New trend in panhandling?

[gonefishie]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

So what do you say to these peoples? Can't just say no, I don't or can't help you. That sounds so wrong. Can't tell them you don't have any money when in fact, you do.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

You just say 'sorry I only carry a debit card"

 

[642mx]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

So what do you say to these peoples? Can't just say no, I don't or can't help you. That sounds so wrong. Can't tell them you don't have any money when in fact, you do.

Tell them to get a job.

 

[i386]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

We have this guy that rides around on a bicycle. He hands you a card explaining that he's deaf and needs money for food, God bless you, blah blah blah. I don't normally carry any cash, but I did that day so I gave him what few dollars I had. I saw him again on the other side of town a few weeks later doing the same thing. This time I didn't give him anything. I was tempted to ease up behind him and lay down on the horn in my truck. It would be just my luck he really is deaf and sweet little old ladies pushing their grocery carts would look at me in horror. So i did not. Still, if he is deaf, he can get a job.

 

[mscher]

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.

Not quite the same, IMO.

Most Mexicans are extremely poor and the money these kid's "beg", goes directly home to help feed the family. The tourist traps discourage giving to them, as most tourists get extremely annoyed ( I know I did), at the constant beggars and merchants. It can get out of control and make the tourist traps look bad.. We handed out money to all beggars that approached us and we tipped big time. What the h@ll, we were "rich" Americans.

Their extreme poverty and lack of jobs, is what makes Mexican children beg and eventually grow up to cross the U.S. border, looking for work.

 

[huntndakota]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

My all time favorite that happened to me was when i was going into the grocery store a couple years back. I was walking thru the parking lot and saw a mexican woman with her two children. All of them were dressed in cloths a little better than rags. When I got to the door she stopped and asked if I could spare a couple bucks for food for her family. I said no and went in and told the customer service desk she was out there. They asked her to leave and she started crying and begging to stay. The manager was going to help her out out of his own pocket when I stepped in again. The reason being I worked with her husband and he made decent money(over 45,000/year). The look on her face when she recognized me was funny as hell. When I got to work I asked him about what happened. He said "that they do this for the extra money so they can save more of their own and that we Americans are more than willing to give money to them so why not"?

 

[jkust]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

We don't see too many panhandlers in MN. I work in downtown Minneapolis where we have a sort of mall area where they hang out. I see the usual, former vet on hard times sometimes missing a limb, bag lady, and recently the well dressed professional looking man with a sign saying he needs help to feed his 5 kids, his wife passed away and he lost his job. The pictures of the kids were on the sign. My folks live in Hawaii and they say the panhandling there is just astronomical and over the top. The panhandlers subsist on the recycle payment from collecting bottles. They recently did a story on the 'What Would You Do?' show where they had various people ask for gas at the gas station. They switched the beggers between women and men and minorities and non minorities as well as a total beater of a car and a new Lincoln Navigator. They also had the beggers ask people with nice cars and beaters. It was interesting.

 

[zippoo]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

It happens here in AZ a lot once or twice a week I never give a cent I tell the person that all I dont carry cash only debit cards.

 

[stic88]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

there is a guy in denver i had seen a couple of years ago that would ride his harley a couple of blocks away from his corner and walk down the street, panhandle all day and then go home on his harley. stopped and asked him one day and he said the best year he had was over 60k tax free.

 

[kei9th]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

living in south florida and working from west palm beach to south miami i see it all day everyday everywhere. most of the time i will not under any circumstance give to beggars. we have a non profit thing called the homeless voice. im not sure how it works but they have people posted at every stop light and every off ramp that are "selling" some sort of newspaper, the people collecting the money get to live at this homeless shelter or something. i never give them money, but if you have a sign that is worth me reading i will gladly give you money. my favorite signs have been, dont give me money ill just buy weed and beer. why lie i need a beer guy always gets money. my family has been kidnapped by ninjas need money for karate lessons. put effort into your begging and ill give you money. homeless, hungry, need help gets nothing.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Seattle is over-run with them....
There is a bum posted at every freeway on/off ramp, everycorner downtown & the gas scammers....
Also the "Real Change" newspaper guys everywhere.....
When I lived in the Queen Anne section of town, there was a guy on the same corner, day in, day out....
I stopped giving to all bums when I realized that if I gave him a dollar a day, it would amount to half a week's paycheck annually....
Now, they get nothing....
I don't want to hear thier story, period......

 

[gonefishie]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

I don't see how so many can degrade and lower themselve to the lowest level of society just to take advantage of others generosity. The worst part is they make us less sympathetic toward others.

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

I've been hit up several times by the gas scam. I gave and I figured that my heart felt better for caring enough to give to someone claiming the need, what he did with the money didn't change my outlook.

Here is Saudi Arabia, there are beggars every where. The saddest example is the woman with both forearms cut-off (no hands/forearms). Her son would take the donated money from her mouth and pocket it. Last week, I saw her son was now missing his right arm. Some say it's punishment for stealing others say it's to help you feel sorry and give them more. Either way, what a sick society.

 

[cribber]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

I see panhandlers nearly every day on my way around town. They're always at this one intersection holding a cardboard sign saying they live in the woods and need help. I've never given them a dime because I see the same guys begging and have watched them cross the street to a motel that has efficiency apartments. And most of them smoke so I'm not going to help support their habit. I do the "no thank you" thing too and walk away leaving them with this puzzled look on their face.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

he said the best year he had was over 60k tax free.

A TV station out here ran a bit on pan handlers and one team, (man & woman) said they bring in 70-90K/year. Their best year was when she was pregnant... The TV bit was probably 10+ years ago,,, and at that time I didn't make 1/2 of what they were pulling in, and theirs was all tax free.

I do feel for people who might really need help, but I think they are a slim exception, not the rule.

 

[avenger79]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

only time I've given to one was because he said not going to BS you I just want a beer. I got him a 6 pack and he was a happy camper.

only other time i tried to help was a guy had "will work for food". sad story, kids in the car, living in the car etc. told him I'd pick him up the next morning and give him a job, adn a paycheck not working for food. yeah he wasn't there. did make it back out for the afternoon begging though.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Yes I have seen some of them think that by being "honest" it would get them a handout. Once while parked in my work truck eating lunch a guy walked up and said" Sir I am not going to lie to you, I need to have a drink and thats the truth ,Could you help me out"? I said " Well I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU",,"I have my own bad habits to support and cant afford to also be supporting yours" " And thats the honest truth"....he looked puzzled and walked away....Lordy

 

[robert graham]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

Well, we've got a certain minority guy here in town who comes up to you carrying a bible and starts crying about how he got out of jail and needs some help(spelled$$$$), this guy is really good, and he hit me in a soft spot and I gave him a few dollars, but saw him again doing the same routine to some other sucker. I'll hand it to him, though, he had that thing down pat, and could get your sympathy! I really hate this stuff because it catches me between feeling sorry for them and pissing me off!

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

I'm sure you didn't mean that as a blanket statement.

I've spent some time in India, Nepal, S.E Asia and I think its very hard for us westerner's to fully comprehend the level of despair some of the poorest people of these developing countries have it.

Zero social infrastructure for them and food IS the goal of the day, not a habit.

...but this is far from the topic...

 

[shane ames]

Re: New trend in panhandling?

You know its funny you say that because my mother is a social services director for the salvation army and her parents were pastor in the church. Not only do I donate time and money to them but I have several times driven transients down to the SA for a meal and assistance