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5 MAY 04: CUP-HOLDER, NO CHARGE
"HOMELESS JESUS GOD" read most of the sign held by the man sitting on the corner of 13th Street and 10th Avenue. And I mean he was sitting ON the corner - on the sidewalk next to a fire hydrant, with no park bench there. Even the people sitting outside selling Sunday papers have it better than this.
The homeless man held a little plastic cup in his head during the lunch hour Tuesday. I was on my way to the bank to deposit a couple of checks - so really the timing for this encounter was perfect. I didn't have a fat wallet yet.
I turned around the corner and parked along 10th Avenue, to find out more about this man. After all, his corner spot was on the passenger side of all the cars. He's more likely to succeed sitting in the middle of Broadway.
It turned out the homeless man's afternoon was organized to some extent. "I plan to go to the Salvation Army around five," he told me. I guess that explained the "Jesus God" part of his sign. At some restaurants, it's all a matter of Who you
know.
You may recall the rules we learned last December for staying at the Salvation Army [18 Dec 03]. Yes, this man had a picture I.D. But no, he did NOT have a certificate saying he passed a police background check. I'm surprised this isn't done online now. After all, enough Internet ads offer credit reports....
"I'm going to the police station at three," the homeless man said when I mentioned the Salvation Army's rules. I don't know why he was going there at three. Chief Willie Dozier's news conference on Monday's night police shooting didn't last THAT long.
"You'll need five dollars to get that background check," I informed the homeless man. He clearly didn't expect t pay for that. But then again, he hasn't been in Columbus long enough to notice those signs calling for a public safety pay raise.
I then offered to take the homeless man to the police station and pay for the criminal background check. He started to agree - then mentioned something important to me. "I'm on probation right now." Give the man credit for being an honest beggar. He saved me five bucks.
The homeless man knew he had other options to the Salvation Army. "I stay at Valley from time to time," he told me. I'm assuming he meant the rescue mission, and not the sand and gravel company on Macon Road.
This homeless person moved to Columbus from Atlanta three weeks ago, and apparently has been bouncing around shelters ever since. "Sometimes I get work," he said about his corner spot near the 13rh Street Viaduct. But who would hire this man off the sidewalk -- a city trash crew, which needed relief help late in the day?
The homeless man admitted he was looking for something to eat - but since he was aware of his shelter options, this time I did NOT buy a meal. For one thing, he had his afternoon agenda pretty well set. For another thing, I go without lunch most of the time - so why not everyone else?
Here's what else we spotted on Cinco de Mayo Eve:
+ Tim Vinson of Jordan High School was named Muscogee County Schools "Teacher of the Year." I jogged by the Trade Center which hosted this event, and I have to ask - is this one night of the year when teachers are allowed to have mixed drinks from a full bar?
(A panel of judges honored Vinson for his creative approaches to teaching. Considering Vinson teaches welding, what does this mean? Certainly he doesn't have students weld the talkers' mouths shut....)
+ The Columbus Council approved the creation of an 11-member "public safety advisory council." It will examine practices of the fire department, as well as law officers - so maybe firefighters soon will have a "shoot water/don't shoot water"
policy.
+ Acting Waverly Hall Police Chief Archie Hand told WRBL about his two-person force: "This is not my first rodeo - but the horse sure is bucking hard." What town in Rhode Island did he come from?
+ WRCG radio's "D.J. and Vee" sports talk show had its television debut on WCGT. So I guess on Tuesdays, it now will be "D.J. and T.Vee."
(While Jerry Laquire's Monday night talk show on TV-16 always has been live, D.J. and Vee is a rebroadcast of their radio show two hours before. Doesn't it seem like they're putting the wrong program on a tape delay?)
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