhh" while laughing hysterically.

    And then the light turned. Thank GOD. But I looked like the asshole (case in point: my coworker walked up next to me and heard me respond to his vulgarity; she thought I had lost my mind), when - in fact - he was. And don't try to convince me that he was mentally handicapped, either. I had just heard him - in perfect English - ask a gentleman for change. He was clearly a disgusting perv.

    While MOST of the homeless deserve our kindness and sympathy, not all of them do. Clearly. I'm not saying this guy deserved what he was handed, but it's at least possible that you don't know the whole story.

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  13. I hate it when I am accosted by a homeless person or when they don't take no for an answer. There's one asshole in Tenleytown who always goes up to me and bothers me and follows me to the Metro stop. I told him straight up that I would never give him change. Ever.

    But that won't poison the well for all the others.

    Also, thanks a lot you anonymous cowards. Now I have to turn off comments again. Fuck you.

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  14. Thank you, Rusty, for not turning off comments completely, but just the anon ones. This blog - which I love - seems to attract some real asshole trolls.

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  15. Whenever I see a homeless person, I can't help but think, "There, but for the grace of God..." so I do tend to smile and say "sorry." It's more for me than for them, I think. I encounter jerks everyday and I don't want to turn into one of them. The rudeness in this town is as oppressive as the humidity.

    In related news...there's something about the Tenleytown Metro Station area that's so annoying. People there suck. I live close to it but will walk a little further to Van Ness because, for some reason, I find it more pleasant. I think Whole Foods is giving off some sort of contagious asshole virus.

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  16. I once witnessed a very overweight homeless man in a wheelchair turn down a perfectly good turkey sandwich that a well-intended lady purchased for him on the claim that he was...that's right..a vegan.

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  17. rusty, if you don't want to be accosted by a homeless person, ignore them and keep walking, it doesn't make you a bad person. besides, there are better, more efficient ways of helping the homeless instead of giving handouts. i feel a lot better donating to the food bank instead of giving money that a homeless person will use to do god knows what.

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  18. Uhmmmm….Rusty, babe, let’s not be a hypocrite. Or was it not you the other day, on this very blog, encouraging us to all but spit in the face of the young DNP and Greenpeace volunteers asking for donations? You can’t pick and choose which beggars you are nice to; that’s called a DOUBLE STANDARD.

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  19. you know, there's a lady that's been down at the 7eleven over here in the NE since my freshman year.

    that's now FIVE YEARS of living on handouts.

    i have no pity/sympathy or anything for this woman, because she has been taking from the community and giving absolutely nothing back except for her urine in the corner.

    i find absolutely nothing wrong with hating societal leeches.

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  20. There are clearly rude and polite homeless people, just as there are rude and polite people more generally. And I have had homeless men say rude and graphic things to me, but I've had that happen more often with random pedestrians.

    But just to share a positive story, when someone asks me for money, I do look them in the eye and say "sorry", and I have been thanked more than once for doing that.

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  21. Dear Bee,

    WTF. All you know about this lady is that she's been there for five years, and that she pees in the corner. She either has nowhere else to go to the bathroom or cannot take care of herself in even the most basic ways. She is either crazy or miserable, probably both.

    I don't know what you think she's doing with that change she gets, but it's not repairing the broken window of her newest hummer. If she's not buying neccessities, she might be buying drugs, which is pretty sad.

    I'm not saying you have to give her anything, but, really, hating her?

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  22. Oh boo hoo - I am so weary of listening to whiners that think the homeless in DC deserve our money. You people should look up some stats on homelessness in DC. We have the highest rate per state population in the US. We have one of the highest rates of sheltered homeless - only 6.8% live unsheltered. This means our homeless industry is working great. So the money they ask for and the money you give goes to their booze and drugs - which is probably what made them homeless to begin with.

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  23. I remember when Reagan shut down St. E's and all those broke, mentally ill folks got turned out onto the streets. Good times. That was some quality compassionate conservatism right there.

    My personal favorite crazy DC homeless guy was Crazy Racist White Homeless Guy, who once accosted me on 18th near K, and started screaming at me about how I'd give money to [radio edit]s, and [radio edit]s, but not to a fellow white guy. He was really, really loud...screaming, even. I was so stunned I almost forgot to avoid eye contact as I plodded on by.

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  24. Homeless people, and beggars, can be pretty big assholes. I especially hate the guy that sits outside the Silver SPring metro station in his suped-up wheel chair with his hand out. It wouldn't be such a big deal if he weren't wearing $150 tennis shoes, and listening to an iPod. It makes me sick that people continue to give that son-of-a-bitch money when there are plenty of people who worked hard all of their lives, and yet can get a decent wheelchair, or medical care.

    Fuck that starbucks drinking bum.

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  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  26. Why can't we all agree that most people are douches and suck at life regardless of their place in life?

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  27. There are many people doing wonderful things, like helping kids in the inner cities, like hosting dance competitions, like starting businesses in third world poor countries, who can use our support. Why should I give money to someone who just wants to get high?

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  28. duh - maybe hate is a strong word. i generally dislike the lady.

    i wouldn't spit on her for being there, mind you, but screw that if she expects to sustain her drug addiction on my dime.

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  29. Tim,

    You obviously have no idea how great being high is.

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  30. Last summer I was outside the CVS in Woodley Park on one of those ungodly hot days. A homeless person asked a man to purchase him a bottle of water, and the man looked directly at him, then walked into the store without saying a word. It was one of the more dick moves I have seen in this town.

    So I purchased the homeless guy a bottle of water and some food. I can understand why people may not want to give money to homeless peeps, but seriously? A BOTTLE OF WATER? ON A HUNDRED DEGREE DAY?

    Clearly if you are paying rent in this town you can afford to spare a dollar to buy someone a bottle of water who has been outside in the oppressive heat all day.

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  31. I vote for ignoring the homeless, although I’m not opposed to telling the aggressive ones to fuck off and get a job. People who actually work to support themselves have no responsibility to acknowledge the filth who sully our sidewalks with their worthlessness.

    If bums across the city really feel like they deserve handouts, they can walk over to McPherson Square and listen to the Jesus freaks proselytize in exchange for a sandwich.

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