Q&A

"Why don't anybody in this damn city ever smile? Just one smile - is that too much to ask? Why don't nobody say hello - a simple hello - is that so hard?"

These are the questions posed by the bum who sings at my subway station every morning at 8 a.m.

Every now and then he'll single out an innocent passerby in attempt to embarrass the bejeezus out of them for being non-social. As it turns out, I was today's lucky winner. He screamed his questions at me so that all could hear. ("What - you too good? Can't smile at nobody? Why don't nobody smile 'round here?") This was right before he broke into a highly irritating rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and effectively answered his own question.