While I Don't Find His Plight Funny, I Can't Help But Laugh

Thursday evening, Hick and I took The Pony out to dinner. Yes. We ate at 4:00. We're OLD FOLKS! More on this dinner at a later date. Heh, heh, as if I would do it at an earlier date!

Anyhoo... we were back on the highway, taking The Pony home, shortly after 5:00. Around here, that's when most workdays end. Hick veered A-Cad onto the off ramp, putting us in a line of 3-4 cars waiting at the light. I was distracted, turned back talking to The Pony, who was fishing out money to give me for buying him some scratchers as we stopped by the Sis-Town Casey's on the way to his house.

I had noticed a guy in a bright green t-shirt and orange safety vest with the gray reflector strips, standing at the top of the off-ramp. 

"Here's a guy beggin'."

"Oh. I thought he was a worker. That's what the guys working on our bridge were wearing."

"Well, he's got a cardboard sign, and he's walking along the cars..."

I was busy grasping The Pony's bills over my shoulder, counting them and folding them to put in my shirt pocket.

"He thinks you're giving him a donation. He's looking at you."

"WHAT? I was getting Pony's money! We were doing it all the way up the ramp."

I looked at Beggar. [He looked like that character Chuck, who works with Mike at the quarry in the TV series "The Middle." I really like that character. This guy... not so much.] I couldn't tell what his raggedy brown cardboard sign said, but I saw his face. He was LEERING at me! Like, "Oh, yeah, girl. You got me covered, babe." He had a smirk, and gave me a little head nod. And started walking back towards A-Cad!

The light turned, and Hick hit the gas. We sped by Beggar. I couldn't look.

"HA HA HA HA HA! I can't help it! I WANT to feel bad for him. But I can't!"

"Well, he WAS begging, and you WERE counting that money right in his face. No wonder he thought he was getting it."

"It had nothing to do with him! We were getting the money as we got off the highway. He shouldn't have been looking in our car!"

"I don't like how they beg at the lights. These days, anybody can get a job if they want to work. It might not be what they think they deserve, but they could have a job instead of begging."

"Sorry! I just can't stop laughing. HEH, HEH! The only way that could have been crueler is if we fanned out those bills and waved them in his face as we sped by! I really WANT to feel bad. I just can't!"

Really. That Beggar shouldn't have been looking in our window. I made no premise of proffering him that money. I counted and folded. Hick took off as I was shoving it in my pocket.

Too bad, so sad. But kind of funny...