Panhandlers (or whatever) at gas stations

[raccoon]

Anybody run into this in their neck of the woods? This happened in upstate SC, at a self-serve large gas station near I-85.

A few weeks ago, I stopped at one of those gas stations with about 20 pumps, which was a few cents cheaper than most other places. It was night and there were a few other customers.

I was approached by a man telling me a story about somebody leaving him stranded. A woman was with him, but she stood some distance off.

As he went on with the story, I backed away from my car and used the automatic lock to lock it. He must have realized that I was apprehensive, because he said something like, "OK, I'm backing off."

I went inside the station and told the clerk. Needless to say, after this they were nowhere to be seen.

My guess is they were panhandling. Anybody out there in DU had a similar experience, or heard of any?

[SheepyMcSheepster]

1. yes, i have the same experience

a guy was asking for some money to buy gas, said his wife was in the car down the road and they were trying to get to so and so. he said the car had run out of gas.

this was about 1am. i offered to buy him some gas and started looking for a container to put it in. he didn't want that, he just wanted the money. he even said we could drive down the road to take a look at the car and his wife. by this time i was thinking "yeah, right i am not going anywhere".

the kicker is that i saw the same guy a few weeks later begging for money in at a fast food drive-thru line. he again asked me for money, and i said "hey i know you, and i am not giving you any money". then i saw him a few more weeks later doing the same thing at another fast food restaurant.

i will buy people gas, but i am not going to give people money for lying to me.

[ixion]

2. yeah, several times

story varies, but the bottom line is the same: they want money.

[ET Awful]

3. Yup, seen it many times. Once at a gas station near where I work

a guy approached me asking if I could help him out with a couple of dollars because his car was out of gas and he needed to get back on the road to xxxxx (wherever the hell he was going), I told him I didn't have any cash on me.

A week later, at the car wash next door, I was vacuuming out my car and who should approach me but the same guy with the same request and the same excuse . . . He must not have recognized me. I asked him "so where have you been sleeping, you've been stranded at that gas station for a week. . . . he had no response, just looked at me and walked away mumbling.

[MuseRider]

4. Grocery store

parking lots. I have had that same story several times in parking lots. The stranded story is big these days I guess. I had a man come to my home needing money for his broken down truck just around the corner. That was odd.

So sad. They never seem to want food, just money. I would gladly give them food but because of the nasty chance of getting robbed these days in the parking lots I never carry cash anymore.

[SteppingRazor]

5. Only 10 or 20...

THOUSAND times. The "I've been stranded"/"My car ran out of gas"/"My plane was cancelled now I need to rent a car"/etc. story is the oldest in the book at a gas station, because the beggers figure you'll have sympathy for a fellow driver. It gives you something in common with them.

[Lannes]

6. I was in NC

Late at night at a gas station.This guy who looked homeless tried to hand me a note.Usually when somone asks I give them some money but I was worried that as soon as I looked down to read it I might have been clobbered so I told him I didnt want to see the note and he walked away.

If someone approaches me in a non-agressive manner and asks me to spare some change,Ill do it.Its when someone gets right up in my grill and tries to intimidate me that I refuse.

[Maru Kitteh]

25. That is the deaf beggar routine

I got that one a few times when I lived in NC. Must be popular. The note was going to say something like "I am deaf and homeless" - followed by whatever else or just a simple request for cash.

[bikebloke]

83. Reminds me of a beggar in Khatmandu

I'd seen him earlier on crutches. The next day, a miracle! He could walk. But now he was wearing a sign that said, "Dear sir/madam. I cannot speak or hear and thus am unable to earn a living. Please give me money." I said, "No english. Parlez francais?" He barked, "Rupies, rupies."

[raccoon]

33. I do not blame you

"I was worried that as soon as I looked down to read it I might have been clobbered"

[ohio_liberal]

7. Yep

I was pumping gas and some guy was sitting on the curb about 10 feet away. He walked up and told me he hadn't eaten for two days and was homeless and could I give him some money. I pointed out the local Salvation Army HQ, which was right two doors down from the gas station and had a big sign on the front of the building. He only wanted money.

[warrens]

8. A variation on the "I lost my wallet and need $10 for a train ticket"

Panhandling for change or even a dollar at a time is too slow. Better to get $10 or $20 when possible.

[ohio_liberal]

10. I've noticed that

There are always panhandlers hanging out around town. They don't want a dollar or two, they ask for $5 or $10 dollars. They try to negotiate when you won't give them that much.

[NoPasaran]

28. I must be getting old

I remember when they were happy with fifty cents.

[AngryAmish]

26. Ever run into that woman "from Naperville" with that scam

She runs it against commutes in the Loop. She looks presentable but lost her purse and needs money to get home. She has been running that scam for fifteen years.

[catmandu57]

9. Would you give them a dollar if that is all they asked for?

Sure they're begging, if they just want the money give them a buck or change whatever, it's just a story to tug at your heart.

[jojo54]

11. Several times, BUT one time it was for real.

At the small strip mall down the street, a guy asked for a few $ to get a new tire - he claimed one of his had been slashed. Of course at first I didn't believe him 'cause he looked like shit. His hand was all bandaged up & cuts on is face - then he showed me the hospital reciept for stitches after being beaten up. I felt bad for doubting him, but you can never tell anymore.

[4 t 4]

13. Just Give it to Them!

If your life sucks so much that you are actually asking/begging for money on the street from total strangers thats bad, who cares what they're going to use it for. It really seems to me if it's come to that- thats the very Bottom-mentally and otherwise. Just give it to them and wish them good luck! A couple of coins, a couple of bucks-whatever.

[livinginphotographs]

14. At least in my city, most charitable organizations

ask that you NOT give panhandlers money. Many of them are addicts that are a heartbeat away from falling off again, and you giving them enough money for a beer or a crack rock may be the thing that sends them spiraling down again.

A better use for your money would be donations to shelters or something.

[IdaBriggs]

19. NO! Heroin costs $3 to start - PLEASE don't give people in trouble

money to help kill themselves! (Sorry, I'm still having trouble dealing with finding out a beloved twenty year old niece who is a heroin addict is currently prostituting herself to help pay for the habit. Giving her money is like giving her bullets for the gun....)

:cry:

[Terran]

49. Some homeless people are on drugs, yes...

in fact a great many are substance abusers. But most homeless people are families with children. There is no good reason to assume that someone begging for money will use it for an illicit purpose.

[zalinda]

55. And, there's the problem

I would gladly give to a homeless family, but you can't figure out who needs it and who doesn't. Most of the homeless families, I can only hope, go to shelters.

zalinda

[blondeatlast]

20. I agree, with a caveat--give them what they specifically ask for:

gas, a sandwich, you get the drift.

If they truly need it, it'll make your day. If they don't, they will leave you alone.

I've bought many sandwiches in my day; I've never regretted it once.

[Stirk]

30. That's not what they need. My brother was a panhandler and

I heard him talking to a friend about it once. He considered the people who gave money to be suckers, and figured they owed him the money because they had plenty of their own. They owed it to him- that's what he thought.

Of course, he used every penny of it on booze and drugs, and he didn't care.

I'll give people food or vouchers for meals at a shelter- but I'll never give a panhandler another penny.

[Cats Against Frist]

54. I don't know.

I'm fairly selective with my panhandlers. Seattle has the greediest, meanest, laziest panhandlers that I've ever had the displeasure of coming across. The worst are the kids that hang out, outside the Dick's on Capitol Hill. I was pregnant, working 40hrs a week, at a bagel store, and a girl, wearing a coat that was more valuable than my entire wardrobe, asked me for money -- and wouldn't let up. I finally told her off, one day, and decided that I was no longer going to give money to panhandling kids. I was 25, living in a flop house, and took the bus 45 minutes, every morning to sell bagels to people for an asshole who pretended to be all cool, wearing a CBGB's shirt, but was really a chauvanistic conservative fucker, and his psycho manager, who let his girlfriend leave early everyday, and do no work.

When I could no longer stand all day, I took a job pulling staples out of paper in Lynnwood -- a 1.5 hour bus ride -- and, at 4th and Union, almost every morning, a panhandler would inevitably ask me for "money for food." Of course, they wouldn't let me march into the Wendy's and buy them a egg & cheese, or something -- my friend, who works in social services, explained the reason they won't take food, is because they almost always get their food, for free. The money is for liquor or drugs, or something.

My problem is the dishonesty. I only give to panhandlers who say, straight up, "I want to get money to buy beer," or coffee, or whatever, and take whatever I want to give them, without asking for more. And, if I have time, they have to carry on a conversation with me.

The reason for this, is three-fold -- one, I think the world's resources are scarce, and that includes the quarters in my pocket. I refuse to give money to young, able-bodied people who hang out, all day, on Capitol Hill. Inside the Dick's are mostly Hispanic Immigrants, who I would guess also started with nothing, but are willing to peel 200 pounds of potatoes, a day, to take care of their families. Those panhandlers, who were fleecing me, in the morning, could have been standing down at the day laborer pick-up, with the Hispanics and the Asians, instead of breezing around Downtown Seattle. The girl outside Dick's that asked me for money, could have gotten on the bus with me, and come down to work at the microfiche place with the tens of Russian and Ukranian girls who worked there.

Also, I have a child -- a completely helpless person. In essence, all children are panhandlers, since they can't work for money. I take good care of my son, save for his future, and donate to children's causes. I also feed my son organic food, which adds another $50 a month to my grocery bill. I've also worked in social services, for slave wages, to help families and drug addicts.

A lot of the time, panhandlers have services, free meals, and halfway houses -- but they refuse them, because they usually mandate that they stay sober and take meds. I understand that most of these people are mentally ill. I also understand that the money that I give them to drink could be donated to the shelter, to help another homeless person, or family have hot meals and a place to sleep.

[kysrsoze]

85. I try to give to people who appear to really need it. Then again...

there's the fat guy outside 7-11 downtown who is ALWAYS outside waiting for a handout. He is always wearing a different, relatively decent-shaped outfit and he's obviously not starving. Another guy outside my local Walgreens ALWAYS has a new outfit on. Some of these people just don't want to work for the money and make a pretty good living. Some dude in the burbs got busted and they found out he had a family and a home which he was paying for by begging.

I'll save my cash for the blind guy in the subway tunnel who taught himself how to play a keyboard.

[LeftyMom]

86. I used to have a neighbor who panhandled

He had a nicer place than my family could manage, a decent car, his wife stayed home with thier three kids. Between his panhandling (which probably made a mint, he had a good corner right before the freeway onramp) and probably welfare and foodstamp money (since they had no verifiable income) they did pretty well for themselves.

I do give money sometimes, but after watching that guy rip people off for years I'm wary of cheats and bullshitters.

[Bluzmann57]

12. Oh yes, encountered it many times

Went to a local restaurant after work one day and a guy approached me asking for money for food and maybe if I could spare a smoke. I told him I don't smoke and only had enough cash to buy food for the family. Then he got nasty and started calling me names all the while following me across the parking lot. Someone who works at the restaurant saw this and called the cops. The people inside told me that this guy had been hanging around all day bothering people and that they had told him to leave several times. I have been to that restaurant several times since then and have never seen that guy again.

[Terran]

15. Yes, many times in many situations.

And I say, if it doesn't hurt you to give a buck or two to somebody who *may* be in need, then you should do it. It's the ethical thing to do. And no amount of saying, "They'll just spend it on drugs" will persuade me otherwise.

[Dez]

16. I agree.

I mean, you're not going to drug test panhandlers now are ya.. I give to them.. I know what it's like to be poor.

[raccoon]

17. Thanks for everybody's input. nt

[zalinda]

18. They have set up an outpost here

They take turns at this one intersection holding up signs. But then we also have a few near the mall that say "The truth is, I need a beer"

Okay, to bring it to a more personal level. My brother was one of these people. He was a smart, charming guy. He was amazing at fixing car bodies, and he also could sell anyone anything (he could look you in the eye and lie). He had 3 wives (I think) and who knows how many kids. He has had trouble with drugs and alcohol all his life (loved to party). He left his last wife and ended up on the streets. My sister ran into him as his left a liquor store. She asked him how he was doing and where he was staying. He said he sometimes stayed with friends at their apartment, but sometimes just camped out. When she asked why, he said he likes to drink, and walked away. Now, it wasn't that no one tried to help him. He still owed me $7,000. But, he got pneumonia and wouldn't go to the hospital, because he wouldn't be able to drink. He died in his sleep. I didn't cry. He wasted his life.

And when I see these people begging, I don't feel sorry for them. They really have chosen this life. They are called flyers, there was an article in the newspaper about them. They actually get pretty good money begging. They only beg for a few hours a week, and they can afford an apartment in the winter time. Begging has become a way of life for them, and they can still afford to use drugs and alcohol. Too sad.

zalinda

[Dez]

21. using substances is a way of life

and I don't think people ought to be singled out just because they might be using something.. they're still people in need.

[EFerrari]

22. That's simply untrue. Here's a link to some facts for you.

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/facts/housing.html

[Dez]

39. I know all homeless aren't druggies

that's why I don't try to distinguish if a panhandler is a druggie or not. They obviously are down and out, and I like to perform random acts of kindness.

[EFerrari]

47. Random acts of kindness are nice.

Concerted acts of coherent policy are better.

After you read up on homelessness, you might want to read up on drug addiction.

http://www.nida.nih.gov/

[4 t 4]

27. Really?????

"when I see these people begging, I don't feel sorry for them. They really have chosen this life." Do you really think anyone would choose a life like that?

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Syncronaut Seven]

80. I know well, from first hand experience, It's often personal choice.

The professionally homeless prefer the lifestyle hands down.

Unfortunately the professionals are the ones who are visible to shape the public perceptions.

The truly disadvantaged, and shit on, are almost completely invisible.

I'll buy a guy a sandwich if he looks like he needs it but I don't give money anymore.

Did you know a professional panhandler only has one or two good days a week, a good day being between $300-500? Yea, breaks my heart too.

[raccoon]

31. I've heard that about the "will work for food" people,

"They actually get pretty good money begging."

While I sympathize with people who are down and out, I'd rather not give somebody money--maybe buy food or gas for them, whatever.

As a woman, and usually in an environment such as a gas station or parking lot I'm alone, being approached by a stranger is something I'd rather not deal with, period.

[Stirk]

36. My brother sounds alot like yours, zalinda.

He had free room and board with at my parents' house, and when my father died, he set about pawning all my dad's things. Then he sold my mother's things, like the TV set. All for booze and drug money.

Then he moved to Los Angeles, because he wasn't making quite as much begging in my hometown since people were beginning to recognize him. He'd sleep on the street for weeks, then go back home for a week or two, rinse lather repeat.

I know there are alot of homeless people out there who are simply victims of our economy and it's ridiculous housing prices- but there are also alot of scam artists like my brother, who simply don't care about anyone but themselves and their habits.

I'm sorry to hear about your brother, zalinda. Mine always fills me with equal amounts of frustration, concern, and anger.

[MadHound]

38. Don't base your whole opinion of a group on your own limited experiences

I was homeless, broke, living in the streets for two years. Most of the people I met out on the streets needed the cash they got too badly for either a room or food that they couldn't afford to spend it on alcohol, even the cheap shit. Yes, there is always that dedicated cadre that are going to drink or drug their lives away. But don't use the up front vocal actions of a few in order to demonize the many.

Many many people, family friends etc who didn't really know me at the time thought that I was homeless due to a drug problem. What they failed to realize is that I was going through depression, without a support system nor finacial safety net. Thus I was out of a job and out on the streets. I rarely begged, and I wasn't touching alcohol or drugs. This is true of a great many homeless even still, most of them are having severe psychological problems, and while they seem whacked out on something, it is just their problems talking.

I'm sorry that you lost your brother, but I lost too many people like you and your sister because they took one look at what I had become, and walked away. Rather than throw money at the problem, I would hope that you tried talking to him, find out what was happening that was causing him to drink. Sounds to me like your brother had some serious things weighing him down in life, and alcohol was his way of dealing with this. If you find out the root of the problem, then you can cure the symptoms.

And remember friend, entirely too many people in this country are just a paycheck or two away from homelessness, and life in this country is starting to get entirely too tight. Exhibit some charity, for you never know when that kind of karma is going to come back on you.

[zalinda]

57. I was almost homeless twice and with a small child

I know what it is. I also got very sick. To this day, I don't know how I pulled it off, and survived. My brother knew I had little money and was raising a child by myself, but that didn't stop him from scamming $7,000 from me. My family blamed me, because didn't I know what kind of person he was. Not one of them blamed him. As for myself, I really didn't know him as I left home when he was 10 and didn't meet up again with him until he was mid 20's. I tried helping him and that's how I got scammed out of the $7,000.

He didn't have mental problems as such. He learned very early on how to be charming and to lie while looking you in the eye. We weren't aware of how much he was lying until his 3rd grade teacher asked for a parents meeting. But, my Dad adored him and let him get away with stuff he shouldn't have, and a con artist was born. He even went to the bank and took out a loan against my father's trailer. (very small town) And my Dad only found out about it after the bank called him because of a missed payment. My brother, of course, skipped town. But, Dad welcomed him back a few years later. This was his life, he took responsibility for nothing or no one. Of course, I found out about all this after he scammed me.

Oh, yeah, I was homeless off and on from the time I was 17 to 20. My mother kicked me out of the house, because I said something she didn't like. When I was 20, I ended up sleeping in a closet for about 3 months while I worked in a beer bar, trying to save money for an apartment. Then I met my husband and my life stabilized for awhile.

zalinda

[alarimer]

91. The best sign I ever saw

Was "Will take verbal abuse for small change"

I figured that was worth a buck or two.

[friesianrider]

92. With all due respect, that is completely false.

"...when I see these people begging, I don't feel sorry for them. They really have chosen this life."

Yes, some people have chosen their life. But MANY have not. MANY are a result of this shitty economy, divorces, expensive illnesses, and just hit some plain old bad luck. I have a fundie Republican relative who says this type of thing that "people who are homeless and begging are that way for a reason" ad it just makes me cringe. I have personally known people who have ended up homeless and in the streets due to no fault of their own - just literally fell on hard times and had no other choice.

Whenever faced with people in these situations, I find it is always best to err on the side of being TOO compassionate rather than not enough. Getting scammed out of $1 is better than pooh-poohing someone who really may actually need that $1 to eat today.

[DS1]

23. I picked up a dude walking through the snow on an onramp to

the Mass pike one night. He really was stranded - his "buddies" had left without him to go back to Vermont.

Since he was from Vermont, he had weed on him but we didn't have a piece to smoke it with. We eventually ended up passing the RV his friends were in and both of us pulled over. Quite a thing that, driving down the highway at 60 through the snow with a dude you don't know leaning out your window trying to wave his pals down.

I had a good laugh anyway.

/offtopic

[Ready4Change]

24. Judgement call.

I used to give without thought.

Then I encountered a guy who said "You got an ATM card? Get me some money for a sandwich." I said I'd buy him a sandwich and he said "I don't want your damned sandwich. Get me some money so I cn get my own."

Yah, right.:eyes:

Problem is, he was trying to be intimidating. Had I been a smaller or more vulnerable person the situation would have been downright frightening, rather than just an annoyance. He was crossing the line from con-man into thuggery.

So I am far more reluctant to give handouts. I usually try to sniff out the nature of the pan handler, while making sure I'm not at risk, and if I detect the risk level rising I'm outta there. Needful people generally don't do threatening things like getting closer than needed, blocking your escape path, etc...

[Catherine Vincent]

29. Had someone approached me like that, I think I would have gone

crazy on them. What nerve!

[4 t 4]

32. You know

saying "don't give them money because it hurts them-doesn't help them " is kinda like the "war on drugs" it doesn't work, so if you give them whatever you can spare,and they buy whatever they buy,and have a few moments of whatever they have in this great big miserable fucked upped world - I say good for them!!!

[Ready4Change]

82. I suspect you replied to the wrong message.

However, I don't buy/use drugs, I don't get drunk, and I don't want my money being used for that when there are other people out there who could use it for food or shelter instead.

Drugs are a luxury, if they are anything at all. Not stuff to be begging for. Otherwise I'd be a on a street corner looking for change to by my Learjet. :)

[Toucano]

35. It's happend to me several times in different parts of the country. n/t

[4 t 4]

37. I live in Chicago

...and it happens at least 8 times between the loop and home. (about 7 miles)

[pitohui]

40. i've encountered it more in the west

it's a scam, it's funny how the same people run out of gas every day

[Dez]

48. Living in Sedona

I don't see any homeless here.. but when I lived in Bellingham, Wa. I used to see them there and in Vancouver, BC.. I'd contribute when I'd get my money changed.. a few loonies, sure. Maybe they go buy some crack, or pay rent.. not for me to decide what they're going to do with it. it's a gift.

[lectrobyte]

41. Yes, all the time. If they appear harmless and not too aggressive,

I'll give them a buck or two.

[Wickerman]

42. I give when I can

You give 'em money if you want, if you don't tell him to take care and move on.

Maybe they spend the money on drugs or booze, I don't feel that my givin. a dollar or 5 allows me to dictate how they spend it. Maybe they use it find their way to a shelter, maybe they get high for the last time before they detox, maybe they take the edge off by drinking a 40, maybe they buy a sandwich.

The ones that intimidate and bully. Many of those folks have mental illness and agin, not mine to judge - if they need something and I can help, not mine to judge their need.

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

43. I live in Minneapolis & I can't tell ya how many times I've heard this

and many variations of the same story. Usually for me, they are nowhere near a gas station, just wandering in the downtown area.

Sometimes they give pretty complicated and convoluted stories... I guess they figure the more confusing their tall tale is, the more frustrated you'll get and you'll give in.

A couple of the guys I have had try the *same* routine with me days later, apparently they didn't recognize me. Of course they aren't too happy when I tell them "sorry, you already tried that with me *last* week."

Y'know, if you are asking for money, just ASK for money. Enough with the damned lies, because it really sucks for anyone who actually DOES have an emergency and is looking for help - everyone is too wary of this scheme to actually believe them.

[Mike Daniels]

44. I saw a guy outside a metro station in DC claiming to have been stranded

by his sister who reneged on her promise to pick him up. When he asked for cash I offered to buy a metro pass for the amount needed to get him home. Of course, he refused.

A week later at the same metro stop the same guy was peddling the same story to a couple of tourists. The male/husband had a $10 in his hand and was about to give it to the panhandler. I approached the couple and told them that the guy used the same exact story on me the previous week and then told them about his refusal to accept any aid other than cash.

The panhandler got really pissed and walked off. The couple couldn't thank me enough for stopping them from getting scammed.

[MadHound]

53. And you feel proud for taking bread out of this man's mouth?

Geez friend, some set of priorities you have there:eyes: Look, I understand that you make find begging distasteful, but I find your little story beyond sad. Sure, the guy was running a shuck and jive story past them, he had to since everybody and their brother now thinks that all homeless are druggies and drunkards. And here you go, queering the guy's speel, and you're proud of it, big man you are.:eyes:

Look friend, virtually all of the homeless in this country don't want to be in that position. The majority of them, contrary to popular myths, aren't drunkards or drug addicts. Many, if not most, are mentally ill, thanks to a quarter century's worth of cutting aid to help these people. And most are simply down and out on their luck, and trying to get by anyway they can without breaking the law, and many times this means resorting to begging.

Yep, a big man you are. Take ten bucks out of a homeless man's hands, which means that for a day he could have had shelter and food. And you took that away. Still feeling like a big man?

[zalinda]

58. Sorry to burst your bubble

but many of these people aren't homeless, they're lazy. They have found their job, begging. Many of these people live in apartments, and have found this is the greatest way to make a living. There have been many articles about these people. Some of these people have bragged that they can easily make $200 a day in just a few hours.

The sad part is that truly homeless people are usually too pround to beg and usually starve or find another way around begging. Some are even too pround to go to welfare.

zalinda

[MadHound]

62. And you know this how?

Besides reading "many articles about these people". Most of these articles are BS slam pieces that have been written at an ever increasing rate in order to demonize the homeless.

Not only have I been homeless, but I've done loads of volunteer work for them for over six years. And I have yet to hear about, much less meet one of these fabled con artists who are pulling down $200.00 in just a few hours. Not saying that it doesn't happen, but I know it happens a whole hell of lot less times than these articles claim.

It just blows me away the kind of demonization of the homeless that I'm seeing on a liberal website. These folks have enough problems as is, they don't need anybody else coming down on them.

[zalinda]

70. It's not the homeless, it's the scam artists

that's the problem. So many people have been scammed that when a real homeless person needs help, they are turned away.

I'm sorry, but the piece in our paper wasn't a slam piece. They interviewed the people who were begging at the freeway ramps. The are called "flyers". They sleep outside during the summer and pay for apartments during the winter. They have chosen this life. They say they are free and can do what they want. The guys at the freeway ramp near my post office start at 4 and stop at 6. There is usually 2 or 3 guys and they switch off so no one has to stand for a long period of time. There is probably a group of about 10 or so, and you see the guy wearing the Fubu jacket only about once a week. They are all clean and are actually wearing clothes that cost more than what I wear. I've seen them refuse food and leave coins on the ground when they accidently dropped them.

Sorry, you don't like it, but these type of people harden peoples hearts. I've helped people, and even helped a woman who knocked on my door who said she ran out of gas. She was even holding a gas can. Too bad, she came back the following week with the same story. And, then I started to have other people come to my door asking for money. When I stopped giving out money, guess what, I stopped getting people at my door asking for money.

zalinda

[MadHound]

77. So you are judging an entire group

And basing your actions on what less than ten percent of the entire group do? Generalize much?

Sorry, but I find that kind of thinking, that kind of generalization abhorent. Sure, stay away from the obvious scam artists, but don't let these few bad people, or the serious anti-homeless spin put out by the media blind you to the reality of the situation. God knows, in Bush's economy you too could be out on the streets in short order. And karma quite frankly is a bitch.

[zalinda]

84. Well, apparently you never really read

any of my posts on this thread. I've been homeless, and almost homeless with a small child. I'm poor and have been poor my whole life. Do not presume to know about my values, and give me a lecture. I am not stupid, but apparently anyone who disagrees with you, you consider less than competent.

Most of the "homeless" people I have met have been scam artists. These are the people that go out and interact with the public, pretending to be those who are most in need. Most homeless do not put themselves out there to be pitied, or to be thought less of. I've had some of the homeless come to my house and do work for me, as they mainly wanted to keep their pride. I live in the city in a very mixed neighborhood. I see and meet all kinds of people. I've hired them to cut grass, when my son could do it, and to shovel snow, again, my son's chore.

There are scam artists and there are homeless, they are not the same thing. But I guess, anyone who says they are homeless I should automatically believe, and give them what little money I have. If you work with the homeless then you know, that the last thing that they would ever want to do is beg. They have their pride, I know, I've been there. Not one truly homeless that I've met would ever beg month after month, year after year.

And thank you for your kind wishes for me to become homeless, you are a true "liberal".

zalinda

[Mike Daniels]

69. Get off your freaking high horse before you attempt to lecture me

First, you don't know if they guy was homeless or not so you are making one major assumption as to his actual need.

This individual had an elaborate story all the way down to certain details that wouldn't be known by someone who didn't have the personal means to get around the greater DC area. Sorry, but no way does someone who's struggling to survive have the time to research what was in this guy's story.

Further, had I been wrong and if he had been a legitimate "in need-er" I imagine that at the point I called BS on the scam he would have come clean with me in an attempt to at least get some sort of of payoff vs. getting nothing at all which is what he ended up settling for in the end.

The guy was running an obvious scam and yeah, I am proud of keeping some dishonest lying jackass from scamming some tourists out of a significant amount of money.

But, I guess it's acceptable in your world for someone to be tricked out of their money by someone running a con. Please spare me your moral outrage in the future.

[MadHound]

73. And did you ever consider why this fellow

Was running such a scam? No, of course not, you've never walked in those shoes, so you automatically assume(and you know what they say about ass-u-me, don't you), that since he was running a scam, he must not be in need, and indeed must be some sort of nefarious character out to rip off tourists and such like.

Having been homeless at one point in my life, and having lived the life, let me tell you something, if you're begging you had better damn well have some sort of shuck and jive story in your back pocket, because in this cold cruel world, the simplest, most heartfelt of pleas, "I need food" often goes unanswered. A sad commentary on our society is that a man makes the honest plea out of hunger, and gets rebuffed. Therefore, in order to live, he has to resort to a "scam", some sort of sad sack story in order to get his daily bread. For you see, the general public will respond more favorably to somebody they consider their peer who is down on their luck than they will to somebody who they consider beneath them, homeless.

And no, I won't get down off my high horse. You display no empathy, no pity, you don't and won't put yourself in this man's place. Instead, rather than leaving the man to go his way and you go yours, you instead actively work against this man, and take bread from his mouth, and a roof from over his head. All over ten fucking dollars. Gee, do you put even a modicum of this kind of effort into flushing out the corruption and real life scams going on in your town? Or is that too much trouble for you, and besides, it would be bothering the beautiful people too much:eyes:

Look friend, there are many many people running real life scams out there that are much more harmful than a homeless guy. Why don't you try reigning those in rather than dealing with the penny-ante sob stories of one of the most defenseless in our society, a homeless man?
And I've got a suggestion for you. Before you make any other such assinine moves and steal the bread from other homeless, try walking in their shoes for awhile. Leave your comfy cozy home and live out on the streets for awhile with just your wits. I'd be willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that you wouldn't last two weeks before you were pulling out the same sort of sob story, just to get a meal a day.

[Mike Daniels]

74. Whatever.

You go on believing what you want to believe.

I know I did the right thing by keeping a non-homeless con artist from taking advantage of some tourists.

[MadHound]

79. So now you're claiming this guy was not homeless

Got anything to back that up with? Or are you simply ass-u-me-ing again? Sounds like the latter.

But hey, just keep right on hassling the poor, the defenseless. Makes you feel like a big man eh? But just remember that especially in Bushco's economy, people can become homeless real damn quick, and you too could find yourself cold, alone and out on the streets.

And remember that karma is a bitch friend, especially when you seem to need it the most.

PS, one little stat for you, 25% of the homeless population are children, or do you think that they're going to scam you too:eyes:

[NeoTraitors]

89. Madhound, I really appreciate your posts in this thread.

NOBODY, ever became successful without a little help somewhere along the way. Help people. It will make you feel better and might be the catalyst to getting a person back on their feet.

I know that the chimp and the corporations are out to screw us. IF a panhandler is too, well that is pretty small potatoes.

Use your instincts. If a guy is pulling a fast one, tell him to take a hike. But if a person seems sincere, don't be a cynic. The only time I refuse to help someone who seems genuine is when my pockets are literally empty.

[Alexander]

93. Don't you know what a scam is?

If I ask you "I need some money, could you give it to me please?", that is no scam.

If I ask "Hey, my car broke down, my wife left me, my boss fired me, and I'm out on the street, I could use any penny you could spare..." when that is not the case, THAT is a scam.

What this guy did was he tried to scam a couple out of money. He may have been homeless, he may not have been. We'll never know. But he clearly lied to get money. Do you deny this?

So if you're saying he COULD be homeless, let's consider that for a second. Imagine you're homeless (probably not a hard thing to imagine, based on your posts). You need every penny you can get. Are you going to outright lie to people to get money, with fake sob stories? Or are you going to tell them the truth? Which do you think will earn you both money and the good "karma" that you mentioned?

Yes, karma IS a bitch, and when you lie your ass off to make money, and get caught doing it, don't expect others to have sympathy for you.

[lynne]

88. My husband worked in DC for years -

- and he was always being approached for money. He had a rule that he would take them to a street vendor and buy them a hotdog, chips and a soda but that was it. No cash as they use it for liquor or dope and not food.

[Zorra]

45. One thing about living in a "third world" country - no Social Security.

So when I walk the streets of a "third world" city, there are always severely handicapped (like people with no legs) or very old folks that are asking for help. They have no other way to survive. I always give these folks money, and think about how difficult it would be to be in their shoes.

I wanted to bring this up because we are facing the reality that republicans will be relentlessly working on eliminating Social Security in the US.

After seeing the reality of what the severely handicapped and elderly must go through to survive in the "third world", IMO we must go on the offensive protect Social Security from the republicans at all cost.

Making it "common knowledge" that republicans want to eliminate Social Security and that they must be voted out of office will go a long way toward preventing the loss of the Social Security program in the US.

As far as scammer/addicts go, I give them cans of tuna.

The disappointed, disgusted look on the faces of the scammers when I hand them the tuna is priceless. Truly needy folks would be happy to get some food.

[MsTryska]

71. don't let the 3rd world beggars fool you.....

there's quite a few scammers in that lot too.

:shrug:

just sayin'.



not everywhere - but in Delhi or Bombay - be wary.

while one's scamming you by making you feel sorry for his stumps, his kid will be picking your pockets clean.

[maxsolomon]

46. my panhandling story:

i was riding my bike in south seattle, about 8 miles from my apt. i go over a bump, feel the bike dragging, look down, and the frame is busted!

of course i am an idiot, and didn't even have a quarter to make a phone call, so i ask a nice couple walking towards me. the guy got disgusted like i was a scammer who took the time to dress up in biking shorts, helmet & gloves so i could bum spare change in a park miles from the nearest liquor store. "we even get hassled in the park!", he said.

it was so patently absurd that his wife talked him down & they gave me a quarter.

yea, humanity!

[4 t 4]

50. Yea

Isn't humanity swell?

[Eric J in MN]

51. Yes (nt)

nt

[4 t 4]

52. so sorry

you guys are sooooooooooo mean to the newbies- when you talk you never say yea you always say yes?

[Eric J in MN]

75. The word "Yes" was in response to the orignal post, not

in response to you.

[Walt Starr]

56. In big cities with mass transportation, they hang around train stations

begging money for train tickets.

[Lannes]

59. In NYC many are mentally ill

When they let them many of them out of the state institutions in the 70s because of all the abuse.They were supposed to put them in a smaller,more efficient,compassionate environment.But for the most part the govt never followed through with it and they ended up on the street.

Some are mentally ill and on drugs.Some are just mentally ill and are trying to survive like other homeless,some homeless are just down on their luck.Some are just trying to scam people.Its hard to tell the difference

So like I said before,if they arent agressive Ill try to help them out if I can.

[Javaman]

60. Give food not money...

I used to give out money until a friend of mine who had a sister that was a big time alcoholic and would go homeless from time to time on a binge.

He told me never to give out money because they just go out and either get beer or some sort of other alcohol or drugs.

The bigger problem is they never eat.

I will and have gone out of my way to get them a real meal not just an apple but a full square.

They are usually really thankful and very surprised that I did this.

They all have hard luck stories, otherwise they wouldn't be homeless, however some are honest and some just want a fix. Try and tell them apart sometime. But they all need to eat.

I keep a case of water in my car and hand them out at intersections that are panhandling from. They are more thankful for the water than money sometimes.

[Zhade]

61. Happens all the time here in Los Angeles.

Seeing how I live near Santa Monica, the "home of the homeless", I'm used to it.

I always give, and I don't care what they spend it on. Charity and compassion aren't supposed to be conditional, IMHO. If they need a bottle of wine to get through a cold night, whatever.

I almost always hear "god bless you" or the like for doing what I feel a decent person should do - help their fellow human beings. I always say "atheist, but thanks".

Ironically, I've known self-professed Christians who refuse to even give pocket change. (Not that I'm saying I'm better than them, just that I find it interesting that they profess to worship their Jesus but fail to follow his purported teachings.)

[lonestarnot]

63. These are desperate times and are going to get worse!

[Kraklen]

64. I let my chauffeur attend to my automobile's care.

You know, the jaguar, with the sunroof and the refridgerated cup holders and room for a pony.

I will not allow myself to be seen associated with such degenerates as the lower classes.

[Mutley]

65. I live in Baltimore and I am approached by these guys all the time.

If I have the money, I give it to them. Maybe they'll just go spend it on booze or drugs, but I give it to them anyway, because they might actually want something to eat.

[area51]

66. Food

I'll give them food if they'll take it, but I don't want to give money.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

67. I have real mixed feelings about this

When I worked with street kids, I knew that some of them panhandled for money for drugs or for tattoos or to go out clubbing. They could eat at the drop-in centers, no questions asked, and stay at the youth shelters. There were plenty who got by without panhandling, working in fast food or retail, and they were part of the 1/3 who typically made it off the streets. (The rest ended up dead or in prison before the age of 25.) The kids who had jobs continued to eat their main meal at the drop-in center, because there was no way they could make it to the end of the month otherwise, even when sharing an apartment with a friend.

If I had money when approached by a panhandler, I offered to buy food or put the money in the fare box for them or make the phone call and hand them the receiver. I got one of two reactions: "Oh, yes, thank you!" or some elaborate and phony sounding reason why that offer wouldn't work. I also carried meal cards from a place called Sisters of the Road, which provides a highly-regarded lunch for $1.25, two hours of work, or a donated meal card. Those who were really hungry were always delighted to get a Sisters of the Road card.

There are a lot of meal programs in downtown Portland, and they stop serving at 7PM. If you're waiting for a bus or train at that time, you're going to be accosted by panhandlers, sometimes three or four in a row, all claiming to be starving. Once a fellow was making the rounds of the bus shelter when another homeless man came by and said, "Don't give to him. He just had dinner, and he's a crack addict."

One thing that really angered me was seeing people use their kids as props for panhandling or send their kids out to beg. There was a well-dressed young woman in downtown Portland who walked around in the evening hours with three children under seven, asking for money to buy a Happy Meal. She always had a different story, although I suspect that the real story was that the father of those children, who all looked alike, was sending her out to beg. I reported her to children's services, because it was not right to make those kids spend their evenings walking up and down the streets of downtown.

I currently volunteer in two meal programs at my church here in Minneapolis, one of which is for youth. Not all the people who come are homeless--some appear to be surviving on disability. We're also seeing more and more people who look as if they've fallen through the cracks very recently.

[MsTryska]

68. yup....never ran across this in NYC

but in Atlanta it happens every once in a while at the gas stations in town.


my experience was in town, after clubbing. we saw some guy looking all dejected in his car, saying soemone stole his wallet and he couldn't get back to wherever. My roommate put $5 worth of gas in his car and paid by credit, and we left.

the latest con i've seen is homeless guys with hospital wristbands claimign they've jut been released from this that or the other place, and need money to get their meds, get home, get food, blah blah blah.


I gave one of those guys a pack f trailmix and warned him about the raisins one night. (he claimed he was diabetic and needed the money to get his meds - just until his mom Western Unioned him some money int he morning.)

[Ariana Celeste]

72. Normal where I come from. And I didn't mind at all.

Tacoma, WA.

If I had cash, I would give some cash. If I had change, I would give some change. If I had food, I would give some food. If I had cigarettes, I would give cigarettes. Many of the homeless men I have come across appreciated a few smokes and a pack of matches more than a handful of change.

There was one man that asked me for some change to buy a beer, and I gladly gave it to him. I don't care if they are going to buy liquor, I don't care if they want to get high. If I were homeless I'm sure I would love to get nice and buzzed. Better than cold, lonely, and feeling like shit.

I may live in a decent apartment, my husband works and we live fairly nicely under his paycheck, but I don't think of myself so highly that I would look down on somebody less fortunate who would want to get buzzed to make their miserable nights go by a little nicer. I don't see any difference between a homeless person getting a buzz and a middle class suburbanite getting buzzed- except for the fact being Joe Suburbanite has a nice warm home to get trashed in.

Some people are scam artists. And so I may have given change, food, smokes, etc to people who didn't really need it. But the fact that I have given to people is what matters to me. That I have given to at least a few that really did need it and appreciate it. Who the hell cares what they do with it, I gave them at least a minute amount of comfort.

[eissa]

76. Common in my area

Have been to about 3 different gas stations where I was approached by people saying something about "being stranded." Scam.

[ceile]

78. Try everyday

In Austin they're at gas stations and every intersection on the roads. On the streets downtown and near the UT campus. I really have no opinion on it. If they can get by, let 'em do it.

[Spirochete]

81. I had it happen oputside of Winco

a couple of months ago. She was just getting into her story about getting stranded with an empty gas tank, and working up a couple tears, when a woman came out of the store (another customer, not an employee) and said "leave him alone!" The panhandler said "I wasn't talking to you", and the customer took out a cell phone, and asked "maybe we should see if the police can help you out?". The panhandler walked away.

[lynne]

87. Had this happen about 3 weeks ago to me -

- in Northern VA. Was filling up at a gas station. A car with a man and woman pulled up. The man got out, approached me and asked if I would "lend him a hand". Silly me, I thought he had a problem like he couldn't get his gas cap off or couldn't see to read the instructions on the pump so I said "Yes", I'd help him.

He then said he was out of work and was out looking for a job and needed gas. I told him I didn't have any cash. He then went to the lady gassing her car behind me and asked if she'd fill up his tank with her ATM card.

I was stunned and at first felt guilty and actually went to my purse to look for a few dollars. Then I began to think about it and it didn't add up. #1: jobs are plentiful in my area, there is absolutely no reason why anyone wanting to work and capable of doing so doesn't have a job. #2: Why would you take someone else with you when you're out looking for a job? #3: How stupid is it to need gas and drive from station to station trying to beg gas? How long before you're going to be stuck on the side of the road on empty?

I wondered if it could be a scam to try to get my ATM number or something. Hate to be so suspicious of people but his lousy story just didn't add up.

[alarimer]

90. That's a common scam

I've gotten it myself.