Black guy: Yo, can I get a dollar for a hot dog?
White guy: Sorry. This is my last fiver.
White woman: Here ya go.
Black guy: That’ll do.
White woman: You could at least say thank you.
Black guy: I did. I was speaking ebonics.
–Gray’s Papaya, 8th Avenue
Overheard by: CRE
Hobo: I take EZ-Pass too.
–96th & CPW
Hobo: Can you spare some change? Or a pineapple?
–4th Avenue & 8th Street
Hobo: Can you spare a dollar for a cup of coffee? How about an iced cappuccino?
–Madison & 62nd
Hobo: We been waiting for this train since May 5, 1987.
–86th Street B/C station
Hobo: Miss, miss, can you spare some change? Sir, sir? Ma’am?…You! You’ll speak when you’re spoken to!
–49th & 8th
A woman is arguing with the man in the token booth, but he’s speaking through the mic and his voice is muffled.
Woman: Huh? What? What the fuck are you talking about? Yeah, all right. Shut the fuck up, Burger King.
–Sutter Avenue station
Overheard by: Deshaunicus
Guy: Here you go man. Here’s some fries.
Hobo: Fries? Fries with what?
–88th & Madison
Overheard by: Benjamin K.
Hobo: Help me! I have 9 starving kids at home!
Suit: Yesterday you had 12 starving kids, what happened?
Hobo: That’s right and the 2 of them died in a horrible fire yesterday! Please help me!
Suit: What happened to the 12th?
Hobo: Man, get the fuck outta here, you’re fucking up my rap!
–57th Street station
Hobo: I’m homeless! I’m battling child abuse! The Jews and the Irish are spreading lies about me!
–14th Street between 5th & Union Square
Overheard by: a Jewish-Irish girl
Hobo: Nice chickie, hot, another one, good, love them, there’s a good one. No, wait: that’s a guy.
–29th & Madison
Bald hobo: If I was tall they’d braid my hair! But no, I’m short, so they won’t braid my hair!
–Grand Central
Overheard by: Jeremy
Hobo: I’m technologically impaired. Spare a cell phone? An iPod?
–St. Mark’s & 1st Ave
Overheard by: Rose Yndigoyen
Girl: We’re outside now. Now I can entertain you.
–57th & Park
Overheard by: heather
Hobo: Hey Mr. Rockafella, can you help a blackafella?
— 7th Av & W. 11th
Overheard by: Gillian Glasser
Drunk hobo, singing: Put a little money in the hat!
Six-year-old boy to mom: Don’t hats come with a bunny?
Mom: He asked for money, not a bunny. He’s a panhandler, not a magician.
–Canal St station
Overheard by: Thumper
Hobo: Any change? Anything you got to give?
Suit: I wish I had something to give, but pretty soon, I'm going to be like you.
Hobo: My man, you cannot be this awesome.
–Bleecker & Lafayette
Hobo: Listen, man, I'm homeless. Now, I'm not askin' for money or nothin', but…
Extremely well-dressed young man: Hey, me too!
Hobo: What?
Extremely well-dressed young man: Yep! Just moved here from Boston, couch surfing in Tribeca! I feel ya, buddy. God bless!
–42nd & 8th
Young hipster guy to hobo: I hate to ask, but do you mind if I bum a cigarette from you?
–Prince St
Overheard by: Kristen W.
Flight attendant on PA: We’d like to remind you that this is a non-smoking service to London, but passengers are permitted to smoke outside the cabin at any point during the flight.
–British Airways Flight to Heathrow
Crazy man: Smoking leads directly to prostitution!
–66th & Broadway
Overheard by: voluptuousgrl
Dude: I’ve been smoking since I came out of my mom’s cooch.
–Hop Scotch Cafe
Woman with raspy voice: Man, cigarettes are so expensive now. When I started smoking, it was only a $1.25 a pack. Unless I bought them off my mom, she only charged 75 cents a pack.
–4 Train, Union Square
Overheard by: Christine
Mom to seven-year-old son: Come on, let’s go out for a cigarette. (looks around nervously at other audience members) Well, not that you smoke.
–Intermission, Rent
