<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://draft.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d12988030\x26blogName\x3dDon\x27t+Trust+Snakes\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_BLOGSPOT\x26navbarType\x3dBLUE\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttps://donttrustsnakes.blogspot.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_US\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://donttrustsnakes.blogspot.com/\x26vt\x3d-4673447362931781663', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe", messageHandlersFilter: gapi.iframes.CROSS_ORIGIN_IFRAMES_FILTER, messageHandlers: { 'blogger-ping': function() {} } }); } }); </script>


DON’T

TRUST

SNAKES

“I know where I'm headed.”
ROGER THORNHILL


« Home »


Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Anything else missing from the vocabularies, guv'nor?

I have noticed that the vocabularies of most panhandlers seem not to include the word "please" or the phrase "excuse me". Without filling this post with the usual caveats and disclaimers, I wonder why this is. Has the brusque command "Buy me some food!" really won out in the marketplace of ideas outside my local Pagliacci Pizza? I have my doubts. I also have $20 for the next person who says "excuse me" and asks if I can please spare some change. I think I will keep my money for a long time.

It's interesting. Is avoiding these words an assertion of personal autonomy? Is it psychologically valuable to the panhandlers? Has experience shown them that gruff appeals work better than polite ones, vinegar better than honey?


posted at 12:24 AM

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home