Inauspicious beginnings

[muckefuck]

This morning, I was admiring the light snowfall that had dusted the walks and yards and was just beginning to collect in the needles of the pines and junipers when I ran into a desperate woman on the street. At first, I thought she was asking directions to Mercy Hospital, but soon enough I realised she was trying to get me to take her there. I told her I didn't drive and she began telling me that she was "bleeding bad" and was HIV- and couldn't I help her? I told her call an ambulance, but she said that they only take you to the nearest hospital and couldn't I help her get a taxi "with my ID and my wedding ring". The more she assured me that she wasn't asking for money, the more convinced I ended up that she was.

So I told her I couldn't help her and hurried along. Of course, I couldn't help playing the exchange--probably less than a minute in all--over in my head and rationalising my behaviour. Is it wrong to think that beggars can't be chosers? If she's in that much distress (I looked, but didn't notice any blood), why not go to the nearest hospital? If she's not, why take a cab instead of CTA? Why is she throwing herself at the mercy of complete strangers anyway? Is it really possible that she doesn't know anyone who could help her out in a situation like this? If so, why? Harsh luck or abusive personality? And does it matter when determining how much pity I should feel?

Almost two decades in this city, innumerable sob-stories from strangers, and I still suck at determining people's motives in situations like these. No matter what, I always feel like a mark. Like people see a well-off white boy on the street and figure that I'm gullible enough to give them money. Sometimes, they make it really obvious, like when they panhandle every light-skinned person who walks by leave other African-Americans alone. Mostly, though, there's little or no context: Suddenly, someone I've never seen before and know nothing about is in my face and making demands. My solution is to say "No" to everyone; I can't imagine how boundless my rage would've been had I made myself late to work in order to help this woman and found that she was just cadging a ride to the South Side. But it doesn't bode well for the development of my own sense of compassion this coming year.

Comments

[his-regard.livejournal.com]

For the record, ambulance response teams will give the patient the option of which hospital to go to, provided it isn't a complete crisis situation.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

You know, I think I knew that. My old shop steward at the U of C always used to say that even if he were shot on the steps of the U of C Hospital, he would tell the ambulance team to take him to Michael Reese.

[gopower.livejournal.com]

These days, he'd be out of luck (unless it was a flesh wound) since both U of C and Michael Reese dropped their Level 1 trauma programs years ago. He'd have to go to Stroger (County) Hospital or Nortwestern. Cook County subsidizes trauma care only at its own hosptital, not much of a consolation if you bleed to death on the way across town.

[gopower.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, they make it really obvious, like when they panhandle every light-skinned person who walks by leave other African-Americans alone.

In my neighborhood (the Bryn Mawr El stop), I've noticed that the panhandlers appear to solicit passers-by regardless of race. At least, I've seen black panhandlers solicit people of all races. I cannot say I've ever noticed whether the white panhandlers solicit blacks.

Of course, these are just basic panhandlers -- I've yet to encounter anyone there who had a whole story pitch.

Yet another difference on the north side -- Hyde Park-based panhandlers seemed to put more effort into it.

[mollpeartree.livejournal.com]

I think we do get more actual grifters, though I've encountered one or two downtown as sell. My theory is, students & tourists radiate irresistible naivete vibes.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I avoid the Bryn Mawr stop for this reason. Even though monshu lives south of it, I'd rather ride to Berwyn and walk north. I rarely get hit up there--or near the Argyle stop (though I occasionally see guys flogging farecards there). The rest of Argyle, though, is a gauntlet; it's almost impossible to make it from the el to my door (all of five blocks) on an evening without getting hit up at least once.

[scathedobsidian.livejournal.com]

Heh. Hyde Park panhandlers, especially those on 57th east of Drexel, are artists.

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

The Jehovah Witnesses own huge swaths of Brooklyn Heights; I believe they may even have their international headquarters there. What this means, though, is that there is intense mission work happening at each of the major subway entrances in the area, not a pleasant thing if you have regular business at Borough Hall or any of the courts located there. One thing I noticed, however, was the reverse of your panhandling situation: JWs approached only African-Americans or Latinos, leaving whites alone. Mind you I am always happy when these street missionaries leave me alone (Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione and all that), but it always made me wonder, do they think whitey isn't worth saving? The answer is probably that the missionaries learned that they have a higher success rate with minorities and decided to focus their marketing on a cost benefit basis.

[scathedobsidian.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I really can't say I blame you, man. And that's a little sad.