July 21st 3:58pm - Propositioned in the Financial District

My brother Trent moved to San Francisco for an internship for the summer. He's living with me, but for the first three weeks he was here I was in Thailand. He had to adjust to life in SF without the assistance of a seasoned veteran such as myself.

Weeks ago Trent was in the financial district and apparently the walk from his work to the bus stop provides many obstacles in the forms of bums, beggars, and hobos. As he pushed his way through the people barriers he found himself mechanically responding, "No thanks man," pause, "No thanks," pause, etc. etc. as he was approached and asked for money for varying causes. These causes fluctuated from: "Please help," and "I need booze," to "Ninjas kidnapped my family. I need money for karate lessons."

A well-dressed man in a suit approached him and asked, "Do you want to slave?" Trent replied, "No thanks man," robot-style. The man's response: "I'll pay you." Trent: "No thanks." Immediately afterward he caught a bus home. It wasn't until he got on the bus that he asked himself, what just happened??