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> - I gave a beer to a homeless guy, and he chugged it & threw the can into the street. I asked him why he didn’t put it in the trash can right next to us, and
by hitekker 5y ago
> - I gave a beer to a homeless guy, and he chugged it & threw the can into the street. I asked him why he didn’t put it in the trash can right next to us, and he explained that he didn’t want the tiny Asian women who forage for recyclables to get stabbed by the needles in the trash cans, and that one of them would be along to get the can shortly. Sure enough, less than 5 minutes later, a woman pushing a shopping cart full of cans walked by, picked up the beer can, and continued on.
There's something unsettling about this story that I can't quite put my finger on.
- Rebelgecko 5y agoLike why didn't he just leave the can next to the trash can? I've saw trash cans in Germany with bottles ringed around them and was told that it was to make it easier for people that collected the deposits.
- smegger001 5y agoIf there are that many needles it sounds like more needle disposal receptacle are needed
- EForEndeavour 5y agoFor me, it's all about the jarring contrasts in a fleeting encounter between distant social classes. The guy's homeless along with thousands of others in one of the richest and most technologically advanced regions of one of the world's richest countries. Actively throwing litter into the street comes off as antisocial, until it's revealed to be motivated by empathy for his fellow destitute community members. That woman spends her waking hours collecting empty cans and avoiding needle-stick injuries on the streets of a city in which other people who aren't so different from her spend their time rearranging electrons in very specific ways that entitle them to safe and secure housing, as well as food, drink, and information imported into their homes from across the world.