
I have!
Recently I was in line at the liquor store buying some beer. I have $10 cash on me and that’s about it. Cashier rings me up and it’s $10.99 – oops.
“Wait, let me go out to my car and scrounge up some change.”
The cashier (and people waiting in line) were not impressed.
I hear this gruffled voice behind me say “Ah, here ya go.”
An obvious homeless man is handing ME a dollar bill.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah why not?”
Cashier’s face = confusion
“Can I give you a beer at least?”
“Nah I’m good with this.”
He holds up the biggest jug of Sunny D I’ve ever seen.
“That’s it?”
He leans in with a smelly whisper and says “Goes good with vodka.”
So, I am taking a new turn with my interaction amongst the transients.
Instead of ignoring them as I walk by and their empty hand comes up, I will respond in one of the following ways:
- “Sorry, the smallest I have is a 50.”
- “Actually can you just break some change for me?”
- “What do you want? I don’t understand.”
- Or you can anticipate the request for change, and turn it around “Hey buddy I need another 99 cents to buy this beer, got a buck to spare?”
Now I am sure you are wondering why I would go this route considering a very nice homeless man gave me money. But you’re missing the point – he had enough bills that he was passing them out at the liquor store.
Hmmmm…thought provoking.
Please share your homeless interactions! I know KTB has one…
Recently I was in line at the liquor store buying some beer. I have $10 cash on me and that’s about it. Cashier rings me up and it’s $10.99 – oops.
“Wait, let me go out to my car and scrounge up some change.”
The cashier (and people waiting in line) were not impressed.
I hear this gruffled voice behind me say “Ah, here ya go.”
An obvious homeless man is handing ME a dollar bill.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah why not?”
Cashier’s face = confusion
“Can I give you a beer at least?”
“Nah I’m good with this.”
He holds up the biggest jug of Sunny D I’ve ever seen.
“That’s it?”
He leans in with a smelly whisper and says “Goes good with vodka.”
So, I am taking a new turn with my interaction amongst the transients.
Instead of ignoring them as I walk by and their empty hand comes up, I will respond in one of the following ways:
- “Sorry, the smallest I have is a 50.”
- “Actually can you just break some change for me?”
- “What do you want? I don’t understand.”
- Or you can anticipate the request for change, and turn it around “Hey buddy I need another 99 cents to buy this beer, got a buck to spare?”
Now I am sure you are wondering why I would go this route considering a very nice homeless man gave me money. But you’re missing the point – he had enough bills that he was passing them out at the liquor store.
Hmmmm…thought provoking.
Please share your homeless interactions! I know KTB has one…




