I touched off an uproar with the street people tonight

[Ellen Forradalom]

I was coming out of the greengrocers' when the bongo player outside asked me again for some change. I put my produce in the car and said, "Want anything from the grocery store?" "You going there? Sure, I'll take some lunch meat and chips." "How about a sandwich?" "Sure."

I had a turkey sandwich made at the deli counter and got my groceries. I picked up some bananas and milk and put it in a bag with the sandwich and brought it back to the bongo player. This touched off an uproar with the other panhandlers who start wandering over. (There were two when I went into the store; two more came over when I came back.) One of them followed me to my car and asked, "I've been out here for four or five years trying to get something to eat and you get something for the bongo man? Do you have any change?" I told him nope, only plastic (true enough). I said, "If you ask nice enough, maybe he'll share." "Oh no he won't, no he won't." I shrugged my shoulders and got in my car.

It didn't bother me at all, in fact I was a little amused that the one guy had such chutzpah, but it reminded me that the Law of Unintended Consequences is in force at all times. I upset their delicate balance of power. Oh well, what can ya do?

[FloridaPat]

1. Amazing the bongo player wanted food. I was at a craft fair and

a young man came around asking if anyone wanted help. He hadn't eaten in a couple of days and was in need of work. Finally found some good hearted person who had a job for him. Suddenly he was too faint to work and only wanted cash to buy food and would work when he had strength.

A friend of mine picked up a hitch hicker. Poor guy hadn't eaten in days and ask for some cash. Friend reached around to the back seat and gave him a sandwich. After trying to chocke down two bites, the hicker asked him to stop the car. He was going to get sick and didn't want to ride futher.