The word from the street
PHILIP
“What are you doing with that thing?”
TONY
“This thing? That the lens from one of those big old back-projector TVs. I’m cracking it out from the plastic housing so I can do my reading better. My glasses don’t work much for me anymore, if you know what I mean. Most people don’ know it but these lenses are amazing.”
Here’s Tony’s “Standing While Homeless” (aka SWH) ticket from last week. I had said it was for $96; it’s actually for $65.
Philip
TONY
“A cop gave me a ticket yesterday.”
PHILIP
“For what? For being homeless?”
TONY
“Almost. I was standing at the top of the street and this cruiser stopped and the cop gave me a ticket. She said I was panhandling near a bank machine which was an offence. So I asked if I could at least get a warning first, since I didn’t know about the law but he officer didn’t budge at all.
“So today a friend tells me that CFRB radio said that a lot of street people had been ticketed recently for all sorts of things. The guy on the radio said that it costs way more to lock folks up than the city will ever collect in fines. No kidding! I mean, where am I going to find the ninety-six bucks anyway?”
TONY
“There’s this woman who brings me a homemade lunch most mornings. So recently she hasn’t, which she was apologizing to me for, but I know she’s moving her home and she doesn’t have any place to even make me a sandwich right now. So I just told her not to worry; I said: ‘When you’ll be ready, I’ll be ready.’ “
TONY
“We’re losing another homeless guy.”
PHILIP
“Who’s that?”
TONY
“You remember when I told you about the homeless guy up the street, the guy who was drinking mouthwash? He’s in the hospital — has been for 3 days now. The doctors figure for sure he ain’t coming out of that hospital on his own steam, if you know what I mean.”
PHILIP
“How do you know this?”
TONY
“I spoke one of his other friends last night. The guy says that everyone’s done whatever they could to help the guy, but his insides were totally rotted out. You know, we’re just falling like flies now.”
TONY [As a funeral procession drives slowly south on Roncesvalles, Tony doffs his cap].
“I always take off my hat when a funeral comes by.”
PHILIP
“Why’s that?”
TONY
“Just showing respect for the dead.”
Homeless Man Speaks 