Panhandler...in St. Matthews!

Just wanted to tell you all that I came upon a panhandler at the TARC shelter at the corner of Shelbyville and Breckenridge. This morning I had missed my normal bus and had a transfer there. This guy came up to the bus stop (I was the only one there). He was short, gray haired, about 50ish, rough whiskered, and looked homeless.

Him: "Do you have a quarter to spare?"

Me: "No, I don't."

He sits down on the bench, several minutes pass. By this time, the clouds are getting dark and it starts to rain and lightning.

Me: "Where are you going?"

Him: "Fourth and Magnolia"

Bus 25 was about to arrive any minute, and it went several blocks from there.

Me: "Well, if you need the quarter, get on the bus and pay your 75 cents and I will pay 25 cents. It's not that I don't want to help someone, it is that I wish to be wise."

Him: "Well, I actually like it here in St. Matthews. I've enjoyed my time here. Bye."

And he jaywalks across Shelbyville Road

[Robin Garr]

He was short, gray haired, about 50ish, rough whiskered, and looked homeless.

Odd, I saw a taller African-American gent who met that description (except for "short") inside Rainbow Blossom and outside Lotsa Pasta the other day who wasn't actively panhandling (at least to me) but who had a similar out-of-place look, and I don't mean just because of his skin color. He was walking around inside Rainbow Blossom with a lit cigarette stuck in the middle of his face, for instance, and nobody seemed particularly inclined to tell him to put it out, although I was tempted ...

This man was white. But that is odd...