Musing in Manhattan

     Everyday, on the streets of Manhattan, I am approached by people with fliers for just about everything and anything you can imagine.  $5 foot longs at Subway, shaping, waxing, threading, manicuring, hair cutting, mortgage lending, catering, huge blow out sales, promotions which come to you via the hand of a large costumed chicken, heck there are even those who hand out the fliers for psychic readings.  Question:  If she is such a great psychic, then why didn’t she know that I wasn’t going to take the flier?  huh??   Makes you think doesn’t it?  In all seriousness though, so many of us walk by these poor people and don’t give it a second thought.  I confess, I have walked passed quite a few people on my way to work; mainly if I am not in direct proximity to the person ie:  within arm’s length.  However, I am beginning to feel badly about not taking the fliers.  I am such a sucker, I know, but let me explain.

     While on the bus the other day, we were stopped at a light and I watched a young woman-maybe my age, or younger as she tried to give out fliers for something.  So many people passed her by, yet with each new prospect that approached she had the biggest smile as she attempted to hand the passing pedestrians her brochures.  I began to think about her as a mom, like me, maybe having to take on that job of handing out fliers to help put food on the table or maybe be able to buy her son a Halloween costume this year.  I know, I know, that is a dopey thing to think, but given my circumstances and knowing that my son would love a brand new Halloween costume this year, it just tugged at my heart.  The fact is, these people take on these “gigs” for little money.  They probably don’t have a steady line of employment or are in between jobs and NEED to make some money. When I browse through Craigslist for writing “gigs” I often find many temporary positions that recruit people to hand out these types of fliers and the pay is not great. I would assume the person has to stand on a given street corner for “X” amount of hours or maybe until they give out every flier–whatever the case may be, it strikes me as a boring and it is probably very frustrating.  This morning at around 10 while on my way to work on the other side of the street was a man handing out fliers; he was still there when I was walking to the bus at 6:15!  His stack was not much smaller than it had been when I passed him at 10 —I don’t know if he got a refill or if it was the same stack, but even so, no one was taking them.  I grabbed one from him as I passed and he said so happily:  “Thank you so much sweetheart”.  He said it with such appreciation and relief that it actually made me feel good inside.  I continued my walk to the bus and grabbed two from another person handing out threading fliers.  He too thanked me.  I could tell that he was happy to have had someone help him lighten his load.   If I got him even a second closer to being able to go home, then it was worth carrying that flier to the bus stop where I placed it in a trash can.  So here is my plea:  PLEASE TAKE THE HAND-OUTS!  These are honest, hard working people trying to make ends meet just like you and I.  It is embarrassing to greet someone with a smile and to be basically IGNORED and treated as if you don’t even see them.  Actually, it isn’t embarrassing, it is degrading.  We would not like it if someone ignored us when we greeted them with a smile.  We would be angry if we tried to give someone something at work and they looked right passed us.  It is just rude and unkind.  I think we are all better than that–but if we aren’t, we should be.   If you won’t take the flier then at least pass on a smile and  say no thank you.

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