[pct-l] How do you distinguish scuzzy "Hiker Trash" from a grubby "Homeless Bum"?

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

I think it is harder to be mistaken for homeless bum if you are a  
woman. Meth-head, runaway or something like that maybe, but ordinary  
homeless, not likely.

I don't think I ever looked much different from my normal self while  
I was hiking. Just a little dirtier and a lot smellier.

My story is the opposite. When I arrived in South Lake Tahoe I wanted  
to do my laundry at the laundromat but I didn't have anything to wear  
while I did it. So I went to K-Mart and bought the cheapest thing I  
could find -- a pink tank top and gray capris pants. After I washed  
up and changed into this outfit, not a single hiker would acknowledge  
my presence. They actually had a look of disdain in their eyes, as if  
someone in a pink tank-top just couldn't understand their superior  
lifestyle. I felt so alone. I was happy to get my laundry done and  
put on my orange PCT class of 2008 scarf.