Bag ladies

Coming home from work on Friday this week, I saw two bag ladies. One of them was on the tube, taking up three seats with her worldly belongings stuffed into carriers, smelling faintly of wee and harrumphing at everyone around her. The second one I walked past on the way home from the tube station. Two in one day made me realise I hadn't seen any bag ladies for ages, years maybe. Why is that? Weren't they ten a penny when we were kids? Are they all in nursing homes now getting the care they deserve? I do hope so.