quality of life

I can't remember the last time I rode the New York City subway where someone didn't walk through the car asking for money to help the homeless, or sell candy "to stay off the streets," or to help buy food for a hungry family, or play mariachi music with a hat out at the end. I believe in charity, I really do, but this becomes a quality of life issue when you can't even read or relax without someone asking for the money you worked for to be given to them. There are homeless shelters, (I ran one for veterans), food programs, (I used to run one years ago), and welfare. Please don't come to me with your Air Jordans or Sean Jean shirt and ask me to give you money that I work my ass off to make. I would do anything not to have to ask you for your hard earned money--I would pick up deposit bottles if I had to, or clean houses, anything, but let me read my book in peace. Oh, and hey, stop asking me about my Kindle--get one for yourself and see if you like it--that'd be about 7,000 nickels.