i have a dog. give me money.

i'm usually ambivalent about panhandlers on the train.  everyone gets dealt a bad hand once in a while and could use some sympathy; but this IS los fucking angeles, not known for a low cost of living and full of folks in no position to be charitable.  not to mention, if the enterprisingly fraudulent souls on the train whose conversations i overhear are to be believed, getting food stamps ain't too hard and neither is faking out social security about the learning disability someone (preferably a child) in your family may or may not have.

now, when a panhandler carries a small dog onto a train, obviously not well fed, crusty shit all comin out its eyes, there is no ambivalence.  all i think is "you worthless piece of shit."  this is not to say homeless people in general shouldn't have dogs.  i feel quite the contrary about that, in fact.  cesar millan and downtown dog rescue have noted that some of the most well-adjusted dogs they've come across are with homeless people.  but when you're clearly exploiting them for money, trying to get sympathy donations out of the "poor dog" crowd that can't see through your bullshit, you're just gonna have to deal with whatever contempt i throw your way.

as great as a photo would be, for my own safety's sake, i don't take pictures when i see this happening.