Homeless Man Tries To Be Helpful

Walking to Subway for lunch yesterday along J Street, I stopped on the sidewalk next to the railroad track, and gazed across the street, towards the south.

On the other side of the street, a homeless man trying to cadge a few coins by sitting next to the sidewalk and begging, misapprehended my intention, and tried to be helpful.

"You can cross the street now," he shouted. "The traffic light at 19th Street is red! You can cross now!"

I replied: "No, I'm waiting to watch the train roll by." Unbeknownst to the homeless man, a freight train was approaching from the south.

We both laughed about that.