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| | Gallery of BumsYou see them all the time; panhandlers and bums on the train. They've all got a story; although some of them lack the verbal skills to articulate it coherently! Here is our Gallery of Bums; the bums we've met on the MARTA trains, who approached us for money! Do you recognize the bum that approached you? See if you he's using the same line or story! We will add their stories to a photo so you can match them up while you ride! Imagine the hours of fun you'll have while waiting for the broken MARTA train, while you play "Spot the Bum!" If you recognize any of these characters below, and manage to get a photo with your camera-phone, send it to me, please! NOTE: For the Compassionate-but-Stupid among you: Am I heartless and cruel because I won't give money to a panhandler on MARTA? I think not. The MARTA police will tell you (ask ANY of them, I dare you) that: - NONE of these guys are truly needy; most are alcoholic, drug-addicted, or merely lazy conmen;
- there are laws against panhandling on MARTA;
- there are plenty of homeless shelters around Atlanta where these guys can get food and a place to sleep (and they are full usually only one or two nights per year.
If you give them money, you are just contributing to the addictions and encouraging them to continue to bother other riders! - "Marvin the Mumbling Mute" - He claims he can't speak, you'll know him right away by the Flipper-the-dolphin-like sounds he makes as he shows you a small scrawled note that says he can't speak and needs money. Trouble is, several people have told me that he HEARD him speaking as he ordered food at Burger King!
- "Traveling Man" - a white guy who claims his car broke down and he has no way to get home to his wife and kids in another state, so he collecting money for bus fare. You'd think in the 2 months since I first saw him, he could have walked there!
- "Need-a-burger" guy - yes, he believes that by walking up to you and repeating over and over "got some change? I need a burger!" you'll actually hand him cash.
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