I have noticed this beggar now a few times around Sydney. He seems to be ashamed to show his face and thus he lays down on a pavement covered by a white cotton sheet. I photographed him here near Coles opposite Sydney Town Hall.
If the idea of covering himself in the sheet supposed to raise pity it doesn’t work, as people tend to avoid him and only few people dropped a coin or two. I still believe donating money to organisations which help homeless is a better option.
This homeless man always sits at the same corner of the Pitt Street Mall with his small dog. People almost do not notice his as he usually just sits there and reads his newspaper. This group of young Asian youths must have been new to Sydney CBD as his presence has obviously puzzled them.
The sign of this beggar says: “I need to work to eat and I need to eat to work. Catch 22” and his second board says “No house, no home, no phone, brain damage, no family support, desperate”.
I must say when I saw him and these two signs I though these were the wittiest homeless boards I have seen to date. I wonder if he only knows the phrase of “Catch 22″ or has he also read the very cleverly written novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.
Heller demonstrates, in prosaic term, quite a philosophical dilemma, where little choice exists and although a remote possibility exists for desired to occur the reality is such that it never happens.
Anyone who knows few of my photographs will know I often photograph homeless people. However, I have never seen the homeless so self degraded as in Prague. I have titled this photograph “Human Degradation – Beggar in Prague” as it really bothered me the way these people beg there. I don’t think it was necessary for them to prostrate themselves like that to get few coins for food.
The text on his sign has not changed in last four years. He always begs at the same place but is he in real need? “Raising money slowly but steadily to fight a Supreme Court case” claims this beggar’s sign.
