Over the past month or so, I've been struck by the number of (usually African-American) (usually male) panhandlers who get on a busy subway car and make a long, rapid-fire speech about their circumstances and how they need money.
Usually, like one person gives them money, and then they swear or something or say people aren't sympathetic and get off the car, likely to go get on another one and go begging again.
The other week this happened again on a weekday late afternoon when I was on my way to a doctor's appointment, and afterwards the (young) (African-American) (otherwise apparently in good health) guy said clearly mentally ill stuff to himself.
After he got off the car, I asked the (older middle-aged) (black) woman next to me, "Is it just me, or is there more and more of this lately?".
"It's not just you," she was like.
I then asked her if she thought it was a worsening economy or a trend catching on or some new drug, and she said she had no idea, and then went back to looking out the window and minding her own business.
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