So ‘traveling’ is to homelessness as ‘working’ is to prostitution.
Certainly learned something useful today 
Ya know how they call some homeless people “transients”? I’ll give you three guesses why.
I’m glad you decided to take the whole incident in a positive way, but I can understand your short-lived “HUH?” sort of reaction.
It was kind of this woman to enquire about your well-being, and she probably spoke without really giving it a lot of thought, and is probably even now asking herself how on earth she could have mistaken you for a homeless person. The problem, of course, is that her assumption was wrong. Being wrong about assuming someone is homeless is much like being wrong about assuming (and making comments about your assumption) that:
~she is pregnant (“When is your baby due? Ohhh…you aren’t expecting! How–how–glowing you look! It must be the crisp fall air!”)
~she is ill (“Honey, what’s wrong? You look terrible! Oh. Well, these awful fluorescents, you know!”)
~she knows that her husband is cheating (“I just want to tell you how sorry I am. What a DOG…He isn’t? Of course!..I was thinking of Marge’s husband.”)
That sort of thing. I can understand where you’re coming from, but good for you for getting it into perspective.
(Wonder how much she was willing to fork over?) 
~karol
One of my friend’s dad had this happen once. He decided, since he had an hour or so to kill before his ride showed up, to take a nap on a bench outside of a mall. When he woke up, he realized someone had left a brand new dress shirt (still in the package) next to him! He has a bit of a scruffy beard, so it wouldn’t have been a stretch to assume he’s homeless. But needless to say everyone got a good laugh from it! (and he got a new shirt!)
I always thought it was touching that someone would part with a newly purchased item to help out their fellow man, so I wouldn’t be so upset, tarragon.
Had the same thing happen to me a few years ago. I was standing outside a grocery store waiting for Mr. zoogirl, and someone asked me if I was panhandling! Shoulda said yes! I do sometimes look a bit scruffy though, especially after work.
At least it’s nice to know there are a few kind people out there.
Perhaps she had decided that she would help out the next homeless person she met that she felt safe approaching would be the one she’d help out.
You’re carrying two large bags, and you’re walking in an automobile world – those might both be things that she wouldn’t ever expect to do herself? (I know, that sounds farfetched, but some of us live in very insular worlds.)
One time our family was headed home, by car, from a vacation. We stopped in Redding, California, overnight, intending to take the kids to a “Water Park” the next day. My youngest woke up with a headache, so we decided that he and I would go to an air-conditioned mall and take it easy, while my husband and the other kids went to the water park. Well, he ended up getting very sick – throwing up, etc. I went to a department store and bought a blanket and a pillow, and let him nap on a mall bench. People were so so kind. They thought we were homeless and offered us shelter and help…
It didn’t hurt my feelings. I actually would have taken them up on the help, had I been able to figure out a way for the rest of the family to find us again!
Noticing there was a bookstore nearby, I asked one of the help-offerers if he’d take my money and buy me a certain paperback, so I’d have something to do while my boy snoozed. He did, I did, all was fine.
Shoot. I previewed. Honest, I did. Please forgive the redundancy in the first sentence.
My dear tarragon, don’t you see you now have the perfect excuse for going shopping in a big way?
“Lend me your credit card dear, I got mistaken for a transient again…”
Seriously, thanks for sharing your story; there really was a very positive, warming aspect to it.
Redboss
when I was 13 i decide to supplement my allowance by collecting cans
So I took an old raggedy shirt and some jeans that should of been rags by then and went dumpster diving
Well they had these machines that in the late 80’s-early 90’s that gave ya something like 5 cents for 2 cans
You were supposed to take in what ever the machine didn’t accept inside to be counted
I was standing in line as the manager who knew me very well because of such exchanges was counting the left overs
Now these 2 little brats decide to be funny take a hand full of change tosses it at me and says “keep America beautiful and stay off the streets”
Needlessly to say they were ran out as soon as they paid for theit stuff
There is a good side from what im told someone seen it and told their mother and they spent a month of weekends donating their time to the homeless shelter
I used to get all the religious “save the kids from the street” folks back when I was in college. This was the mid 80s and I was usually wearing either my black duster or the olive drab army jacket, which was really warm even though it had been through 'Nam! So I would be standing at the bus stop at 10:15 at night and I would hear " I used to be on the streets, I can help you"
My answer was usually “Kool, drive me home. I am freezing my ass off waiting for this bus.”
After a few times they left me alone.
The sad irony is that the smelly, scruffy bum walking the streets panhandling for change is a small part of the homeless population. Most of the homeless in the US are women with children who are fortunate enough to find beds in shelters.
It is a very sad commentary on this country when people are exhorted to “help the homeless” but aren’t given a lot of direction on how to do so in a manner that benefits them. For example, giving money or time to shelters is a better way to help than giving the random homeless person money. Giving personal hygiene supplies, donating nice clothing, and offering training in job skills are other good ways to help. In most cities, there is usually an agency that coordinates assistance to the homeless. Find out who they are and call them to see where you can help, if you’re inclined to do so.
Robin
I got a story that’s gotcha all beat.
One weekend, early Sunday morning, I was out for a walk.
I don’t shave on weekends.
I saw a homeless guy coming towards me. He had a brown paper bag with a bottle in it, & obviously had been drinking.
When he walked past me, he grinned & nudged me.
It took 15 minutes to realize–he thought I was homeless. :eek:
I shave on weekends, now. :o
My girlfriend mistook a tramp for a policeman in the Summer! We’d had a few pints, sure, but not enough to mistake a scruffy man with a soup-stained beard for a Dutch policeman.
She went over to him and asked for the time and directions to our hotel. I just stood back, laughing my ass off.
I’ve been mistaken for a cop a few times when wearing a raincoat. You see, I prefer buying my raincoats from surplus stores; my current one has two holes where one can pin a badge. Once when working Parcel Pickup at Giant Food, in a store-issue yellow raincoat, I was approached from behind and was informed that a woman had been a victim of a pursesnatcher nearby. I turned around and asked, “Excuse me?” It was then my nametag was visible and this person realized her mistake.