The first sign person I saw was standing in a corridor, about 14 years old with big sad eyes and dressed all in black, holding a little sign that said "Please hug me". Eeeeek!

I am a caring person. But I think you go to jail in this state for that kind of behavior.

I was taken aback. I continued unsteadily down the corridor, feeling as guilty as when I had passed by my 1st panhandler.

About an hour later, I saw another. This time it was "Please GLOMP me!".

As time went by, there were more and more. "Will Glomp for free", "Please, please, please, hold me!", "Kiss me, please!" They began appearing in pairs and then groups, jumping on each other, falling to the floor.

I think my 1st silent, solitary encounter with that small, sad, sign person had unnerved me. I just didn't have an appropriate response in my repertoire. I began trying to avoid them as they lurked in hallways and alcoves like crippled veterans at a Texas stoplight mutely asking for spare change.

I was outside talking to a guy and said "What is with these sign people, Man? They're starting to freak me out!".

He said in a Texas drawl, "Then yew shore don't want to go up 'ere", pointing to the 2nd story walkover between the hotel and the Convention Center.

"The whole hallway is lahned with 'em, and nobody gets through without 'em jumpin' all over yew."

Double Eeeeek! I markedly avoided that path. As the hour grew later, the signs got curiouser and curiouser. "Will YURI for affection", "Get your Yaoi here".

Finally, at about 0400, a little man walked by me on the street with a sign that read "Will trade Pocky for Pocky". Something inside me snapped and I demanded "OK, why would you want to trade for Pocky if you already have Pocky?".

He turned toward me with a mellow smile on his face and replied "I have strawberry and I'm looking for chocolate. Want some?".

So we sat there on the curb at 0400 eating strawberry Pocky. At last, I had found a way in my heart to engage a sign person.