THe Candy Man Can?

Yeah, well - I haven't posted in a while - so I'm making up for it now. I felt a little crappy over the weekend - plus my sitter was sick -- so that threw everything into a bit of chaos. We're both ok now, though.

SO - I'm noticing this new thing that kids are doing on the subway. It used to be that they would go around selling those boxes of M&M's - for about a dollar - on the subway. THey were ostensibly for school fundraisers. Who knows if they were or weren't - but that was how they were presented & if we wanted to buy, we would buy.

BUT, lately I've seen teenage boys come into the subway cars and say: "Ladies and Gentlemen - excuse me for the interuption but I'm selling this candy. And Ladies and Gentlemen - this isn't for any school - I'm selling this to make money for myself - so that I don't do anything bad and so I can buy more candy. So, if you want to - please buy some candy - or give a donation." (Italics added.)

My first thought: 1) Where did he get the money to buy the candy in the first place? 2) What the fuck?!?

NOw listen - I used to sell stuff on the sidewalk outside my house. I'm not against kids selling stuff to make extra spending money. And MAYBE one could argue that for urban kids the subway is their front yard? (It would be a tough argument, but...) BUT - when I did that I was about 10 YEARS OLD - and COULD NOT work and I didn't ask for "donations" and I didn't use veiled threats, either.

If they even just LIED and said they were selling the candy for their school... well... I could deal with that. I have dealt with it. This just pisses me off.

These are young, seemingly able-bodied, English speaking kids. There is no reason on earth that they should be doing this. They're not saying they're homelss, they're not saying they are sick - all they're saying is give me money. Really.

And please - don't tell me there are no jobs to be had. These kids can't be raking in the big bucks doing this - there ARE jobs that would pay more than this - I know. So I just don't get it? This is more fun? Glamorous?

Is there some sort of candy money laundering thing I don't know about and these kids actually rake in hundreds of dollars per M&M box they sell!?! Did I miss that ad on Craigs list?