Bet You Can't Hit Me With a Quarter...

We had just left Target, excited to pick up the Twilight DVD that was released today.
A stoplight at a nearby intersection introduced us to some happy homeless people. Really. As we stopped and looked over to them, they didn't flash a sad or down-on-my-luck look. Instead, they waved and smiled. Rolled-up sleeping bags and green hiking bags sat right behind them. One of them looked like he was in his late 40s while his two buddies, a couple, looked like they were in their 30s. They reminded of 60s hippies, for some reason.
Anyways, I was the closest one to them, being that I was sitting in the passenger side of our SUV. I waved back and reached down in my purse to pull out $3, the last cash in my wallet since I had spent the rest buying some grub at the Teriyaki Bowl earlier. (I am so used to relying on my ATM debit card, these days.)
"What a nice happy family," responded the red-headed guy with dreds as I gave them the dollars. "Thank you very much."
"Muchos gracias," added the female in broken Spanish, unsure if we spoke English. Then she turned to a 4-foot high cardboard sign with a drawn-up thermometer that counted every dollar someone had given to them today.
She shaded in what I had just given them and the total came up to just over $20.
"You know, this reminds me of another homeless guy that I saw near the ampm gas station," my husband tells me as we drive away and wave back at them.
"He had this sign that said, 'Bet you can't hit me with a quarter'."
I wonder how many people responded.
Judging by today's group, it's likely he did get a few quarters. So, even in this tough economic time, people are still finding ways to give.