If I was homeless...I'd be walkin'

One charming aspect of NYC is its abundance of homeless people. Say what you want about them, I'm not here to argue their existence, but rather WHY they're in NY?

The weather is sub-par, it's dirty, it's infested by every type of rodent, and people for the most part don't seem to give a shit when they step over some homeless guy sprawled out on newspapers. New Yorkers see homeless people all the time. They are fixtures, rather than people with feelings to a New Yorker. One thing I've noticed since I've started working in NYC is this: I used to politely say "no thank you" to people handing out annoying flyers, and "sorry, I don't have change" to homeless guys holding out empty coffee cups. I acknowledged that they were there trying to communicate with me.

Three years later, those same people could be handing out money, and I wouldn't notice because I no longer acknowledge their existence. And I'm not doing it on purpose, that's just how it is when you see these people every day (I'm actually a generous guy when it comes to donating and whatnot).

So this is what I say to all of NYC's homeless: START WALKING! Why spend nights shivering on the cold, dirty streets of NY? Walk to California or Florida. Use the change you actually collect for a bus ticket out of here!

If you're going to be homeless, be homeless in a warm climate with pedestrians who aren't accustomed to seeing homeless people like NY. If I was homeless, I'd rather be on a beach in San Diego asking people for change than outside grand central laying on a stack of AM NY newspapers.

I'm not saying this to be mean or insensitive to the homeless....I really think they should consider this. What's the worst that can happen? They don't make it to a sunny climate and they are homeless in another town that can't possibly be worse than NYC?

And don't say, "There's no place like NYC." That statement is true if you have a place to live and can actually enjoy what NYC has to offer.

So, if there are any homeless people out there who stumbled upon an open laptop on a Starbucks table and can read this post...Get going! Good luck and God's speed.

- Diddy