18 MAR 07: HAVE BIKE, WON'T TRAVEL
Before we get to our topic, here's an open invitation to Kansas alumni and friends in the Columbus area: Let's meet at Loco's at 5:00 p.m. ET. Let's watch K.U. beat U.K. Let's have a repeat of Friday night - which was a classic case of "Niagara falls."
BLOGGER BEGGAR #2: Something told me to stop at "Fourth and Fourth" the other afternoon. I don't think it was my stomach, even though I bought a bag of corn chips at Money Back. And it certainly wasn't for the service - because the checkout line was slow and long, while one of the attendants used a vulgar word toward a customer.
The thing that told me to stop apparently surfaced as I walked back to my car with the corn chips. A man stood on the sidewalk - someone I'd noticed in this corner of Columbus before. He's noticeable because one of his legs is metal and artificial. At least he wears shoes, but he doesn't bother finding knee-high socks to hide his damage.
It took the man two times to get my attention, but the line was familiar when he did. "Can you give me a dollar or two? I'm trying to get something to eat."
"Let's go," I said pointing toward the inside of the convenience store. But as usual, this Money Back store filled with food wasn't good enough for a beggar. Several years ago, a man outside the store made it sound like he had to eat fried chicken -- or else he'd die.
"I'm planning to go to McDonald's in a while," the man explained. The Money Back store across from the Columbus Civic Center has no hot food - not even rotisserie hot dogs like some Spectrum stores do. All that extra space is needed for Keno players, you know.
"Get in the car, and I'll take you to McDonald's."
"But I've got this bicycle." Only then did I notice the bicycle behind the beggar on the sidewalk. Truly Al Gore is right -- even the poorest of us can do something to fight global warming.
"I live three blocks from here," I answered. "You can ride to my house, leave the bike there, and I'll drive you to McDonald's." If you're new to this blog, you'll notice I never simply give money to a beggar. After all, handouts like that from the government haven't seemed to work.
"You don't have to go that far out of the way for me," the beggar with a bicycle said.
"Three blocks," I said pointing toward my home. "Ten blocks," I then pointed toward the McDonald's at 14th and Veterans Parkway. The total distance one-way would be less than two miles -- much less than I offered a beggar two years ago, when he asked for a ride to Hurtsboro.
"That's all right," the beggar said. "I'll get help from somebody else." Translation: I wasn't giving him the "help" the way he wanted it. The customer in business may be "always right," but the beggar on the corner absolutely knows it.
That would have been that -- but then the beggar uttered one line too many. "Maybe I'll go to Burger King," he said half-jokingly.
"That's what somebody else said," I told him. "He was down the street at Spectrum - and he had a bicycle, too." [27 Mar 06]
I don't really think this man knew what I was talking about. But I'd spotted a new variation on the old begging game. People who can't afford lunch somehow can afford bicycles, to use as props to limit your options. Too bad for them that I live too close for their comfort.
BLOGGER BEGGAR #3 showed up a few days later, at that Spectrum I mentioned down the street. But this time, the request was very different.
"Might you be heading down Highway 280?" asked a man standing near gas pumps.
"No, I'm not." It was soda and a one-block drive home for me - so the discussion ended right there. I'll never know if the man needed a lift to a broken-down car in Phenix City, or really was after a free taxi ride to go shopping.
E-MAIL UPDATE: We have plenty of messages to sort through this weekend. One of them touched on several topics:
Richard, In young story about the murder of Lanny Davis's son you referred to the deceased several times as an army "Captain". As I recall his rank was actually "corporal". There is a lot of difference between the two ranks in pay, responsibility and status. A corporal is a low enlisted rank and a captain is an officer. Regardless, his death was indeed tragic. I feel very sorry for his parents and really don't understand why his body has not been released to them for burial.
Reference the mess in Phenix City - One might say that "what goes around, comes around". Wasn't it Bubba Roberts (the city mgr) who fired Max Wilkes (the 29 yr city employee who was acting city mgr while Bubba was gone for two years on National Guard duty in Birmingham) when Bubba returned to town. Now the Mayor wants Bubba to resign. Perhaps it's poetic justice or something like that. I think I read that Max Wilkes is suing the city.
And wasn't it strange that Mayor Harden didn't show up for his usual visit on Calvin's Rise and Shine program on Thursday? He never seemed to miss any programs for the couple of years before he ran for mayor. He sure got thousands of dollars worth of free air time. I suppose he didn't want to answer any questions about this latest issue.
Isn't that just like all the politicians? While running for office they are so accessible but after being elected they sure don't want to answer the public's questions.
I bet Calvin couldn't get any of our state legislators to come on his program and answer questions about the 60% pay raise they just voted themselves this week on a non-recorded vote! It says so much about our state when our citizens are among the poorest in the nation and yet our elected officials are among the best paid!
Your blog is great - keep up the good work. A Smithstation, AL reader
I checked previous blog entries, to make sure of Richard Davis's rank. But an online review shows he's actually listed as "Specialist." My apologies to the family -- but you'll notice none of them ever objected to my giving him a promotion.
(You figured someone HAD to be low on the military pay scale, to throw coins at the Platinum Club stage on that fateful night in 2003....)
I know Max Wilkes was fired last year, but I can't say with absolute certainty that City Manager Bubba Roberts did it. Mayor Jeff Hardin didn't want to talk about that situation, either - perhaps because he smelled a lawsuit coming. At least the City Manager can't sue the mayor. We might need the Phenix City Amphitheater to handle the audience for that trial.
As for Mayor Hardin's appearance on morning TV -- Calvin Floyd answers that, in his own e-mail:
Richard,
Mayor Jeff Hardin did not cancel his appearance on Rise N Shine This Thursday. When Mayor Hardin was on the show two weeks back I ask that He start appearing only once a month. This decision was made before His "Resigning Bout" with "Bubba" started. I enjoy your blog--Keep it Up!!
Sincerely,
Calvin
Admittedly, I did NOT watch NBC-38 last Thursday morning. I went by what Robbie Watson said at 7:00 a.m. on WRCG - but she admitted on the air she was a first-time viewer of "Rise N Shine." These talk show superstars have to keep a certain professional distance from each other....
And we knew Friday's mention of the Columbus NAACP President would bring a reaction....
If we use Bill Madisons argument for not having a Confederate month, then we shouldn't have a black history month either. After all, this town has a black history museum, a black cemetery, and SEVERAL black organizations.
If he wants to use the premise that slavery exsisted in the Confederacy and thats why we shouldn't have a Confederate history month, then perhaps, according to him, we shouldn't teach US history in school at all since slavery was made legal by the US Constitution in the 3/5th's compromise until it was banned with the adoption of te 13th amendment in 1865.
D.B. Thompson
Oh dear - if this keeps up, all these groups might combine their voices and demand The History Channel be removed from Columbus cable systems.
We'll get to some of your other messages another time - but right now let's quickly check weekend news headlines:
+ Our congregation at church watched a DVD on youth camps. The narrator explained the camps practice "immersion education" - yet for some reason, I never heard anyone talk about being baptized.
+ Columbus Police arrested a man on charges of breaking into The Wash Company on Talbotton Road. In fact, the suspect is accused of doing it twice - first at midnight, then returning at 3:00 a.m. Those extra-large washers simply are TOO slow....
(Hasn't this man ever heard the old line about a criminal "always returning to the scene of the crime?" Or are suspects not paying attention to old cartoons anymore?)
+ The Columbus POW-MIA Memorial downtown was the scene of a pro-military rally called "Gathering of the Eagles." My late father might have understood this differently - and dropped by the Fraternal Order of Eagles lodge for a night of pool, pretzels and beer.
(Eve Tidwell led a small group from Columbus to a similar rally in Washington. Group members said they went there to "protect" the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from protesters. I didn't realize the Capital Park Police were busy marching in a St. Patrick's Day parade.)
+ The Columbus Times reported the House of Mercy is applying to be renovated by "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." I don't quite understand this. Couldn't the shelter spend its big Black History Breakfast check on something besides a new industrial washer?
+ Four obstetric nurses quit Summit Hospital, apparently due to rumors the childbirth section might close. Hospital officials say they're trying to work something out on Medicaid payments - but at this point, the rumors are coming ten minutes apart.
+ The Columbus Cottonmouths felled Fayetteville 4-2, before a sellout Civic Center crowd of 7,539. I noticed the Fayetteville team buses parked under the Oglethorpe Bridge during the game - apparently afraid a huge St. Patrick's Day hockey crowd might spit green beer on them.
+ Auburn University held its "A-Day" football game, with the Blue team beating the White team 27-7. I honestly didn't keep track of this - so did the Blue team cover the spread?
SCHEDULED MONDAY: E-mail about Ashley Station....
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