SIGN PEOPLE

Is it just me, or are these people on the corner holding signs asking for money annoying??!!?? It used to be a rare sight, now you can't go anywhere without seeing at least one. I used to feel sorry for them and give them food. Then a fellow bus driver told me he had the same feeling and gave a guy his lunch. As he pulled away, he looked in the rearview mirror and saw the guy throw it over the fence!! He was pissed. He had decided he could go a day without lunch to help out one of these poor souls and then saw the guy not only wasn't hungry but just threw it over the fence!!

Then there was the day I was working a 10 hour shift. I drove past the basilica in downtown Minneapolis numerous times that day. There was a sign guy out across the street from the basilica on my first pass through and he was there ALL DAY...Even on my last trip through!! I thought if he put that much effort into getting a job, he wouldn't have to ask people for their hard earned money.

I thought everyone should jot down the number for First Call for Help and hand it out to the sign people. Face it, they wouldn't be out there if people would stop giving them money. It's not that I don't want to help, but I give to a charity of my choice. They, and many others, provide food, shelter, clothing and even help getting a job or an education. The only thing they don't help with is getting drugs and alcohol...fig'r it out! If you think I'm being a jerk, just ask the sign guy who's sign says "why lie? Need a beer".

To all those kind people that give sign people money...take your money and give it to a reputable charity. Then you know your hard earned money isn't going to the dope man or the liquor store and you can feel good about REALLY helping someone that needs it.