It has become increasingly apparent there is a conspiracy against
pedestrians and people who enjoy just meandering the streets of
Portland in general. Everytime a walker ventures out they do so at
their own risk. The things at risk are not lives, money, or fame.
Rather they are risking their own dignity. This has lead to hillarity
once again today.

Like any day it began with a struggle to get out the door. Eliot was
feeling grouchy, I was too. He was hungry so was I. We headed to the
Public Market for some bread and cheese. On the way in I noticed the
bat shit guy who has been harassing Eliot and since we started going
out. Here are some of the lovely things he says when we wlak by just
to get you up to date.

"Ah, the smell of poverty!"
"So many poor people on the streets."
"There is such a problem with white trash in Portland."
Needless to say I was looking forward to going to Zarra's so I could
get harassed by this crazy bastard. Any way I walked by him without
any kind of altercation which surprised me. He surprised me again by
following me into the coffee shop.
I will explain the nature of this crazy man a bit so you can
appreaciate the feeling of apprehension, better yet I will just show you a picture of him in the act of being crazy writing down phrases in chalk on a pad. He laughs at them with a wry smile then begins anew with a fresh sheet of paper and a new insane phrase.

My problem is not with the fact that he does this. I admit it bothered me he was such a bastard but then I realized he was just a crazy angry man. The problem is what the hell to do with a person who seeks to try and be actively unfriendly to a stranger. It is not against the law to talk to strangers. Not even against the law to say what he has said to me as I pass because he has never done it in a direct way. It is maddening because if he had I would have gotten a restraining order against him long ago. I guess we as Portlanders on foot must just grin and bear it. it is after all our our calling to be heckled by the homeless.