Homeless Man With Funny Sign Still Homeless
by Susi Basse
CHICAGO, IL — When Alfie Garrett, a homeless Vietnam vet in Chicago, Illinois, woke up this morning to worms eating through his socks, he had no idea that he had become an overnight sensation.
Just yesterday, Garrett was spotted shivering on Michigan Avenue holding a cardboard sign that read, “Family kidnapped by ninjas. Need money for kung fu lessons.” With a sign that hilarious at a prime location, it’s no wonder that dozens of people stopped to take a picture of a very hungry and cold Garrett and his shopping cart full of recyclables he was hoping to cash in for coins later.
When those pictures surfaced online, they quickly received thousands of retweets and comments such as “so creative!” and “we need more homeless people like this :)”.
Despite his newfound fame, Alfie Garrett still lives in a cardboard box he shares with a pregnant rat and rummages for scraps in the dumpster behind 7/11.
Even with the 17 cent increase in change that he has received from pedestrians, Garrett still has a lot more money to earn before being able to afford any kind of shelter or stable food supply. But Garrett is still optimistic, saying, “I’m saving up for some new markers. Maybe I’ll rewrite the ‘ninja’ since it’s fading out. These cans of beans aren’t gonna pay for themselves!”