Token of affection
As I’m inserting the $20 bill into the token machine, a man slithers his way from around the corner and stands beside me. He puts his arm on top of the machine and leans in.
“Hey, bud. Would you mind giving me a token?”
“Uh, no,” I say, collecting the small, dime-like pieces as they fall from into a dish and make a clink sound when landing on top of each other.
“Bud, I have to get to Bloor and Sherbourne. Can you spare a guy a token?”
Bloor and Sherbourne? Bloor and Sherbourne? I work in that area and I walked to the train station to save a token. This guy looks mighty capable of making the same trip. He doesn’t appear to be disabled. He also doesn’t look, act, or smell crazy.
“I said no.” I give him the evil eye.
“Well, then, how about some money?”
Turning around, I give him a look of Fuck, dude, really? Then, I turn on my heel and walk away. He gets the point without me saying a word.
The nerve of that man. It’s bad enough that I have a hard time giving money to people I know because I know I’ll never see that money again, but to give a token to someone because they asked is beyond my comprehension. A token of affection, perhaps? Perhaps not.
That, and a token costs almost $3 and there is no way I was giving this man $3.
Maybe I should just start asking people at the train station if they could give me a token. Like that, I wouldn’t have to worry about spending my hard-earned cash on the TTC and start spending it on things that matter, like alcohol.
“Hey, bud. Would you mind giving me a token?”
“Uh, no,” I say, collecting the small, dime-like pieces as they fall from into a dish and make a clink sound when landing on top of each other.
“Bud, I have to get to Bloor and Sherbourne. Can you spare a guy a token?”
Bloor and Sherbourne? Bloor and Sherbourne? I work in that area and I walked to the train station to save a token. This guy looks mighty capable of making the same trip. He doesn’t appear to be disabled. He also doesn’t look, act, or smell crazy.
“I said no.” I give him the evil eye.
“Well, then, how about some money?”
Turning around, I give him a look of Fuck, dude, really? Then, I turn on my heel and walk away. He gets the point without me saying a word.
The nerve of that man. It’s bad enough that I have a hard time giving money to people I know because I know I’ll never see that money again, but to give a token to someone because they asked is beyond my comprehension. A token of affection, perhaps? Perhaps not.
That, and a token costs almost $3 and there is no way I was giving this man $3.
Maybe I should just start asking people at the train station if they could give me a token. Like that, I wouldn’t have to worry about spending my hard-earned cash on the TTC and start spending it on things that matter, like alcohol.
Authored by S at 12:00 am
8 Comments:
Bitterness does not look pretty on you. I wouldn't have given it to him either, I don't think. And, when you turned on your heel, I hope it was pretty and swishy.
$3? Is that Canadian? That's like 7 cents US, right?
At least the guy got a hint... he didn't ask ya for food or your jacket, ehhh?
A firm No usually works. I kind of whine it a little.
Look at them straight in the eye, give them a firm (but not mean)"no", an then turn your attention to something else. Usually works for me.
I give them an extremely firm 'no' with an undercurrent of fuckoff.
Nobody asks me twice.
i like dantallion. i mean i like dantallion said. i usually say a polite 'no' and shake my head.
i think it helps im a rather tall guy.
Lewis: I don't swish, I stomp (remember my "Drunk Walk"?).
The rest: I think why I'm such a target is b/c they can smell the (lack of) money from a mile away. LOL.
i used to be nice and give to panhandlers but then i got yelled at by one of them for not giving enough and i was like, FUCK YOU!!!!
So now when i get asked for money, i think about my shit job that i have to put up with in order to earn that money, and I say No.
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