In fact, it was the summer of 1965; shortly after graduating from High School. I had secured a job with a Certified Public Account in Springfield, Massachusetts, whilst I decided what path I wanted to follow as a young woman. Several opportunities had been presented to me and I needed time to think!
Parking was always a problem in the downtown area, so ‘the boss’ had made arrangements for employees to park at a lot about a block away for a reasonable amount and without fear of the dreaded parking ticket. At the end of my very first day of work, I turned the corner headed for the parking lot when I was approached by a somewhat scruffy, middle-aged man, “Hi there Miss, would you have a dime for a cup of coffee?” He asked. Feeling a little nervous, I fumbled in my purse and handed him a quarter, and hurried along. “Bless you, Miss.” I heard him call after me. This ritual continued day after day for quite some time. Every day he got a quarter and every day I got blessed, sometimes when he looked particularly forlorn I would give him a bit more.
After a couple of months of supporting his ‘coffee habit’, as I handed over yet another coin, I asked him his name. “Charlie, you can call me Charlie.” He mumbled. Time passed and Charlie got his daily handout from me and heaven knows how many other passersby on that busy city street.
It was just before Thanksgiving and I remember it was extremely cold. The wind whipped around the buildings and hit with such gusto that your teeth would chatter. 5 o’clock came and headed for home, as I rounded the corner, I noticed that Charlie was not there. It was so bitterly cold that I was glad and hoped he had found a warm shelter. As I continued along, my eye caught sight of a really cool, shiny, baby blue and white 1955 Ford Fairlane parked at a meter; it looked like it had just come out of the showroom. I was almost level with it, when the passenger door opened and a familiar voice asked a very familiar question, “Hi, can you spare a dime for a cup of coffee?” It was Charlie. “It’s so damn cold today I sat in my car.” Once I picked my jaw up off the sidewalk, I asked, “This is your car?” He looked totally surprised that I was surprised “Yea, well I can’t walk from home every day, can I?”
Well to make a long story short, I learned through the grapevine that Charlie was a bum! He wasn’t poor, he wasn’t homeless, he lived in a nice house in a nearby town, owned a car and had a trust fund. He was a true lazy bum scam artist! After word got around, Charlie rode drove off into the sunset and was not seen again. Rumor has it that he was actually banned from the city, but that may just be an urban myth.
21 comments:
Now that is some story!!! Absolutely amazing! How do some people get away with things like that??? I guess such a thing is so far from most of our minds that it is difficult to conceive someone actually doing it and getting away with it as long as he did! Thanks for sharing your experience, I'll be sure to think about that the next time one them approached me with a handout -- and believe me, we have lots of those here in Seattle!
Have a lovely evening, Sunny!
Sylvia
Unbelievable! It reminds me of a time I was asked for 'bus fare'. I told the guy I wouldn't give him the money, but I would go to the bus stop with him and get him on his bus. He changed his mind and disappeared before we were half-way there.
Some people are brazen enough to do anything...it does make for a funny story though...
We don't have any in our area..too rural. But one day we were in a Big City , and two guys were working the same corner, with the same sign..just taking turns. Didn't seem right to me :(
Well, I'll be darned. That's quite an interesting story, Sunny. Must say that I've never done anything like that. However, I have given a "bum" a dollar or so in my past but I've never been pested like you were. You must be a very kind hearted person to do that everytime he requested a quarter for a cup of coffee. I wonder if I would have done the same thing? Maybe so.
While over-seas in the US Navy, our ship would stay at different ports of call for R&R. One of them, I remember, was Hong Kong. I can recall lots of homeless children that were on the streets begging money from us US Sailors. Faceless children that, I thought, never had a home, but the streets of Hong Kong. I did give them a "handout", but I wonder if they were really homeless or just something like Charlie? I still have some pictures of "bum" kids from over in Tawiwan, Formosa.
Les
Well that's an eye opener. Looks like asking for a hand out was actually his "job".
I saw a TV show one time on "professional" panhandlers. That was their job that they went to every day and they made out quite well. I am always reluctant to give a handout to people on the street because you can't tell if they are really in need or just looking for a sucker. I am happy to help someone out who is down on their luck but I would rather give money to the Rescue Mission or the Food Bank. Then you know it's going to be used for food.
Oh how terrible.... People like that ought to be banned. They take advantage of nice people --who are willing to help those in need. Once you are 'conned' ----it's hard to trust the next person who may really need your help. Ugh!
Hugs,
Betsy
That is a great story! I mean wow! It is amazing that this person was okay with doing what he did...and that he got away with it for so long!
I can tell you that, as part of my job last year, working one on one with an individual with a traumatic brain injury, we volunteered at the food pantry. We constantly needed things to do to fill up his day and volunteering was a great thing for him to do and for me to do as well. Anyway, I happened to pick up a few brochures from the food pantry that spoke of their outreach program and had them still in my car, when a beggar approached me and asked me for a bag of my groceries. I politely explained that I was tight on my budget with 5 children, but I had a way she could get some food. I handed her a brochure and I said, "If you are really in need of food, they will help out." (you didn't have to qualify for a visit to the pantry your first time through the doors.) She had tears in her eyes, and I don't know if it was because I wouldn't hand her food and money or if it was because I didn't blow her off and tell her to get lost. Anyway, I've kept these brochures in my car ever since, just in case someone else should be in need.
Cheers, Jenn.
When I lived in England, we would sometimes go out or go shopping in Bath which was quite close to where we lived. In Bath they had quite a problem with beggars and homeless people. But then one day, the council decided to crack down on this problem. It turned out more than half of them made more money begging than they would working! They lived in nice houses, drove nice cars etc.
I've made it a point not to give to beggars, I will occasionally buy the Big Issue though. But if I have some food on me, they are quite happy to it!
By the way, I've got an award waiting for you at mine.
This reminds me of the Sherlock Holmes story "The Man With The Twisted Lip". He didn't happen to have a twisted lip did he?
That is unbelievable, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Some people will do anything rather than get a real job and actually work. I am too much of a skeptic to give out money. I just don't trust anyone anymore.
Great story - scam artists come in suits now days and live in great big houses and have many cars.
Thanks
Rotten little skite...
:)
I did have to laugh out loud when he popped out of the car. What a scammer he was. He casts a bad shadow on the true homeless doesn't he. Still at a quarter a pop, it couldn't have been a "good" living unless he was astute in the stock market.
What a story! Makes it hard to trust anyone. I get approached quite a bit at work since the homeless shelter is right across the street and I have heard every hard luck story there is.
I've heard stories like this before too. I don't mind helping people who truly need help. I guess its better to do it through some reputable agency.
It takes all kinds. And nowadays, with people on the Internet, they can say they are doctors, lawyers, male or female and nobody knows for sure. Years ago my wife and I knew a lady on the Internet on a blog who begged for money to buy a dress for her daughter and she got it. And it was a nice dress and she took a picture and showed us what she looked like wearing it.
Thanks for helping me to make history.
Pick a Peck of Pixels
Great story Sunny. We hae [anhandlers down here in Austin and can totally relate as a few of them drive to "work" (a designated street corner) everyday!
This is a nice story, maybe not so nice but interesting and curious.
Many young people here make that choice and live begging around without any shame.
A well written story, with a surprise ending. It would have made me very angry. What a bum!
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