Always laughing

Walking back from work today Andy and me saw one of the 'characters' who hang around Stratford. There is around 20 or so poor sods who spend their time mostly either on the Crisis Bench (a name Andy and me gave to a bench which they often sit on, drinking White Lightening) or shouting outside Stratford tube. Thing about Stratford is that even people who look relatively normal in Stratford often can be a bit odd. Saw a guy yesterday strolling along who, as he passed people suddenly said 'Jesus' to them. Unless it was just me.

One morning, when we had to go into work extra early, we saw them all lined up on a wall, with one of them talking to the rest. It looked like they were being given instructions. Be nice to think that they treated life on the street like a job 'You drink Tennants today, you pick up cigarette buts, and you...get you're hair cut!'

Back to today's character. He's often seen in the area, usually with a smile on his face. His favourite spot is slumped in a telephone box, giggling. He is quite eccentric - has a big hat, a long black coat and record bag. He often shouts things but usually you can't understand him. Today he weeing, as we passed, in a bin on the path by the bushes just outside Stratford Station. He carried on shouting things while he went.

Thing was he could of just gone behind the bushes right next to him and so would of attracted far less attention. Yet he still had some dignity in that he wee'd in the bin, rather than just on to the path. Course it could be more to do with the fact that men feel the need to go against something and the bin was the nearest thing to where he was standing. I decided not to ask.

People would just glance at him and walk on by. Not sure what you can do. On the face of it its a funny situation, but then you would be essentially laughing at a guy who is reduced to weeing in a bin on a road in broad daylight and doesn't care. The man obviously needs help, but what kind and where to start I have no idea.

Maybe he wanted someone to say 'Oi, what do you think you are doing? Weeing the street. Stop it!' At least if someone did that it would recognise he is actually a human being. If Andy or anyone else I know suddenly starting weeing in the street in broad daylight I would certainly say something. Well, I wouldn't be impressed anyway. Thats because I expect better of him. With that guy I just excepted he was beyond that. Sad.