Me: "What'd you study in school today?"

Kid: "We talked about poverty."

Me: "Oh, like what?"

Kid: "In countries where people make a dollar a day."

Me: "You know there's a woman living in her car in front of the house?"

Kid: Stunned silence.

Wife: "What?!?"

An update: The woman is still there, but she's now met my dog and we exchanged names. So, an ice-breaker. Didn't pry much further, but had a nice conversation. She's got a bike that's often gone for 12 or more hours at a time. So, probably working somewhere nearby.
I should add that a certain racial sensitivity is in place with this. I am a 50-something white guy. She's a black woman. I want her to be okay, but I would completely understand if there was a certain mistrust. Dogs are a freaking miracle of ice-breaking though. I will say that much.

Meanwhile, I'm out walking the dog a short time ago and there's an unopened can of food just laying in the grass. About 15 minutes later, I get a text from neighbor saying that the homeless woman got into a verbal altercation with another neighbor because she walked up to him while he was outside playing catch with his kids and asked if she could borrow a can opener. He said no. Then called the city.

Way to go fuckwit. Also, nice example to set. Not!

Naturally, he's a tech bro.

Wife: "You know, he's under no obligation to give her a can opener."

Me: "No, but he could be less of a prick."

Wife: "But he's out there with his little kids."

Me: "She didn't ask to eat a kid."

Kid: "You know, Dad has a good point there."

Me: "If cans had existed at the time of the old testament, I bet some kid would be doing their Bar Mitvah speech about loaning strangers a can opener."

Wife: "Ok, you can stop now."

Me: "Jesus would have lent an opener. And Gandhi."

I should attach a can opener to a rope and affix it to the city light pole out in front of that guys house.

Me: "I talked to the woman in the car this morning as she was about to leave on her bike. She thought Mabel was cute."

Kid: "Well who wouldn't?"

Me: "I made a comment about avoiding rain and she said she was just heading to CTA and had an umbrella. She then checked her phone before taking off."

Kid: "Probably working in city."

Other kid: "Doesn't seem like a fent-fueled child eater."

Me: "I've now actually talked more with this woman than that can-opener denying neighbor."

She's not wrong about Mabel. Pretty damn cute after coming back from the groomer yesterday...
@dabeaz like, for general public use? like one of the communist bike pumps where _anyone_ can pump up their tyres?
@drj Hell yeah, for community use. If it also had a bottle opener, it could also be used by teens drinking beers in the park.
@drj I should join NextDoor.
@dabeaz *business cat meme* I should join NextDoor
@dabeaz @drj Do you really want to find out how deranged your neighbors are?
@dabeaz @drj Also, do you want to find out how ignorant your neighbors are about how government at all levels works? (People should be required to pass the naturalization civics test in order to post opinions on ND)
@PeterLudemann @drj What if I'm the deranged one?
@dabeaz @drj You really haven't been on NextDoor, have you? There's deranged and then there's ND deranged...
@dabeaz I'm thinking a rope would be too easy for $NEIGHBOR to cut. Chain perhaps? 😆

@dabeaz

Be the can opener you want to see in this world.

@dabeaz Mother Theresa would give anyone in need a can opener.
@dabeaz Some people would’ve even offered to microwave the content…

@dabeaz

“She didn’t ask to eat a kid” rofl