A Bum’s Life
It is a beautiful day in McPherson Square, sunny, with a light breeze. It is a perfect day really, and I can imagine only one way to spend that day: playing chess.
How about if I take my chess board down to the park & set it up by the 42/S/30’s bus stop? I know folks will be hanging around there all day, maybe one would like to play a game with me. If they think they’re good, I might even bet ’em or at least get a few bucks from ’em while I kick ass.
Now to make it all home-like, to really get folks feeling the chess, how about if I decorate around the chessboard? Pile big plastic bags, assorted empty bottles and trash that cascade out onto the sidewalk. Yeah, that’ll make it nice and inviting.
Home Sweet Home in McPherson Square
that’s a nice way to spend a lovely spring afternoon: “bum” mocking.
reminds me of those really really cool kids back home in connecticut who liked to partake in the fine art of cow tipping. i guess “bum” mocking is sort of the dc version of cow tipping.
ya, i agree with jen. this post made me pretty uncomfortable, i actually had to read it twice to even believe what you’d written.
this is completely disrespectful. how dare you think you’re above him, just because he’s a “bum.” did you ever consider asking if he’d like to play a game of chess with you? he may have kicked your ass.
your degrading attitude towards homeless people is such a sad representation of dc. this is the kind of negative-but-trying-to-be-funny writing that portrays dc in such a bad light. i read a lot of negative, judgmental, whiney, better-than-you, shit on this site. dc is my city, too. i love this place and it makes me sad to think of the impression readers outside of dc are under because of posts like this.
surely, you needn’t make fun of him just to have something to write about. you’re better than this.
Uh, I don’t think wayan had an issue with the dude being out there with his chess board… till he spread trash all over the sidewalk. Personally I’m not so fond of trash on the sidewalk. Maybe your opinion differs.
I love the guy out there with the chess board – if I wasn’t in a rush I would’ve played him and gladly lost a few bucks to a master. I do it often in Dupont Circle no matter the social or economical status of my opponent.
Trashing public property, that is what pisses me off no matter you’re homeless or Verizon’s Marketing Dept.
I think there’s a difference between playing chess in public, and dumping trash bag after trash bag into a public park…