I saw not one but two panhandlers in wheelchairs...

on my way home from class.  The first was holding up a sign that read simply "Homeless".  He looked unkempt, had several days growth of facial hair and his facial expression was clearly one of hopelessness and depression.

The other was clean, wearing relatively new cothing and was smiling at the people who passed him unless and until they passed without giving him money.  Then his expression became one of anger. 

I gave nothing to the first guy as I drove by him.  As I walked by the second guy, I started to reconsider, feeling bad that I had done nothing for the first guy.  I don't normally give to panhandlers as a rule, but once or twice a month I'll pull out a buck or two and donate.  I know I shouldn't, because it probably won't go toward food or anything else that's good.

Then the panhandler pulled out his iPhone and began texting someone.  "Help me out on your way out" he said as I went into the drugstore, never missing a beat as he texted.

When I walked right by him as I exited the drugstore, I got the same angry glare.  As I sat in my car, looking in his direction while I waited for someone behind me to get clear so I could back out, not only did he glare at me, he gave me an arm signal with clenched fist.

Oh I wanted to get out of the car and go give him a piece of my mind.  To tell him that while I don't mind trying to give a very small amount of help to the downtrodden, I'm not going to subsidize the data package on his iPhone.  That given what's going on in the world right now, if he can afford an iPhone and a data package to text, he's a lot better off than the other homeless guy I'd seen in a wheelchair earlier.  In fact, I began to doubt that he even belonged in that wheelchair, it might be just a device to evoke sympathy.  But it wasn't worth it.  Why bother?  Nothing I said would change his mind about anything.

There was something I could do.  I went and bought a sandwich and drove back to where I'd seen the first panhandler.  I gave him the sandwich and a couple of bucks.