Keeping things honest

I was down in the city the other day walking along 42nd Street,and there seemed to be more panhandlers than I remembered from recent visits. New York City panhandlers are a more sedentary lot than those I see regularly upstate. Of course, if you set up at the crossroads of the world it's easy to let people come to you; up here they have to hustle to find prospects. Metropolitan panhandlers also seem to be encumbered with more stuff, so it makes more sense to pick one spot and stick to it. Still, I'm surprised more effort isn't made to keep them off one of the main tourist thoroughfares. Maybe that's a DiBlasio thing, to let them stay. Anyway,  when you have a number of panhandlers working the same street you get some creative competition for the attention of passers-by. One fellow takes the always-welcome tongue-in-cheek approach. His sign says his family was killed by pigeons and he needs your money fot BB ammo. Head a few steps east and a man sits ensconced in the niche of a building with a cash box in front of him bearing the legend, "Give me a dollar or I'm voting for Trump." His box appeared to be empty. I think I understand why. After all, this man claims that his vote will be determined by financial donations. He is soliciting a bribe in return for an active or passive vote against Trump. Giving him money would be rigging the election. And no wants to prove Trump right, do they?