7 JUN 07: PANHANDLE GAS

The price of gasoline seems to have peaked in Columbus. The low price in my neighborhood was $2.94 a gallon Wednesday night. Of course, some of us still have the budget figured at $1.50....

BLOGGER BEGGAR #9: "Can I have a couple of dollars, to get some gas?" the man mumbled just outside a convenience store door on Fourth Street the other afternoon. In fact, this man was in precisely the same spot as the last beggar I encountered [1 May]. Maybe it's time I walked out the east door, instead of the west one.

I didn't notice this man at the door as I walked to Spectrum with my soda refill cup. But he was waiting as I left -- and he caught a break, as I actually carried my wallet with me. Yup, I left the house without thinking first.

"Drive your car over here, and we'll get it done," I told the man as I pointed to an open spot next to a gas pump. It felt for a moment like I was a NASCAR crew chief.

With that, the man began walking around the Spectrum station -- and for a moment I walked behind him. I wanted to make sure he was heading for a car, and not to some kind of team leader with three other beggars waiting to come out.

Walking back to the pumps, the man drove up a moment later -- driving a slightly rusty 1980's-model Buick Regal. He had a disability license plate, which from what I saw was more fitting for the car than the driver.

I put my refill cup filled with diet cola on the gas island, and swiped a credit card on the pump to give the driver what he wanted. But only then did I notice a problem. "This is diesel," I told the man. Shame on me for not checking. But shame on the driver for having to ponder for a few seconds if his engine could handle it.

An unleaded pump was next in line - and after canceling the first credit card transaction, the second one began well. But the driver reached a "couple" of dollars in gas in a big hurry. We were probably both old enough to remember when that could have filled half-a-tank.

"You said a couple, sir," I noted as the driver went past two dollars. I let him go up to three - rounding the price to the nearest dollar, in honor of Bob Barker's final days on "The Price is Right."

It's sometimes hard to stop a fast-moving pump, and the gas bill actually totaled $3.01. Have you noticed convenience stores never leave those "take a penny" bowls out at the pumps?

With that, the driver and the helper both went on their way. The man said something under his breath about "getting back to the house." I hope he wasn't heading to the House of Mercy, in a stolen car.

This beggar was unusual on two counts: he actually wanted gas in his car, and didn't mind if I used a credit card to get it for him. Some beggars are so "cash-only" that they put Family Dollar stores to shame.

But this man accomplished something else. He pushed our count of meetings with beggars above the total for all of 2006 - and this year isn't even half-finished. It's enough to make me want to start jogging under the Second Avenue Bridge.

And that's not all: four of the nine beggars we've met this year have been outside the same Spectrum store on Fourth Street It's the one currently displaying a sign, boasting about selling a five-million dollar Georgia Lottery ticket. It's too bad the winner didn't share part of his big paycheck....

BLOG UPDATE: The next step in the library land controversy may come today, when the Library Board chair meets with an attorney. Will the board be able to arrange a special meeting, before the Columbus Council deadline of June 19? If it can't, can patrons argue against library fines for returning books late?

The debate about the land around the central library continued Wednesday on WRBL. Josh McKoon of the Education Park Coalition said his idea of a "park" involves a fenced-in area with walking trails. Huh - a fenced-in park?! There's no fence around Lakebottom or Britt David Parks. I mean, other than around the baseball and football fields....

Josh McKoon also accused the Library Board of suddenly doubling the amount of money for books on its sales tax spending list. He called it the fastest increase in spending he's ever seen - which tells me he hasn't been to Iraq.

Teresa Tomlinson of Midtown Inc. suggested Columbus Council catch its collective breath, and come to a "comfort level" on the Library Board's proposed budget. Its "greenspace" plan includes an outdoor learning area and meadows - so if you can walk laps around the learning area, couldn't that be a compromise?

While that wrangling continues, here's what else made news Wednesday....

+ Columbus Police searched for an armed robber, who stole money from Forest Road Seafood and Chicken Tuesday night. Why do these robbers always take the money - but they never demand any of the food? Isn't this an insult to the cooks?

+ Columbus city officials opened the bidding process for a software system, so people can pay parking tickets online. Has the city really thought this through? Make a violator drive back downtown to pay, get him stuck in a long line at the Government Center, and you might double your money.

(Maybe I should develop my own software package for people to pay parking tickets. I could call it "Pay-Up-Pal.")

+ The Phenix City Council approved an August 28 vote on a property tax increase for school construction. It would be a seven-mill increase - which surprises me, because I didn't know Phenix City still had seven mills open.

(Phenix City schools stand to gain almost four million dollars from a statewide school construction bond package, which Alabama's Governor plans to sign. So do they really need $1.2 million more in higher property taxes? Should we start watching Garrett-Harrison Stadium for signs of skyboxes?)

+ The Phenix City Council also approved the construction of a soccer complex at the city industrial park. That's the same place where a new poultry processing plant is planned - so immigration agents will know where to find suspected illegal workers on their lunch breaks.

+ Columbus resident Tina Baker accused Uptown Columbus Inc. President Richard Bishop of using his former city government connections, to have ATV riding banned on her property. It looks like you shouldn't make any plans for future "Bikes on Broadway" weekends.

+ Instant Message to Aflac: Looks like you missed a golden opportunity. A team named the Ducks won hockey's Stanley Cup Wednesday night, and you didn't have an ad anywhere in the arena.

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