Begging for Change

Every day I ride the 4 train to work, and I purposely try to bury myself in something interesting, to distract me from nuances the NYC subway train rides has to offer. Occasionally, I am interrupted by a male duo trying to raffle off M&M peanuts (never the plain ones), or a dope fiend accompanied by her dope fiend boyfriend; who is so swollen and hocked up on that stuff she doesn't even care that the seat of her pants are split wide the heck open - exposed for the world to see. Im just saying, we live in the age of phone cameras and the medium of social networking.

The funniest character I've come across is a tie between "Train Man" and the "Vietnam War Vet".  Both are panhandlers who are a step above putting their filthy caps in your face as u try to ignore their incessant begging. Train Man has mastered the art of imitating the sound you hear as the train doors are closing.  In between his impressions he tells a dirty joke or two.  Vietnam War Vet immediately steps in the car and begins to sob. He starts off slow and soft and gradually gets louder and louder with absolutely no tears at all. In fact mid-way thru his spiel he looks around to see if he has touched your heart so much that you can't help but reach in your purse for anything...  A penny, a nickel, a piece of lint... Something...   Oh but beware... Vietnam War Vet will go off if he hasn't reached his train car quota.  Pure Comedy... And, no I'm not against helping out anyone who has become down on their luck... Indeed I have given to a homeless woman once before;however I witnessed this same woman dump out a bag of coins into the seat and discard all of the pennies she had collected. Just left them on the seat of the train as if they didn't add up. 
Because of this, panhandlers don't really move me....


*Voni V.I.P*