Are you a good bum or a bad bum?

Last night I left the San Diego Convention Center late, around 11PM. I walked back to the hotel down the picturesque streets of the Gaslamp District. I popped into the 24hr Ralphs for some snacks and juice and immediately made accidental eye-contact with a bum.

Now some bums are obvious bums. They appear heavily accessorized with several hats, fingerless gloves, multi-layered clothing and shopping carts. Some bums are of the subtle variety. They appear normal, if sometimes a bit shabby, and only the creeping sense at the back of your head informs you of their true status.

This was the latter type. Dressed in an orange t-shirt, tidy dreds, backpack and jean shorts. He could have been one of the college guys just finished with his meal at Dick's Last Resort. But as soon as are eyes met I knew. And I knew he was not going to be easy to shake. He followed me around the store just shy of obvious stalking and when our proximity was inevitably achieved he started conversation. "How are you tonight?" "Are you from here?" "How long are you staying?" All the while I pretended to seriously contemplate the ingredients in a Naked Juice and tried to keep my answers light but not inviting further discourse. Eventually I had to pretend to espy a friend and walked briskly away from him. On my way back to the hotel I saw him further on down the street, making his way with a kind of crippled swaying progress. My heart gave a pang at the picture of this lonely soul without the resources I had been blessed with and wondered if I had made the right decision to blow off this person. But in recounting past experiences with the disenfranchised class that resulted in highly uncomfortable and often invasive predicaments I once again felt at peace. But how does one know the "good" from the "bad-if-only-in-the-smelly-stalking-trying-to-get-more" type? And is it really our responsibilty to help?