Good point, mate! It's the same point I was trying to make with this picture.
I recently wrote a wee whimsical play about it, based on a real-life experience.
I hope you will forgive the world's longest comment if I post it here. Self indulgent I suppose, but I hope you will enjoy it.
‘BUGGER!’
A short play in one act. Scene: a city street.
A young man is walking in the street. He sees a second man – a man in shabby clothing – sitting slumped against a wall, his eyes closed and with a disposable coffee cup placed on the pavement in front of him.
The first man starts to move across to drop some change into the cup, then sees a third man – an older man wearing a suit, and texting on his cell phone – approaching from the opposite direction. The man with the cell phone notices the man with the cup at the last moment and steps around him with a glance of annoyance.
The first man suddenly has an irresistible impulse. He steps in front of the third man.
First Man: Excuse me; would you do me a favor?
Cell Phone Man: What?
First Man: Would you give this dollar to that man?
Cell Phone Man: Why?
First Man: Because he needs it.
Cell Phone Man: Why can't you give it to him yourself?
First Man: I wondered if you'd like to do it.
Cell Phone Man: What? No! Look, I don't have time for this.
First Man: Your time is too valuable?
Cell Phone Man: Yes. Of course.
First Man: How valuable?
Cell Phone Man: More than you can afford.
First Man: I'll give you two dollars then. Give one to him and keep the other.
Cell Phone Man: I̢۪m sorry, I really don't have the time for this nonsense.
First Man: But it'll take only five seconds, and you get a dollar. That's â€Â¦ over seven hundred dollars an hour. How much an hour do you make?
Cell Phone Man: What? How much do I ...? This is ridiculous. Bugger off!
First Man: I'll give you five dollars. You keep four for your time. Give this man one.
Cell Phone Man: No.
First Man: Ten?
Cell Phone Man: No!
First Man: Come on, man! That's near Bill Gates̢۪ income, for five seconds' work.
Cell Phone Man: Will you please just bugger off? What are you on about?
First Man: I just want to see people helping other people in distress.
Cell Phone Man: Well I'm sorry, but I don't give money to beggars.
First Man: But it's my money you'll be giving him.
Cell Phone Man: That's not the point. It only encourages them.
First Man: What if it helps him?
Cell Phone Man: What if it doesn't? Most of them only use it to buy booze and drugs.
First Man: What if he's not one of them?
Cell Phone Man: One of who? Whom?
First Man: One of the ones who spend it on booze and drugs.
Cell Phone Man: I've had enough of this. You̢۪re an idiot. Bugger off! (and off he buggers)
The first man shrugs. He looks again at the second man sitting on the pavement. After a pause, he takes out a further dollar. He quickly steps across, and drops both dollars into the disposable coffee cup. Coffee splashes out onto the second man's sleeve. The second man wakes with a start, and looks down at his sleeve, then at the coffee cup.
Man With Cup (glaring up at the first man): Hey! What the hell are you doing, man? Bugger off!
First Man: Ohâ€Â¦ Oh! Sorry! (he hurries away)
Man With Cup (shouting after the first man): And you owe me a cup of coffee!
- 0 -
Message edited by author 2012-01-28 08:32:41. |
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