You Never Give Me Your Money

OK, I think I may be getting a little soft as I get older.

I am downtown after a nice lunch with some former coworkers and encounter 'homeless buddy' at the bus stop.

Buddy is sitting there on the ground cross-legged, propped up against the building wall. His eyes appear rather glazed over and he has a small handwritten cardboard sign in front of him saying "Spare some Change to help a Friend".

As you know, I really despise these street beggars - all bloody scammers I say. Especially in this job market where employers are dying to get people to work at ridiculously high wages for both skilled and unskilled labour.
Nonetheless, I keep telling myself to keep an open mind.

Between some of my readers as well as my mother, who all claim I am being a "judgemental hard-ass" on the issue, I try and remain open minded. They all tell me "These are just poor people who are actually down on their luck. They have fallen between the cracks."

With this noble sentiment in mind yet still against my better judgement I was about to drop a spare "toonie" ($2 Canadian coin) into poor buddys' cap, when suddenly I stop 'dead in my tracks' as a cell phone began to ring.

Everyone around the bus stop immediately looks down and checks their phone. None of their phones were ringing. Apparently it was Buddies', since the annoying ringing was broadcasting from his front pocket.




Homeless guy. Evidently he has a cell phone. Who would have thought ?

He didn't answer it as he obviously knew everyone was watching him, but it was way too late.

Busted!

Ok I thought to myself...so perhaps he is not as broke as he wishes all of us fools to believe.

The toonie quickly slipped back into my pocket.

"I knew it" I muttered to myself. "Cell phone, indeed."

!@!@&^*@