Do not look homeless people directly in the eye. Even if it is just to smile at him or her.
I should have known better. As I was waiting for my shuttle I could see the guy in my peripheral vision. He was talking to himself and laughing. And he was stopping to stare at everyone walking or waiting on the street.
As he got closer to me, I turned my back towards him to look into the hotel lobby (which I stand in front of), figuring that if I was not directly accessible to him, he might “skip” me.
No such luck, he waited.
So I turned toward the man and he stared at me (remember, me and staring, not a good combination). I looked him in the eye and smiled at him. What else was I going to do? He wasn’t asking for anything. He was just smiling.
I guess my acknowledgement was a silent invitation. That I was interested. I was not.
He continued to stare at me for what seemed ages, in reality it was probably 30 seconds. Then he swung around and moved to the next lady a few steps away.
Oh well, life in the city….
YES! I love when that happens. Isn’t it the best part of your day? Every night I get at least one crazy come by the hotel and it always brightens my day. heh
I worked in the city for a few years and, empathetic as I am, I did eventually learn to ignore and avoid. It’s heartbreaking, but inseparable from city life, unfortunately. While working there, I heard a news story that said that the #1 complaint from the SF homeless is that people don’t look them in the eye. So I did try to do that when it felt safe. Avoid the ones yelling at nothing, though.