God Bless/Curse You

As I was hurrying off work today, a young woman sitting at a bus stop across the street shouted "'Scuse me!" and then something indecipherable. Its been my experience that whenever someone stops you downtown with the entreaty "Excuse me," it is inevitably followed by a request for money, even when prefaced with "I'm not gonna ask you for money" and when you refuse you usually receive the don't-you-feel-guilty-now riposte of "God bless you" from the slighted party.

I blurted "I'm late for work and I can't hear what you're saying...God bless!" and busied myself along down the street. (Did this woman expect me to cross the street against traffic so I could politely listen to her appeal for change, politely refuse it and be even later for work? Is this the new Social Contract of downtown commuting?)

I heard her angry reply, "Don't you 'God bless me'!"

Surprised, I hurried replied, "OK, then fuck you!" (In Ali G urban parlance, this is the equivalent of "Whatever.")

My misanthropy is turning me into Ambrose Bierce. But at least I'm honest.