Paul Says...
The light turns red and suddenly they're upon you... like a zombie NASCAR pit crew, they pour onto the road, providing intimidated motorists with an unsolicited 'service.'
They're the infamous 'squeegee kids,' a bunch of lazy, ne'er-do-wells armed with buckets of brown water and black-sponged squeegees.
They muddy your windshield, maybe scratch your car and assault your wipers and aerial. And for their 'work' they want to be paid. Say no, and you run the risk of retaliation... anything from foul verbal abuse, to a keying.
In Toronto this week, a man waved one of them off. When ignored, he got out of his car, and was beaten about the head... the young 'service' provider adding blood to his swampy sponge. He's fine, but he's lucky... it could have been worse.
Should he have gotten out? No. Police advise, play it smart, and stay in your vehicle.
But should he and the rest of us be forced to endure these pushy punks? Absolutely not... and Toronto's Deputy-Mayor, Doug Holyday agrees... he wants them gone... outlawed!
Other cities have run them off, and if the political will is there, Toronto can do it too.
In a state of aggravation, I once surprised one of the little weasels, driving off when the light turned green... sprawling him across my hood.
While Carol cussed me out, screaming, I came close to hurting him, I enjoyed the thumbs-up from other drivers.
Besides, 'close,' only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.
Go get 'em Deputy-Mayor!
Carol Says....
Well it's true. There were a few choice words uttered when you nearly drove the kid over. For their safety and ours, they have to go. Roads in Toronto aren't safe for law abiding pedestrians, when there is an average of six to seven struck in Toronto every day, let alone those you would like to drive off the road.
Doug Holyday says that it's time to get the squeegee kids and panhandlers out of the city. The Deputy Mayor of Toronto joined us on The Motts on June 8 (you can hear a podcast of the show) He has tried for years to move them out, but believes that only now is there the political will to do it.
The squeegee kids seem to be a different breed than panhandlers who are often mentally ill and really look down and out. Many have a chip on their shoulder and are aggressive.
What surprised me when we first came to Toronto was that the panhandlers seemed so invisible to most people walking the street. How can a civilized society allow those citizens to fall so hard and fend for themselves, when it's obvious they're incapable of doing so? Shame on us!
Just as an aside. Do you grab your camera as the first order of business when you've been assaulted? That's what the victim did in the case Paul referred to. Personally I think I would have been holding my head together and trying to clean off the blood. It's a good thing he did as that will be evidence in court... it just wouldn't have been my first order of business.
Now I'm not one that feels any great affinity for my car. It gets me from point A to point B and isn't that clean most of the time. It's sort of like my rolling purse. But still, if I haven't asked you to clean it, don't.
To the squeegee kids, next time we meet just hope I'm the one behind the wheel, not Paul!
The debate continues.
Paul and Carol Mott can be heard discussing the issues weekdays from 11 until noon streamed through their website TheMotts.ca.