16 AUG 07: WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

Sometimes new neighbors come and go at my apartment complex, and I never learn their names. They keep to themselves, and I can respect that. But when new neighbors seem exceptionally friendly.... well, anymore I'm skeptical. Sooner or later, they're probably going to want something -- you know, like politicians.

BLOGGER BEGGAR #11: The older man has a beard and a big summer straw hat. He has a roommate with noticeable health problems. And he decided Tuesday afternoon to knock on my door - one day before the government disability check reached their mailbox. These 31-day months can be killers, and not only because of the heat.

"I wondered if you could help me get some gas in my car," the man said through the screen door. "And I want to buy him some tickets to play the numbers."

"Gas yes, lottery no," I answered after a moment. If I want to lose money playing the lottery, I'll do it myself - and cut out the middleman.

To be honest, I somewhat invited this older man to come to my door and beg. He said hello to me in passing one day last week, and I kept waiting for him to add something to it. "So many beggars come around here that I thought you might need something."

"No, that's all right," he answered. "But I'll keep you in mind if I need help toward the end of the month." Me and my big mouth.

The older man actually did a good deed for me two weeks ago, on my laundry day. He brought a hanging dress shirt to my door, after I dropped it unloading the car without realizing it. Some visitors to my neighborhood would have expected a five-dollar "tip" for that sort of service.

Given that good deed, I suppose it was only fair that I let the older man borrow money until "The Check" came. But regular readers know I don't do cash handouts. So I asked: "Do you have a can?" I used to have gas cans, but gave them up years ago - like when I gave up lawnmowing, and let the apartment managers do it.

The older man had no gas can - but thankfully we live about a block from a Circle K store. He drove his old car which looked like a mini-station wagon to the station, and I walked over to meet him. There have been some beggars for gas in Columbus who would only take money - not even a push to the pump.

I swiped my credit card at the gas pump and helped the older man through the button-pushing to get started. But it seemed like the man didn't quite grasp what was going on. "How much am I getting?" he said. He had said five dollars, back at my screen door - but with one swipe, the door was open for a potential credit line in the thousands.

"Use some discipline," I told the man. "You're at four dollars now." I then proceeded to show him the price and the gallon meters on the pump. This seemed like an awfully elementary thing to do -- but if he doesn't grasp paying at the pump with a credit card, for all I knew he may have never driven before.

Throughout this short project, I gave the man a short briefing on the begging which occurs in my part of town. Some of it has been posted here, but not all of it. Over the years I've seen....

+ A man at my door at 1:00 on a Sunday morning, selling a 12-pack of Budweiser. His wife was in the car expecting money, which he apparently had spent somewhere else. This was before the TV show "Cheaters" came on the air.

+ A woman at my window at 1:30 a.m., selling frozen steaks. She claimed she had just received them - perhaps from Outback, or perhaps from a dumpster out back.

+ A man in the courtyard at 7:05 a.m. on a Monday morning, selling colognes and Tylenol. Door-to-door salespeople have to beat the rush-hour commute, you know.

The man elected to stop with the price at $5.02. He promised to pay me Wednesday, after the disability check arrived. Sometimes my neighbors and roommates live up to their promises. At other times.... well, someday I'll explain a trip to Amsterdam that a woman begged me to take with her. The trip she decided not to take, after I bought the group's airline tickets....

So did the older man live up to his word? As I write this, no. He came to the door during dinner Wednesday night and promised to get me the $5.02 "as soon as we do a budget." If he had done that in the first place, he probably wouldn't have asked to borrow money for lottery tickets.

I want to give people the benefit of the doubt, when they claim to have financial needs. But I have to admit all the begging at my door and my neighborhood gets old after a while. It's as if people expect to be added to MY budget - and if I don't do it, the Salvation Army might have to do it anyway.

E-MAIL UPDATE: The summer crime surge in Columbus has many people asking questions. For instance:

Richard,

The other day an African-American lady that I know gave her theory about the increase in Columbus' crime. She believes that they are being committed by the influx of refugees from New Orleans during the evacuation of Hurricane Katrina. If this might be true, is there a way to find out how many of the murders have been carried out by persons that were born here in comparison to those that moved here?

Concerned in Columbus

As I understand it, reporters have asked Columbus Police about a "Katrina effect" - and officers have denied there's any connection. Besides, some people might not want you keeping a murderers' version of the "high school scoreboard."

Now a quick check of news from a wickedly warm Wednesday:

+ WRBL reported construction actually has started on the Kia plant in West Point. And the groundbreaking ceremony was, let's see -- ten months ago?! It takes much longer to deliver steel from South Korea than I realized....

+ Two Columbus State University women's soccer players were named to the pre-season All-Peach Belt Conference team. One of them is forward Gina Goforth - which makes me wonder if she's a mathematics major, so she can "Goforth and multiply."

+ Instant Message to the RiverCenter: I'm a bit concerned about one of your shows in September. How do we know the acrobatic troupe coming from China won't be defective? That tumblers won't fall off the stage, and hurt audience members? That the plates they spin won't have lead-based paint?

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