“Excuse me, sir.” The male voice came over my shoulder while I was putting gas in my car at the Des Plaines tollway (yeah, I know it’s expensive but I was on fumes and figured that it was worth not having to stress my way to Cumberland.) “I’m really sorry to bother you but I’m stranded here with my wife and I hoped that you could help me put some gas in my car so that we can get home. It’s just a loan I’m asking for. If I could get just ten or twenty dollars, I’ll mail you a check as soon as I get to my place.”
Sound familiar? Of course the kid didn’t need the gas, he was in it for the ten or twenty dollars from whoever would believe him. It’s easy to fall for con artists that spin plausible and touching stories. Since then I have heard many variations of this scam from other opportunistic con artists and from friends that have fallen for the same story but who, in some cases, absolutely refuse to believe that they were taken but instead insist that they gave selflessly to some pathetic needy soul.
And why wouldn’t people believe that their selfless act was legitimate aid? The only difference between the people in downtown Chicago and Calcutta is the Starbucks and Fanny May stores. We’ve all seen those poor people walking down the street talking to themselves. OK, aside from stock brokers, real estate agents and investment bankers.
Vagrancy laws are a carryover from jolly olde England whose punishments for vagrancy included public whippings, and confinement in a pillory or the stocks. Those laws came over to the colonies and were adopted in Illinois.
In 1833 a Chicago vagrant, Richard Harper, was arrested and lodged temporarily in jail. Because he had no money he was deemed a vagrant and was offered for sale. Since the predominantly white crowd that attended the auction disliked seeing a white man sold, it first appeared that no one would buy him. Finally, George White, a black man, bid 25 cents and was allowed to lead Harper away at the end of a chain.
Vagrancy laws saw significant changes in the decades since and were severely questioned in the 1970s when the courts recognized that poor people were entitled to legal representation. The most recent blow to Chicago vagrancy laws came when in 1999 the Supreme Court struck down Chicago’s attempt to use them to curb gang activity.
Aside from the scam artists, I have compassion for “street people”. Although it’s easy to separate myself from the alcoholics, drug addicts and castoff veterans and mental cases, there is one category that scares the crap out of me. The unlucky.
I have no doubt that among the street people are those that got laid off, missed a rent payment or three and had no family to support them in these tough times. They’re me. No, they’re all of us – no matter how secure we may or may not feel.
On the other hand, maybe all the Chicago homeless need to do is make their way to Oprah’s house. After all, her generosity is legendary. And even if she isn’t home, I hear that there’s almost always a new refrigerator box in her trash bin.
Sound familiar? Of course the kid didn’t need the gas, he was in it for the ten or twenty dollars from whoever would believe him. It’s easy to fall for con artists that spin plausible and touching stories. Since then I have heard many variations of this scam from other opportunistic con artists and from friends that have fallen for the same story but who, in some cases, absolutely refuse to believe that they were taken but instead insist that they gave selflessly to some pathetic needy soul.
And why wouldn’t people believe that their selfless act was legitimate aid? The only difference between the people in downtown Chicago and Calcutta is the Starbucks and Fanny May stores. We’ve all seen those poor people walking down the street talking to themselves. OK, aside from stock brokers, real estate agents and investment bankers.
Vagrancy laws are a carryover from jolly olde England whose punishments for vagrancy included public whippings, and confinement in a pillory or the stocks. Those laws came over to the colonies and were adopted in Illinois.
In 1833 a Chicago vagrant, Richard Harper, was arrested and lodged temporarily in jail. Because he had no money he was deemed a vagrant and was offered for sale. Since the predominantly white crowd that attended the auction disliked seeing a white man sold, it first appeared that no one would buy him. Finally, George White, a black man, bid 25 cents and was allowed to lead Harper away at the end of a chain.
Vagrancy laws saw significant changes in the decades since and were severely questioned in the 1970s when the courts recognized that poor people were entitled to legal representation. The most recent blow to Chicago vagrancy laws came when in 1999 the Supreme Court struck down Chicago’s attempt to use them to curb gang activity.
Aside from the scam artists, I have compassion for “street people”. Although it’s easy to separate myself from the alcoholics, drug addicts and castoff veterans and mental cases, there is one category that scares the crap out of me. The unlucky.
I have no doubt that among the street people are those that got laid off, missed a rent payment or three and had no family to support them in these tough times. They’re me. No, they’re all of us – no matter how secure we may or may not feel.
On the other hand, maybe all the Chicago homeless need to do is make their way to Oprah’s house. After all, her generosity is legendary. And even if she isn’t home, I hear that there’s almost always a new refrigerator box in her trash bin.
athompson999@mail.com
