I had hoped to write of much happier news after Katie’s and Enloe’s first lacrosse game of the season but this afternoon’s bit of excitement really won’t wait.
Today was Unify which is a special club at Enloe which pairs kids with special needs with mentors for fun activities geared for them. It could be some sort of sport or crafting activity and it’s a nice way for Alex and Katie to spend an extra hour after school to make a lot of kid’s days just a bit brighter.
After Unify was done, we took the back roads and at approximately 1545 local time, we were sitting at the stoplight on Shanta Dr between the CVS and the Walgreens (near the top right of the picture). We were in the second left-turn lane marked with the red circle waiting for the light to change.
This intersection often has panhandlers in at least two of the directions and with nice weather days making this a popular spot for the activity and I’ve got my window rolled down to take advantage of the mild temperature and nice breeze.
The panhandler working our part of the intersection starts walking down Shanta toward the Milburnie Rd on the driver side of the cars in the lane to the left of us.
I had lost sight of him but figuring that the light would change soon enough, I didn’t really keep track of where he was.
Mistletoe, on the other hand, starts barking and initially I think she’s seeing someone or another dog in the car to our left…or a squirrel for that matter (she likes barking at squirrels, what can I say?).
The next thing I know, the panhandler is right at my window and starts into his spiel about something along the lines of “just got here from West Virginia”.
I have no desire to engage with the panhandlers at the best of times and certainly not when I’ve got two kids and a puppy onboard where my primary concern is their safety so I start rolling my window up without saying a word.
Before the window makes it all the way up, he starts bellowing that he’s going to “sue me for everything I have if I don’t give him money!”.
That whole notion was so absurd that I couldn’t help but immediately think of this quote from “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”:
“You are in a position to demand nothing, sir. I, on the other hand, am in a position to grant nothing. What you see is all that remains of the ship’s company and crew of the Botany Bay, marooned here fifteen years ago by Captain James T. Kirk.”
Khan Noonien Singh, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”
I truly couldn’t envision this panhandler willingly going into a courthouse to swear out a complaint (much less afford the filing fees which are astronomical!) but rather the only way he’d see the inside of a court room would be in shackles and facing charges in the prisoner’s dock.
So I’m like “good luck with that!” and keep rolling the window up.
That’s when he punched the window of the door behind me where Mistletoe often sits and thankfully the glass didn’t break. I’m not so certain that his knuckles could say the same.
That certainly didn’t improve his mood and he screams again that he’s going to “sue me” and proceeds to go through the cars and toward the corner of the intersection on the CVS side of Shanta. The vehicle to our right starts edging up to try to get away from this guy after watching his antics directed against us but of course, the light certainly doesn’t seem to be our friend today.
The panhandler gets to the corner and picks up a loaded can (originally I thought it was a can of pop but it turned out that it was a beer, or what passes for beer with that Budweiser labeling) and chucks it at my right front quarter panel and gives it a right professionally done scratch.
He makes some hand gestures as he keeps repeating his demand for money and that he’ll sue me. Fortunately, the light finally goes green and I’m able to get away from the intersection and up the hill toward the Mos Eisley Wal-Mart (now with 15% more scum and villainy!).
I call 911 and report the assault and Raleigh PD has no problem locating the subject who laid down on the grass near that corner and I come back down the hill to meet with them and report what had happened. I give them the details and the officer asks me what I wanted done about the situation.
That’s a rather hard question, eh?
It’s easy to let my anger say I’d love for him to be hauled off to jail to await trial on a whole stack of charges but it was very clear this guy is a frequent flyer with them who is very well known to the rozzers who work this beat and that he’s unlikely to change his behaviour other than by some “act of God”.
I doubt adding additional charges to what is likely a miles long rap sheet will truly make a difference.
The officers were sympathetic and understanding but the hard reality is that even if they hauled him off to chokey for disorderly conduct at the least if not multiple counts of assault and damage to property, if he stayed in custody for 24 hours it would be a minor miracle.
As I’m talking with the officer, he’s over on the grass flipping us both the bird more than a few times and giving us dark looks and likely not having the faintest clue how lucky he is he isn’t taking the ride downtown this afternoon for a bit of time-out in the nick.
At the end of the day, I’ve got the report number and if he should ever try this stunt again, at least I’ve got a paper trail to try to convince a prosecutor that he needs to spend a decent stretch behind bars if for no other reason than his own safety.
We already have a problem with too many guns on the streets and too many people who think that they’re the way problems should be solved. And now we have the General Assembly looking to pass a law to eliminate the requirement for someone to get the sheriff to sign off on them purchasing and concealing a firearm on their person which really doesn’t seem to be the smartest move in my opinion when there are so many people who due to mental issues or criminal conduct have no need for a gun and should not possess one, the 2nd Amendment and it’s twisted interpretation courtesy of the NRA be damned.
All it will take is him aggressively attacking the wrong person who will pull their weapon and end his anti-social behaviour once and for all without a second’s hesitation. That’s the kind of world we’re living in now where madness seems to be the way of it with no cure or treatment in sight.
I have no idea what his mental status is or what his substance of choice for abuse is. I can guess at a few possibilities based on my observations of his behaviour and demeanour this afternoon.
But it comes to this…the man is clearly suffering what is likely a hellish shadow of a life of homelessness and addiction on the streets. An shadowy existence on the abyss overlooking oblivion (if you can call that existing) that I truly would not wish upon my worst enemy.
So yes, whilst I’m still more than a little bit angry at him posing a clear and present danger to my children and Mistletoe and the unnecessary damage to my vehicle…I couldn’t find it in me to let that anger turn into a dark desire for exacting my revenge upon him through whatever legal means were available.
If anything, I pity him.
But his massively unwise choices he’s making means that pity only so goes so far.
One could hope he might find some sort of revelation some day and mend his ways but I’m not that optimistic.
So if you’re driving round the Raleigh area, do keep in mind that the panhandlers do seem to be getting far more aggressive of late. Be aware and be safe.
Thank you to the lovely 911 dispatcher and Raleigh PD for their assistance in the best traditions of the service. Even though I can tell they’re frustrated that their hands are effectively tied and hard economic times are going to ensure that panhandling is here to stay, they’re still doing the best they can with the imperfect system they have to work with. Being able to talk out the situation and make the report actually did more to calm my frazzled nerves which I desperately needed.
Writing down this tale I’ve told you is the other part of the therapy and it’s far cheaper than an actual therapist! 🙂