Since I travel on the famous (infamous?) DC Metro system every day, this topic is near and dear to my heart. If you're a Facebook friend, you've seen my posts about the "Gawd is Good" woman in the Rosslyn station who walks along the platform hollering "Gawd is good, I need a cup of coffee (or whatever) can anybody spare 35 cents" (or some small amount, and even when someone gives her change, she doesn't stop.) Well, last week, I got close enough to realize that she is a he, and he isn't some indigent beggar localized at Rosslyn, he's apparently a Metro road show, because he was outside the Vienna Station! That's seven stops from Rosslyn, at the end of the orange line, and way off the beaten path if he was just a local character. I'm guessing he picks a random station every day for his begging event.
The "Gawd is Good" guy looks like he could actually use some help, and he's a bit of a character, so I don't begrudge him too much. At least there's some entertainment value there (OK, I'm heartless) but this next one gets me hot.
The last three days, I've been lucky enough to get off work relatively early, around 5:30. Friday, I went down to the station and started to my usual waiting spot and there was a guy standing near the exit fare machine. The exit fare machine is where you go to put money on your metro pass if you didn't initially put enough money on it to pay for the trip - the gates won't let you out until you pay up. He approached me and said something like "I didn't realize it was still peak rates, can you spare a dollar or two so I can get out, I really need three, but anything will help". I gave him $3 and walked on. When I looked back, he was gone. I thought that he was awfully quick at the exit fare machine but didn't think too much of it.
Monday, I was down there about the same time. A guy came up the escalator from the downstairs platform and approached another male passenger standing near the exit fare machine. I could tell he was begging and thought he looked familiar, but I didn't have a clear remembrance. The other passenger handed him some money and I watched him walk away and not stop at the exit fare machine. When he walked away with a limping gait, I was pretty sure that was my guy.
Today, about the same time, I'm standing in my normal spot and, lo and behold, the same guy comes up the escalator. He turns to another guy to his immediate left and clearly asks for something and was refused. He moved toward me and made eye contact, but must not have remembered me. He started to speak and I gave him a disapproving scowl and shook my head. He turned around and approached a middle aged woman near (again) the exit fare machine. I could see he was giving his pitch and she was reaching for her purse, so I thought, I can't let this con take this advantage of this lady, so I walked right up to them and said, "you know it's funny he had the same problem yesterday, and Friday." and walked away. I thought that would either embarrass him into walking away, or empower her to say no. I didn't want to cause a violent confrontation (although I'm pretty confident that with a score of Pentagon Force Protection Agency officers, with enforcement powers in the Pentagon station, just at the top of the escalator, I would have come out OK). I know they both heard me because I made eye contact and she said "really" and he did his best to ignore me. Yet I looked back and she was handing him something that looked like a quarter.
I went back to her a couple of minutes later and told her that I think he's a regular that he got me on Friday and she said, "well its a small price to pay". That makes me think this lady gave the cretin some change just to make him go away. That is unconscionable in my opinion.
I've got my eye out for this guy now. In the event I'm in the Pentagon station at 5:30ish, I will haunt him. The next time, I will stand next to the next nice lady he targets until he goes away empty handed.
I have no issue with beggars who sit with a cup and a sign, or even yell "Gawd is Good, it's cold outside". That's freedom of speech and if someone gives them money, that's a voluntary act. Getting up close and personal and making the other person feel uncomfortable until they pay you to go away is not acceptable.
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