I recently visited Washington, DC, to see some of the national museums. So I walked. A lot. A couple of thoughts. The smell of weed permeates the streets. Lots of traffic. There were, of course, some street people and some crazies, but the standout for me was a guy on a main drag. He had a little space secured, his shopping cart unloaded, and his things surrounding him. He sat on a small, low-built webbed and aluminum chair, the kind you see at sporting events. He had a small bucket for donations, too. I’ve seen better setups than his, but this I’d never seen: a sign posted about eight feet from his location, which had his email, Venmo, and CashApp accounts. So, if I back the logic out of this, does it mean he can access it online, so cellphone with internet? It means he has some kind of banking situation? Does it mean that cash is no longer king? Or is it simply accommodating younger donors less inclined to carry cash? I didn’t ask him about it, but I wanted to. Maybe next trip, if that’s a good spot, he could still be there.
#Panhandling #venmo #CashApp #whattheheck