Pay it Forward with a Bag of Quarters

This Pay it Forward is happening without my even trying. . . . here is what I did:

I recently went to my little rental building and emptied out the washing machine of the quarters. I don't do this often so I get a lot of quarters. My practice is to fill a little coin purse with them and keep them in the sidewell of the driver's seat of my car. They are ideal for parking meters, especially in San Franciso where the cost can run as much as $8/hour.

We have a lot of panhandlers in San Francisco-- and they are often stationed on median strips at our busy intersections. You stop at the front of the median strip and they are right next to you. Usually they stare straight ahead. And usually I do, too. Sometimes it's because I'd just as soon ignore the problem. Sometimes I justify it by thinking they're just going to spend it on drugs anyway. And sometimes I know for a fact that the cane/wheelchair they're using is a ruse (I've seen regulars strolling up the street when they are off their shifts).

Lately, though, this stash of quarters stuffed in my car door is making it easier to give. I grab a handful when I'm at the front of a line during a red light, roll the window down and drop a fistful of silver into a grimy palm. It's an easy transaction, and sometimes I think my eye contact and my smile might be worth more than the coins. 

Yesterday, I pulled up to the median strip on Essex, just South of Folsom, right before you get on the Bay Bridge. The guy standing there with his sign looked big and mean. I looked at him, he looked at me and I gave him a goofy frown back. He still looked mean, but I rolled down the window and gave him the quarters anyway. I joked, "Hey what's with the look?" He paused, looked confused, then broke into a big smile that showed two missing front teeth. He gave a giggle. So did I. Good moment.