What did I do wrong?

[paytojt]

So I'm walking in downtown New Orleans near St. Louis cathedral and walk by a man, woman, and little girl sitting on the street with a little cardboard box in front of them. The man was singing and tapping a beat, but not on the box. I took out some change, throw it in, and he starts saying "Thanks, Mr Racist", while the girl takes the change and angrily throws it on the ground. What gives?

 

[musicman666]

Were you wearing a Trump 2016 T shirt? .. ... Are you sure they were pan handling?

 

[paytojt]

No def not trump shirt. Maybe I wrongly assumed but they were sitting on the sidewalk like others.

 

[twinjet]

So I'm walking in downtown New Orleans near St. Louis cathedral and walk by a man, woman, and little girl sitting on the street with a little cardboard box in front of them. The man was singing and tapping a beat. I took out some change, throw it in, and he starts saying "Thanks, Mr Racist", while the girl takes the change and angrily throws it on the ground. What gives?

Trying to get a rise out of you? Gee, all the homeless/impoverished up here thank you for donations. Even say "Bless You" as you leave! I learned how to say "thank you" in Tsimshian once from a couple.

 

[Gazman]

Just take your Nazi gold elsewhere.

 

[beaglesandbass]

If you were a different color than them maybe they assumed that's why you gave them change instead of bills.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

That's bazaar

 

[ChrisB2]

They wouldn't have thrown this back --

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

They wouldn't have thrown this back --

View attachment 880038

That's as fake as a North Korean Fender, and worth about as much.

 

[Gorn]

A lot of homeless people are crazy.

 

[placedesjardins]

So I'm walking in downtown New Orleans near St. Louis cathedral and walk by a man, woman, and little girl sitting on the street with a little cardboard box in front of them. The man was singing and tapping a beat. I took out some change, throw it in, and he starts saying "Thanks, Mr Racist", while the girl takes the change and angrily throws it on the ground. What gives?

They weren't panhandling.

 

[Texan]

You tried to be kind...an unappreciated concept these days.

 

[Gorn]

So I'm walking in downtown New Orleans near St. Louis cathedral and walk by a man, woman, and little girl sitting on the street with a little cardboard box in front of them. The man was singing and tapping a beat. I took out some change, throw it in, and he starts saying "Thanks, Mr Racist", while the girl takes the change and angrily throws it on the ground. What gives?

They weren't panhandling.

Was he tapping a beat on the box? Was there other change or bills in the box?

 

[neo 7]

Apparently you were being racist.

 

[Bass_Pounder]

How dare you commit a micro-aggression by only giving them change.

 

[paytojt]

Apparently you were being racist.

If so, definitely didn't mean to be.

 

[paytojt]

Was he tapping a beat on the box? Was there other change or bills in the box?

Well it was out in front like guitar players do and he was not tapping it.

 

[neo 7]

Acting like a baller, tipping singles

 

[slobake]

Maybe you misjudged the situation but I don't know for sure, but you were trying to do the right thing. The people reacted out of their own issues and I wouldn't take it personally. Even if you misjudged the situation some people would see where you were coming from and let it go.
Who knows what happened to these people? Maybe they just had and encounter with an asshat before you came along and you got the spillover. Could be all kinds of things.
To answer your question you didn't do anything wrong.

 

[ChrisB2]

You didn't do anything wrong, but c'mon man... change??

I usually avoid panhandlers altogether so I won't condemn your effort, but is there no threshold below which an offering is insulting? 10 cents? A single penny?

I believe their reaction indicates that, in their opinion, your offering was below the threshold...