New trend in panhandling?

[gonefishie]

So I came out of CVS today and was approached by a trashy looking middle age woman asking for money. Right next to the CVS is a gas station. This woman said her van broke down and parked at the gas station. She asked me if I can help her out even with just a few dollars. I gave her the 5 bucks I had in my wallet. For a moment, I thought what if she's lying about her van being broke? Am I naive for giving her money? I figured if she really needed help then I'm glad to have helped her. If she was lying and used the money for something else like drug or alcohol, what not. It's only 5 bucks so I gave her the money anyway.
Back in March, I was at a different gas station filling up my truck and was approached by a one legged man. He said his truck, an older Durango, ran out of gas. He said they're from southern Indiana and were on their way to a relative about 1 1/2 hours north of here. He said there's a baby on board, I looked in and saw a baby in a car seat. I prepaid 20 bucks worth of gas for him and told him that should be more than enough to get him there. I saw people asking for money at gas station on a couple other occasions too. Do you see this going on in your area?

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

every once in awhile you'll find someone here asking for money. But not much.

I was in San Diego a while ago. We stopped at this seafood restaurant, when we walked out a man approached and ask for a few bucks, said he's out on the street broke and hungery. My mother told me to give him my 20 I had. I didnt' want to but I did.

As we got into our van he got into a real nice looking suburban.
Pssh,, knew it was too good to be true.. I dunno maybe he was broke. but I doubt it.

 

[gstanton]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Yes, just yesterday at the gas station was a "surfer boy" asking for change. Another favorite is asking if I need a "date" ... while my wife is sitting in the car!

I need to get gas in a better neighborhood.

 

[642mx]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Yep... its been going on for awhile. I don't donate to there drug/alcohol habits tho...

 

[642mx]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Yes, just yesterday at the gas station was a "surfer boy" asking for change. Another favorite is asking if I need a "date" ... while my wife is sitting in the car!

I need to get gas in a better neighborhood.

Ahhhahahahahahaha

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Ya I was duked the same way by a person who use to work at my shop. Said he needed gas money and I didn't think anything of it. Found out the day latter he was let go because he was a crack head.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Have not seen this in Canada.....Yet !!! but have experienced it in Michigan, especially Detroit area.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Just today while I was leaving Home depot an average looking guy walks up and said he just ran out of gas and could I help out.....I gave him 74 cents ,hell thats 4 or 5 miles worth of riding. I had a guy on a sunday come to my door and said his car broke and needed a hose that cost 12 bucks. I was just leaving to go to the parts store and said "well Im going to the parts store too. You can ride with me and I will try to get you a hose"...He walked off with a puzzled look on his face.I think the SOB was tryin to con me..

 

[perchin]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Have not seen this in Canada.....Yet !!! but have experienced it in Michigan, especially Detroit area.

Yep....I refer to that place as Detoilet........ I was working over there last summer and the one that took the cake for me was a guy was walking up to every car at the McDonald's drive thru with a clipboard. He would approach your vehicle and hold up the clipboard showing the picture of a cute little girl. He had a very sorry look on his face....you roll down the window and he tells me that this was his daughter and she was hit and killed by a car, and they couldn't afford a proper burial, could I help.

I handed him a $10 bill and watched him go to the next car, then the next, etc.... almost every car gave him money. He then walked up to the garbage can and threw away the paper and picture that was attatched to the clipboard and left in a nice looking STS with 20's on it!!!!!!

I was shocked, and went over to the garbage can and removed the picture of the girl.... come to find out it was just cut out of a magazine!!!!

Its getting harder and harder to spot someone who truely needs help now days.

 

[scipper77]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

a few years ago I met a panhandler with a unique story.

I was at the gas station and this young (20's) guy was at the pump next to me in a brand new car. He proceeds to tell me how he partied last night at some bar or club and crashed at a friends place. He left his wallet at the bar which wouldn't be open again until that after noon. He had to get home to canandagua, a 45 min drive and the gas light was on. I looked in the car and sure enough the gas light was on.

I really didn't want to give this guy any cash as I generally don't trust strangers, especially strangers asking for money. I was ready to give him a few bucks when it clicked in my head. I walked to the back of the car and looked at the plate only to see the word DEALER on the plate. This crackhead test drives new cars with no gas from the dealer 1/2 mile down the road and begs for money at the gas station. I gave him a quarter and told him that I hope there is someone who cares about him enough to come and get him. He was pissed buy so was I at that point.

 

[sfy]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

yeah, the Gas Scam has been happening around here for quite a while. there's one guy, the Gas Can Man. he approaches everybody he sees while carrying a 5 gallon gas can, asking for money to get to St. George or Boise(it varies) i see this guy EVERYWHERE, literally. downtown, in the burbs', at Sportsmans Warehouse, even at our Cabelas,which is in a different county.

he's been at it for at least 2 years now, that i have noticed. and its always the same story, mom is sick and hundreds of miles away, can ya help a brother out with some gas money?

 

[cajuncook1]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

You know, I grew up in a little town in southern Louisiana. My parents didn't have a lot of money, but we always had food on the table and clothes to wear. In that little town people would help each other out because that was culture in that area, but when they could they would pay you back in some sort of way. They would fix your car or give you bunch of fish fillets or deer meat...you get my meaning.

I joined the military and it helped pay for my tuition in college. When I went to college, I was in college full time and I worked a job 24 to 30hours a week as well. A lot of young people and citizens have gotten used to getting hand outs. (The family structure is falling down in this country....our young ones are not being taught to be responsible and self reliant.)

People complain that there are no jobs!! BS...there are jobs, but it might not what they want or how much they want to make. (Now, the statement I made is general statement, it does not apply to all situations people end up in.)

There is one thing that gets to me....I can't stand to see people go hungry. I had a women ask me a couple of years ago for money for she and her kids to eat. She had her little ones with her. So, instead of giving her the money, I stated I would walk with them to the McDonald and pay for there food. The women agreed. If she would have refused, then I know she would have been conning me.


Well, you know the old saying....if you keep feeding stray cats, they will come back and bring friends!!

Sorry....went off on my soap box again

 

[stic88]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

if someone is asking for help, then if i can then i will. what they do with the money is up to them. if they are conning me then they will answer to God and my heart will rest easier.
Caring people get burned all the time. not because of any fault of theirs but of the people they gibe to

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

I donate to the Salvation Army instead of giving to people on the street.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Well, you know the old saying....if you keep feeding stray cats, they will come back and bring friends!!

Oh, wait a minute. I get it....

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

One day a florist goes to a barber for a haircut. After the cut he asks the barber about his bill. "I'm sorry, I can't accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week."

The florist is pleased and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there's a thank you card and a dozen roses waiting at his door.

Later that day a cop comes in for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber, and the barber replies: "I'm sorry, I can't accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week."

The cop is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning the barber goes to open his shop, there is a thank you card and a dozen donuts waiting at his door.

Later that day a Politician comes for a haircut and when he asks the barber what he owes, the barber replies: "I'm sorry, I can't accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week."

The Politician is very happy and leaves.

The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there are a dozen Politicians waiting for a free haircut.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

I generally ignore beggars. Giving them money just allows them to keep begging.
When I went to Cozumel several years ago, there were little kids hanging around the docks where the cruise ship passengers came onto the Island for their stop-overs. People coming ashore tossed coins in the water and the little kids dove in for them.
Signs were posted all over the island asking tourists to NOT give money to the beggars, in an attempt to wean them off this way of life.
If you think about it from a high level, not giving to pan handlers is the best thing you can do for them in the long run.
When addicts hit rock bottom, they can try and turn things around, coddling them just prolongs the corrective process.
I don't see begging as a much different concept.

 

[Wingnutt]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

The latest trend for beggars around here is to get a tee shirt from one of the many no-kill animal shelters and stand at intersections that have traffic lights going from car to car with a plain white plastic bucket that has a lid on it that has a small cut out for the money. They got me a couple of times before caught on to them. I had to several errands one afternoon and saw the same guy at the same intersection three times wearing a different shelter tee shirt each time. Last week I actually saw him emptying the bucket and changing shirts in the local Wal-Mart parking lot. Too bad I don't have a loud PA system on my truck so I could let others know about his scam.

 

[cajuncook1]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Oh, wait a minute. I get it....

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

One day a florist goes to a barber for a haircut. After the cut he asks the barber about his bill. "I'm sorry, I can't accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week."

The florist is pleased and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there's a thank you card and a dozen roses waiting at his door.

Later that day a cop comes in for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber, and the barber replies: "I'm sorry, I can't accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week."

The cop is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning the barber goes to open his shop, there is a thank you card and a dozen donuts waiting at his door.

Later that day a Politician comes for a haircut and when he asks the barber what he owes, the barber replies: "I'm sorry, I can't accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week."

The Politician is very happy and leaves.

The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there are a dozen Politicians waiting for a free haircut.

So true.....Mr Tim......lol

Going to keep a copy of your joke....lol




What is the difference between a politician and catfish??

One is a bottom dwelling, scum eating, mindless slimy creature and the other is a fish!




Again...thanks for laugh Tim

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

At most stop lights we have squeegee kids wiping windshields for change. What gets me is when they don't ask, but just walk up and smear the bugs around with a half dry squeegee then ask for change after making my windshield worse.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

My standard answer, "No thank you"... confuses the h*ll out of them enough to allow you to walk away.

I get hit up several times a year and never give them a dime. I do help people if I see that they truly need help, usually I'm the person approaching them to see if they need assistance.

I once had a really big intimidating looking dude come up asking for gas money, because he just ran out of gas. Well, it was his lucky day! I just happened to have a gas can in my car and told him I'd give him a couple bucks of "gas". Guy turned around all pizzed off and walked away. Guess he really didn't need gas after all...