That Time When A Homeless Person Hugged Me
And I was ok with it
About a year and a half ago, I traveled to Manhattan from my home on Long Island to meet up with a girlfriend. After having a wonderful day together, I headed back to Penn Station to catch the train home.
First, I made a pit stop at the Long Island Railroad public restroom. Due to the pandemic, about half of the restroom was closed off. There was a line so I had to wait my turn.
As I waited, I heard someone asking other travelers for money. I turned to look and saw that she was an older homeless woman who looked pretty benign in my estimation.
A minute or so later, this same woman came up to me to let me know that a specific stall was actually available even though it looked closed. I gathered that she had spent more time in this bathroom than I did, so I walked over, and found she was correct. I thanked her and went in.
As I sat there doing my business, I could hear her asking other people for money.
Every single time that I am in Manhattan, someone will ask me for money. Like a true New Yorker, I typically look ahead and ignore so as to not engage. I don’t make it a regular habit to give money to those who ask. Partially because it just doesn’t seem to be a good idea to take one’s wallet out in a crowded area.
