We live a few minutes off Chiswick High Road, West London. My husband and I often take our dog Victor for a walk there, stop for a coffee somewhere, eat breakfast outdoors in a cafe on a sunny morning, etc.
Shops in the UK don't allow dogs except for guide dogs, so whenever we need to buy something, one of us has to go into the store while the other one waits outside with Victor.
My husband usually (and annoyingly) spends ages shopping, I often end up sitting on the floor in front of the store, with Victor next to me or on my lap.
But sitting on the pavement (sidewalk) you risk looking like a homeless, you see. Well, I don't care if I look like one, to be honest. But every time I'm sat, I just check up on my shirt and shoes to see how scruffy I may or may not look.
Finally, it happened earlier this week for the first time in my life...
I was standing in front of a store as usual, while my husband was shopping... I was NOT sitting on the pavement. I was standing, with Victor next to me on the lead.
This elegant-looking lady came out of the store and handed me a £10 note.
Okay, she thinks I'm homeless. I immediately said, "Oh, no, no!"
She said with a posh accent, "No, this is for your lovely doggie! What a cute little thing! Keep it, buy something nice for him to eat."
I said, "No, that's...but...this..." I didn't know what to say. What do you expect me to say?
I couldn't tell her she was mistaken, I'm not homeless - that would embarrass her. So I took the money and said thank you very much.
The lady walked off, and only a few seconds later, my husband finished his shopping and came out of the store. I should not have told him what had just happened so soon because his voice is usually louder than life. He CRIED with laughter, I said to him "Shhhh! She must be still around. Let's go!"
I'm nearly 60 and never saw this coming. People would donate money to me just for standing on the street. 😂
I was wearing a black t-shirt, black trousers, and leather shoes. Do I have such an impoverished appearance? Well, evidently I do. There's no way our spoilt dog could look emaciated, either. If anything, I left my sports bag on the floor as well as Victor's water bottle & bowl right next to the bag, as it was a hot day. Maybe that looked like a begging bowl?
Am I embarrassed? Not at all. The incident made my day, in fact, my funniest event of the year so far.
Chiswick is quite a posh area. BBC Television Centre is nearby, so we often see a few celebrities walking around. I could go and sit there with Victor for a couple of hours each day, looking sorry and make a fortune, you know. (I won't.)
P.S. The photos are mine. (So are the GIF dividers - anyone's welcome to use 😊)
P.P.S. I just found the particular incident funny, nothing more. I come from a working-class background and, by NO means am I making fun of homeless people or being disrespectful to them. Just so you know.