RANT

I came out of the store yesterday and nearly ran over a local 'hoodie' from my neighborhood, who was parked right outside the grocery store automatic door with a stroller. I had 3 bags, and refrained from my usual cursing under my breath when I noticed the stroller, and that's when I saw it: the child in the stroller was definitely under a year old, and was WATCHING A PORTABLE DVD PLAYER!!! I couldn't see what was actually on the screen, so I looked up at 'dad' (it's easier to just assume that's what he was) to see if HE was the one watching, but no. He was busy with his PDA/cell-phone/thingamajig and not even paying attention to said child.

Now this was clearly a lower-income 'dad-with-child', not to mention the fact that 'dad' did not look old enough to buy the cigarettes he was smoking. So we'll all use our own imaginations as to where the DVD player came from. But SERIOUSLY!!! Your kid would be well entertained by the dog tied up next to where you are standing! Which comes to my point, if I have one:

If you bought the DVD player, you are clearly stupid. (Yes, there are other indications as to 'dad's stupidity level listed above, but let's focus on the player, people.)
If you stole it, you should have pawned it for the cash so my tax dollars don't have to support your food stamps!!!

Bubba and I have about decided that NYC is only for the rich and the poor....not the middle class. The rich because they can afford it, the poor because they clearly CAN'T and qualify for any number of free services above and beyond the food stamps. Yet the pisser is that they spend any money they DO have on crap like that! Urg. Makes me so mad!!!