Entre Les Murs

Beggars in the Metro

There are a lot more panhandlers on the Paris metro than on the Toronto subway. For some reason they seem to be tolerated, or perhaps they're simply too difficult to get rid of. Some start by entering the car and making an appeal, others just pass through with a hand out, trying to look pathetic. This morning on the way uptown there was a woman with a baby, jingling change in a supplicating fashion; on the way home, there was a young man who passed out little yellow cards to the passengers describing his circumstances and then returned in hopes of a handout.

Mostly they are ignored, but I've seen some change passed. And while I say they are tolerated, clearly some people can get fed up: the man sitting across from me crumpled his yellow note and threw it on the floor, and when my neighbour put hers on the seat, he crumpled that one too.

posted 7.3.06