Just before and just after my son Clark's birth, I had several encounters with strangers that left me wondering what I should or would do in a similar situation in the future. There were three encounters and each involved a vagrant or panhandler.
The first incident occurred a few weeks before Clark's birth. Clark's Mom and I were walking down the Las Vegas strip on a warm Spring Sunday morning. Clark's mom was obviously showing at 9 months pregnant. She was wearing a custom t-shirt with our last name on the front and mommy on the back with a number like a softball jersey. We walked pass a woman on the sidewalk with her young daughter beside her. She was holding a sign (with wording I can't remember) and panhandling.
My wife was greatly disturbed by the encounter. She told me that she felt bad flaunting her pregnancy with the t-shirt, while another woman was so desperate as to panhandle with here child at her side. I found the child being involved distasteful. It didn't really bother me too much, as there was no direct contact and we had passed a number of other panhandlers on our walk.
Mere hours before Clark was born, my wife, in early labor, and I visited a certain big box retailer - O.K. "The Big Box retailer." We were finishing last minute (literally) preparation of the nursery. As we exited the car, we were approached by a young woman holding a little girl. She then said, "Can i ask you a question?" Coming from a stranger, I knew this conversation was not heading anywhere positive. The question was, "Could I spare $5?"
The "Big Box Store" was in a pretty nice neighborhood, but starting at $5 was pretty ballsy for a panhandler. They normally ask for spare change or maybe a dollar. I responded that I didn't have any cash on me (because I don't usually carry any). She then went on to solicit others in the parking lot. As she walked away, I could hear the little girl had a bad hacking cough, but that's not what the woman was requesting assistance for. It probably should have been. I felt very bad for the little girl. Admittedly, being directly accosted made the situation feel more personal.
