Is That Your Dog?

I was riding in a cab today, past a familiar corner and noticed that the panhandler who was normally there had been replaced by a new younger panhandler. Thats odd, I thought, and for a moment I actually wondered what may have happened to the old guy with the sweet dreads who usually stood there. Then it occured to me that it was Saturday. "Well, it must be the regular guy's day off" I said. I used to feel bad about driving by "homeless" people on the road. After talking to a few of these people and some people who were previously homeless I don't feel so bad about it anymore. Take for instance the regular guy on the corner of Front St. near the casino. He has 2 vans that he drives to (work?) on different days he chooses which van to drive. On the other end of the same street there are several panhandlers that work as a group. Kind of a beggars union I think. They have shifts to work. I was curious about the amount of loot these people were pulling in each day. I don't know if it's true or not but I was told the Front Street @ I-435 crew was raking in $200-$300 per day!! Thats some pretty serious loot. Granted they have expenses, They have a wheelchair to maintain, and beer and cigarettes to buy, and from time to time they have to reprint their "Hungry anything helps God Bless" sign. All of which they share. One day we stopped and visited with one of the men there, as a friend of mine who is a habitual do-gooder had tried to hook him up with a job, and the man said he had quit the job after 1/2 a day because the business owner had only wanted to pay him $50 a day. Hmm lemme see regular hours, inside work, and very little chance of someone running over your drunken ass in traffic. Sounded pretty good to me. But there were other things to consider, like not being able to show up for work trashed on beer or crack, and not being able to bring my dog to work with me. What is it with homeless people and dogs? I don't want to give readers the wrong impression, I am sympathetic to the plight of real homeless people. The people I am referring to in this post are homeless by choice. They choose to hang out on street corners and beg because it is easier than getting a real job and following the rules that govern a civilized society. It is almost like a career choice and if it works for them, who am I to judge. If you are in doubt of a panhandlers needs, try offering him/her a cheese burger, I have found it usually just pisses them off. Their dog however will almost always smile a little. I wonder if he even knows he's homeless?