I just feel like sharing this story about what happened to me today. If you find it boring just ignore it. Anyway, so today on my way to school I come across this gangster wannabe and he says to me something like "yo can I borrow 75 cents." And since I was in a hurry (I was late) I just brushed him of saying "no I'm broke." Then he starts cursing and calling me all kinds of names which I won't mention here. Of course I just ignored him, kept walking and that was the end of it. I live in New York and the funny thing is that no matter how a nice guy you try to be there will always be some a**hole trying to get tough with you. I don't get, what makes these gangster wannabes think they're so tough?

Well, you gotta feel kinda sorry for these types. Most of them come from broken homes and have immature parents that havent raised them right. You cant blame them, blame the parents!

Yea there was another guy like that asking me for money except he wasn't a bad mouth. He asked me "yo, you got any dollars to spare, my father kicked me out and I don't know where to go." I also remember walking into a library one time, and seeing a very young couple studying for the regents exam (an exam you must take in high school here in New York) and right next to them was a baby carrage with their infant child no more then 2 years old. Imagine that.

Thats correct.

Was I wrong? I mean sure they are dangerous people but most of them are a bit over confident.

I live in new york so I see these guys every where. i've seen alot of them in action, and many of them are not what I would call good fighters. Not trying to say that all gangster wannabes can't fight because yes there are number of these guys that are good at hand to hand and they are once again dangerous individuals. What I meant was that to me they act way too cocky. I see them everyday walking around in groups picking on smaller and weaker individuals, acting like they're the most superior people on the planet.

I live in a city. I know it is easy to get de-sensitised to the plight of the homeless, and with the volume of begging that you are subjected to, you cope by making these people 'invisible' or at least unimportant. Many of these people are there through no fault but their own. Addiction and poor life choices leading to self destruct, and in that regard I dont have sympathy for them.
But imagine how it must feel to have to resort to putting your hand out to a stranger. Most of us dont like relying on the generosity our own families, let alone the mercy of the public. i have come full circle, I used to come up with cruel little one line retorts to their requests, this would usually get me a volley of abuse- further inforcing my negative perception of beggars. It only occurred to me recently, that I was being an a$$, and that in the time it took me to say 'get a job' as I breezed by, I could look the person in the eye and say 'sorry mate'. What do you know, when I tried it, all I got in return was 'no worries pal' or words to that effect. 'I hadnt given them money, but I had recognised them as a human being.
There are a million a$$holes in the world, not all of them ask you for money, and those that are in more fortunate positions are given more tolerant treatment. If you are going to 'brush past' and ignore a beggar, then do the same to the boss you hate, the uncle that annoys you at christmas and the guy who gets your change wrong at the checkout. Either that, or give a little courtesy to fellow human beings regardless of their status.