Today I was working with CTV. I decided to take ONE last shift before I leave tomorrow for my travels...why not...money is money, work is work, experience is experience. Today's lesson? I WORK for the money I have (this fact will come in handy later).
So we are trying to promote CTV's open house where we have free activities inside the CTV building and everyone gets a free tour of the studio. I'm working outside and I am handed a megaphone because everyone else backed off from talking into it. Me? I don't mind so much... I like things that make loud noises. So I'm barking things all day "Come on over to CTV! We have lots of fun and free things for you to do today!... etc etc". At one point, I am told to go over toward Robson and Granville to draw more of a crowd. So me, solo and all, walked in that direction. I sure looked like a crazy woman, megaphone in hand, strolling and talking into a megaphone... (i'm getting paid to yell into a megaphone? SURE. No complaints!).
I make sure that the megaphone is pointed toward the traffic so I don't accidentally yell into someone's ear. I point it upwards to make the least amount of painful noise as possible. When I get to the corner of the street and say one line into the megaphone, the hobo sitting on the corner of the street looks at me and in a snide manner says: "umm, can you NOT do that RIGHT next to me? I'm hungry and trying to get breakfast". Did you hear that? He's "trying to get breakfast," like there's a technique in begging? Come ON.
I was immediately enraged. I responded to the Hobo, made a circular motion with my fingers around my body and said, "you see "this"? "THIS" is ALL public property. I can stand here if i want and talk into this megaphone all day if I want to."
The Hobo says something under his breathe and goes "i was JUST asking" and then mutters something rude again to me. I walk closer to the hobo and go, "Excuse ME?... what did you say?". First off, why would you start a verbal brawl with a chick that's willing to scream at the public with a megaphone? Thats just ASKING for trouble. Anyway, upon realizing that I was deeply angered, he eventually backed down...and I just walked away.
Now, I want to mention, I am not the usual kind to get into arguments with Hobos. Actually, I generally tend to feel bad for them and want to give them food. In retrospect, I was so enraged by this man because I think of ALL the times a hobo has made me feel awkward; Head down, begging for money, making me feel like utter crap when I say "No, sorry". To think of how many people's days are ruined when they have to awkwardly respond, "No...I don't have any change..." or even worse, when you are glared at by a hobo and feel an awful pressure to give them money- not because you want to, but because you were guilted into it. That is the absolute worst.
But, lets be honest here people. When we DO walk away successfully from a hobo, we aren't actually that sorry. We WORKED hard for that money. For instance, I'm a broke- just-out-of-school twenty something, working for every penny I have in my bank account. The key word is I WORKED for it. For ALL the times I have felt MY space intruded by a homeless man, I ignore it and let it be. I walk away. However, the one time I am apparently "intruding" on a homeless man's "space", he berates me?
I DON'T think so.
What really bothers me was that this hobo was literally doing NOTHING all day and, "trying to get breakfast," while I, on the other hand, am actually employed and was only doing my job- trying to make my OWN money so I can pay for my OWN breakfast.
The moral of the story? Don't feel so entitled if you are a hobo. You are taking people's hard earned cash that they worked exhaustingly for. And most of all, DO NOT mess with a girl holding a megaphone in one hand. There will be consequences and no verbal hold back.
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