Has anyone ever been mistaken for a homeless person?

[downfader]

I had a friend who's leg just broke - it happens apparently, in fact it's happened to two people I know. Anyway, he's a very refined scientist with an aristocratic air, and he fell in the street and couldn't get up, so was sitting on the footpath. He said to a passing stranger "can you help me" and got back "I don't give to beggars"

Sadly, I'd have probably pretended not to hear in the same circumstances.

My old classmate, 8 years old, walking down a little high street after buying sweets just fell over. His hip snapped and he lay on the deck in agony for about 30 minutes until someone took pity on him. That was around 1985, turned out to be a heriditary bone problem and he fell as a result of the hip breaking.

The more people about the less people help, it seems. Thats as true for kids as it is for the homeless, and something culturally and intellectually we'll have to work around i think.

 

[Melonfish]

Yeah, by another homeless person.
story goes thus, i'm loaded up with my 66l pack and my walking staff, my clothes are filthy, i'm wearing an old army goretex jacket and i look shattered.
i've just spent 3 days helping rebuild a section of drystone wall and i was well and truly knackered, got talking to a fella in a doorway as i passed, i offered him some cash and you know how it goes you ask how he's been and where he's kipping etc until he comes out with "where you sleeping tonight then?" my response was "Er, well at home"
"Oh sorry m8, i thought you were on the street like"

ho hum...

 

[abo]

YES!!! Not on my bike though. When I was at Uni a mate and I got seperated from our field trip bus at a service station somewhere on the M4 (long story) in 1992. We decided to hitch back to Kingston.

Anyway, we manage to make it to central London mainly thanks to a delivery van. We had very little cash, I'd left my cashcard at home... I was wearing an ex-Italian army jacket, boots and scruffy, half grown hair. My mate was similarly unkempt. When we got off the tube (Victoria??? Maybe Waterloo), we emerged into the street and some guy thrust a leaflet into my hands and walked off.

It was for a soup kitchen

Tempted, but we bought kids travel cards, got onto the Northern line and headed for Wimbledon (I lived in Raynes Park at the time). The tickets were being checked at the exit so we had to do a runner. Walked from Wimbledon to Raynes Park, got cash card, got cash, headed to Kingston and got pissed...

 

[postman]

Just going to turn this on it's head.I like to look smart when i go out.And on many occasions i have been stood around in stores wile my wife does the shopping.I have been mistaken for a member of staff.The last two have been funny to me anyway.I was waiting for my cycling buddy we were going to Spa Cycles on a bus.He was on his way but the busl eft in the next ten mins.When a couple approached me and would you believe it they were going for the same bus 770.Well i gave it all, the stand number the bus number time it left.Everything but the route cos i had not gone that far in my checking out for me and Dave.And the other a guy wanted to go onto Scott Hall Road via the bus.Well i lve near there and cycle along it many times.He got the same treatment.I hope i helped them .

 

[BentMikey]

Brings to mind this image:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2008...er-naps-at-7-eleven-during-400km-brevet_62606

Sleeping in bus shelters and all.... (I've not done more than 200km audaxes myself).

No, and certainly not on the bikes. Bike tart I am ! I dress better on bike tan in real life !

Same here.

 

[Hilldodger]

I've only ever been mistaken for Johnny Depp.

 

[funnymummy]

After 2 weeks Cycling & 'roughing it' in the Derbyshire Dales, I arrived at my mums house, only to find they were out (guess they knew I was coming)
So I had a wnader round the town, got some money out the hole in the wall & went into a little teashop - I was told I could only have takeaway as the owner didn't let dossers sit in the cafe!
The owner then appeared from the kitchen, took one look at me & shoo'ed me out the door using some very unlady like language in the process!
I walked back in the next day, washed & cleanly attired..I asked if they remebered me, she said no. I told her what i thought of her & left..
Don't judge a book by it's cover!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

My old classmate, 8 years old, walking down a little high street after buying sweets just fell over. His hip snapped and he lay on the deck in agony for about 30 minutes until someone took pity on him. That was around 1985, turned out to be a heriditary bone problem and he fell as a result of the hip breaking.

The more people about the less people help, it seems. Thats as true for kids as it is for the homeless, and something culturally and intellectually we'll have to work around i think.

I saw a child take a bad fall from his bike. I stopped mine and when over to him. He was crying and had cuts and bruises. I tried to separate him from the bike so I could apply 1st aid. At that point his Mum came around the corner, dragged him to his feet and wheeled bike away giving me a filthy look. WTF!!!!!

 

[wiggydiggy]

Homeless?

Yes a few times (my old nickname was Frank ), the last time was post-Sonosphere music festival on the way home. Was so tired I slept on Kings Cross underground for a bit....

Bouncer?

Yes, have been stood in a bar during an england match in my suit (i was on lunch). I happened to be stood on the stair and people kept asking me if they could go up, took me a while to work it out

 

[Digital_Cowboy]

Just going to turn this on it's head.I like to look smart when i go out.And on many occasions i have been stood around in stores wile my wife does the shopping.I have been mistaken for a member of staff.The last two have been funny to me anyway.I was waiting for my cycling buddy we were going to Spa Cycles on a bus.He was on his way but the busl eft in the next ten mins.When a couple approached me and would you believe it they were going for the same bus 770.Well i gave it all, the stand number the bus number time it left.Everything but the route cos i had not gone that far in my checking out for me and Dave.And the other a guy wanted to go onto Scott Hall Road via the bus.Well i lve near there and cycle along it many times.He got the same treatment.I hope i helped them .

I frequently get mistaken for an employee at the LBS that I hang out at. It might have something to do with the fact that I am in full kit, but I don't know.

 

[jefmcg]

That reminds me: I've once been mistaken for something much worse than homeless (not bicycle related). I was once mistaken for a staff member at Poundland.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I've never been mistaken for a homeless person, but I have sometimes been taken for a member of staff in various shops. This I do not understand at all, since I am God's own scruffy fecker. Even when I try and look smart I resemble a Hell's Angel at a wedding.

 

[on the road]

I've never been mistaken for a homeless person but I often get mistaken for an illegal immigrant just because I have brown skin and told to get back to my own country (even though I'm in my own country).

 

[mog35]

One sunday a few years ago I was guiding a group of Italian students around London for sightseeing. Being quite devout catholics, they wanted to attend a service at Westminster Cathedral so I took them there and hung around outside. As there were no seats in the plaza, I sat on the ground and waited for them to come out. Soon I was approached by a man with a child in tow, who introduced himself, said he was up from the West Country for a couple of days on business, and did I know anyone that would like to do some labouring for a couple of days?

At first I was a bit confused about why he was telling me all this, but then the penny dropped: he thinks I'm homeless! To be fair, I did look a bit scruffy that day, was sitting on a deserted, windswept plaza - just round the corner from some folks who were drinking - and wasn't wearing the t-shirt of the school I work for that day.

I think he was more embarrassed than I was.

 

[sabian92]

I've never been mistaken for homeless, but I'm often mistaken for a German when I go to Spain. God knows why, I suppose it helps I did German at school. They often look red in the face when I answer them back and they realise I spoke the language but not with the proper accent!