Today I wandered down to Fisherman’s Wharf and encountered a panhandler named Dan and his Persian Himalayan cat Samantha.
“Donations for cat show welcome. To be held in San Jose. $$ Thank you. Small or large everything helps.” said the message on the cardboard sign.
Organizers had strongly discouraged Dan from entering although they hadn’t banned him outright. You are expected to wear a tuxedo and "drink tea with your pinky finger extended.” he told me. “We don’t drink tea where I’m from. We drink beer.” It had already been a very trying day as that afternoon a tourist had called the SPCA to file a complaint. Donations were steady though. As the sun set, Dan placed Samantha into her cat carrier and headed towards the bus stop.
The Embarcadero at Beach Street San Francisco, California, US