Street People
Washington DC
When I visited this city quite a few years back, it was full of begging street people, very annoying and even threatening. Quite reminiscent of many third world countries I have been to. Some of those people were well dressed and very demanding of my money, as if I 'owed' it to them. I would ask why they needed the money ( a politically incorrect thing to do, but it is MY money!), and invariably they would say they were hungry and needed food. So I would offer to buy them a meal at a fast food restaurant, and every one of them refused that offer. I guess they weren't all that hungry. I think we know where the money was really going. I have been told that that situation has markedly improved in the past few years. This picture was taken in May, 2004. I will admit that I was not approached by nearly as many beggars, but I also stuck more around the mall this time around. It's interesting to think what our foreign visitors think of our country after seeing all this.
©Bill Yeaton