The East Village Street People Experience (unedited)
Interview/text by: Jaime Levy - May 14,1996

Normally I don't talk to homeless people, bums,
or drugged-out hippies on the streets of New York
City. There are plenty around though. I live in the 
East Village by Avenue A and Houston. Although this 
block has gotten quite yuppified lately; there's no 
shortage of the old school. I even know the local 
drunk's name (Howard). So, I decided that I would go 
out today and try to talk to these people. I took 
out several $1 bills with me as to bribe them to 
talk to me.

My dad used to do that in Los Angeles, when he was
getting off the freeway. He would hand out $1 bills,
not to talk to them, but to get them away from his
car. And then after the LA riots he started handing
out McDonald's coupons instead. He figured that it
would be better that they eat a hamburger than spend
the money on "whatever." One day, this bum didn't
like it, so he threw the coupon back at him yelling,
"Mr. BMW, Mr. BMW, what, do you own McDonald's?"

Anyway:
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