Hugger Mugger

During these rather depressing times, when stark reminders of man's inhumanity to man plaster the news on a daily basis, it's nice to hear about this guy distributing free hugs in Greenwich Village.

Now, upon seeing some bloke in NYC standing beside a sign which reads "Free Hugs," your first impulse might be to cross the street to avoid him. But this guy appears genuine. The reactions to his offer vary, but often prove entertaining.

"How about a free hug?" he hollered at a man, woman and small boy dressed all in black. "How about not?" the boy shot back.

"I'm trying to cut down," said a banker from Kenya.

"Nothing's free," said another man, as he brushed past with his golden retriever.

The rejections seemed to bounce right off Mr. Littman's toothy smile.

"Ahhhhh!" screamed Faith Smith, 15, of Queens, as she sprinted toward Mr. Littman's open arms and delivered an almost crushing embrace.

"Nobody wants to give him a hug,'' she said. "I feel so bad."

He cheered me up from several states away.