Do you give to beggars or pan handlers?

[Debbie]

Just curious to see what others think.

Auckland in New Zealand is considering a beggar ban bylaw.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10894464

Is there a problem with beggars where you live?

Do you give to beggars?

Would you support a beggar ban bylaw?

 

[Wings]

I work downtown Minneapolis and there are a lot of "begging-type" people around. I don't normally hand anything out but I do carry the local shelter's card, they do meals and beds and have plenty to go around so I just try to spread that word.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Plenty of beggars....I give them food, blankets, clothes and occasionally some green, never cash.

 

[koalabear]

No beggars around here, everyone is employed.

 

[MNGuy]

I work near downtown St. Paul, and I call the cops on them. Where I work, they are very aggressive, especially towards the elderly, and we have two future inmates that are about 10 and 12 that try to pass it off they are looking for donations to their sports team.

What bugs me is the suburbanites, who don't know the neighborhood, and get to hear gunfire at night, give them money and think they are actually helping them.

Years ago, when I worked retail in a rougher neighborhood, we had a woman trying to return baby formula bought with a WIC check for cash so she could get cigarettes and booze. I wouldn't do it, and when she left, the suburban mom who was next in line asked what that was all about. She was aghast when I explained, then offered her solution, "We need to give them more money."

 

[BotanyBoy]

I work near downtown St. Paul, and I call the cops on them. Where I work, they are very aggressive, especially towards the elderly, and we have two future inmates that are about 10 and 12 that try to pass it off they are looking for donations to their sports team.

What bugs me is the suburbanites, who don't know the neighborhood, and get to hear gunfire at night, give them money and think they are actually helping them.

Years ago, when I worked retail in a rougher neighborhood, we had a woman trying to return baby formula bought with a WIC check for cash so she could get cigarettes and booze. I wouldn't do it, and when she left, the suburban mom who was next in line asked what that was all about. She was aghast when I explained, then offered her solution, "We need to give them more money."

That's why I never give cash. Some chow and a blanket I can do but no cash.

 

[LJ_Reloaded]

Just curious to see what others think.

Auckland in New Zealand is considering a beggar ban bylaw.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10894464

Is there a problem with beggars where you live?

Do you give to beggars?

Would you support a beggar ban bylaw?

I don't support such a law. I give them food and clothes. My wife and I still got TONS of old clothes I started replacing when it dawned on me, "Hey, we've got money". And more tons of food from our garden.

 

[kbate]

The worst of beggers are the Firefighters who stand at intersections holding out their boots for alms. I can't stand that and never give them anything, fuck's sake they're a legitimate volunteer fire department, send me something in the mail and I'll send a cheque but don't stand around pulling the "begger scam" at intersections.

 

[IrezumiKiss]

Nope. Other people here do, I quit ages ago after having my spare change thrown back at me by a lunatic.

For serial career beggars, you can actually collect a good amount of money here, urban legends abound on people making $300 a day or some shit like that and it makes it sound like easy peasy takings...but you really have to be living that life and know this city intimately on the streets to see that sort of bank from begging. You just can't throw on rags, smudge coal on your cheeks and hold your hand out.

On my main subway line and others, there's a lot of bummy late-to-the-scene hipsters who try to beg, since discovering how expensive it really is to live here and experiencing their own built-in mediocrity getting them nowhere fast. A few weeks ago I got three on the same train in a row, all within maybe two or three minutes of each other. Two of them had virtually identical sob stories. That was hysterical.

 

[bronzeage]

No. I used to be compassionate and giving when I lived in the suburbs.

Now, I live in an urban neighborhood and I know the panhandlers and beggars. Whatever their problems maybe, neither I, nor my money can help them, and they are bad for business. Giving them money costs me more than the couple of bills I could spare.

I've never had to explain it twice to any of them.

 

[VaticanAssassin]

I volunteer at HFH one Saturday a month and my wife is in some womens league volunteer program. Our clothes and kids toys go to goodwill. Seems I always have a box of something I was suppose to drop off in my trunk....

I once showed up at the golf course only to find my clubs had been removed by my wife to be replaced by good will boxes.....yep, first world problems.

I rarely have small bills or change, but if I do I will give it to a honest bum. A funny sign or gimmick may get them a 10 or 20 spot.

I detest people with stupid scams. The worst being the I ran out of gas and need gas money while I am stuck at the pump. I will not give them a dollar. Once has a guy threaten me that something may happen to my car if I did not give him something. It did not end well for him.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Two of them had virtually identical sob stories. That was hysterical.

There is a chick in Austin who has been "pregnant and needing help" for like 5 fucking years....if you ever wind up in that shit hole don't be fooled, it's a beer gut.

I did see a one legged guy holding a sign that said "On my last leg"....I gave hims some money just for the lulz.

 

[VaticanAssassin]

There is a chick in Austin who has been "pregnant and needing help" for like 5 fucking years.

I did see a one legged guy holding a sign that said "On my last leg"....I gave hims some money just for the lulz.

A bum with a dog gets me as well. If I have time I always go buy dog food and give it to him. Seattle bums have the best signs I have seen. They get funny.


A bum wearing fatigues with patches he did not earn will get nothing but a boot. I have a tower of power. It was not easy. Fuck him thinking he can wear it.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I don't mind contributing to volunteer firemen (I was one 40 years ago), but they wander over here from the stix to collect alms, and I pay lotsa taxes for the municipal fire dept that serves me.

 

[beetlebum]

there's tons around the area of my work. although i never have cash on me, so it is always food, cigarettes or clothes.

just the other day, i was walking out of a market where i had just bought some hummus, chips and bottle of pellegrino to have for lunch, when a beggar came up to me asking me for change to buy food; i asked him if he liked hummus, the guy gave me a look that i could only interpret as "dude, i'm hungry, i don't give a fuck WHAT you give me!", so i just handed him the bag and told him to enjoy.

hope he liked it, because i REALLY wanted to eat that fucking hummus.

 

[BotanyBoy]

A bum with a dog gets me as well. If I have time I always go buy dog food and give it to him. Seattle bums have the best signs I have seen. They get funny.


A bum wearing fatigues with patches he did not earn will get nothing but a boot. I have a tower of power. It was not easy. Fuck him thinking he can wear it.

Yea.

Dude the "Disabled vet" bit chaps my tit's something fierce.

Too lazy to fill out VA paperwork? TFB....0 fucks given bro!!

 

[lovecraft68]

I'll give a couple of dollars.

There's one girl that I see all the time on the same corner around lunch time and I've bought her food a few times.

she panhandles to try to get enough for a room that charges by the night. Last month my daughter was going to throw out a couple of pairs of sneakers and some clothes and I gave them to the girl I thought she was going to cry and I've seen her wearing the shoes and clothes since.

Whenever I see these people it makes me want to punch the next person that tells me how are economy is rebounding so nicely.


Now I have a question within this question.

When the beggar says "god bless you" as most do, do you think they mean it or its what they think we want to hear?

I love the look on their faces when I tell them god is dead to me.

 

[Debbie]

Now I have a question within this question.

When the beggar says "god bless you" as most do, do you think they mean it or its what they think we want to hear?

I love the look on their faces when I tell them god is dead to me.

I wonder if some of them say it because they have little else to give than a thank you or a God bless you.
Or perhaps because they are believers.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Now I have a question within this question.

When the beggar says "god bless you" as most do, do you think they mean it or its what they think we want to hear?

I love the look on their faces when I tell them god is dead to me.

Depends...

When I lived in the south with Americas beer swilling retard population I think most of them really mean it. KY,GA,TX,NC...yea...JEEZUZ N' GAWD ALLMITAHHH!!!! on every street corner. I think the rest say it there b/c it's customary more than anything. Fucking bible belt

West cost? I don't even really hear it that much...most people just say "Thank you" and leave "GAWD ALLMIGHTAHHH!!!" out of it...

 

[Aquagal]

I've never seen a beggar here, I don't think they'd fare through winter well.

The saddest beggars I ever came across was in Paris. Whole families camped on their square of blanket, parents stoned and begging, kids made to not stray from the blanket.

 

[MissMaidenMinx]

I give when I think the person is genuine or simply nice.
I went through a rough patch when I was a teenager and begged for a month or so, so I feel kind of obligated to give on occasion.

Last person I gave to is a guy in the city who sells his amazingly shitty poems. He's got some sort of disability. He's been at it for 17 years that I know of and is a nice guy.
The person before that was a chick that had a chat with me about my son. She asked me for nothing but as I was wandering away she asked a guy for spare change and he.abused her. I went back and gave her all the change in my coin purse. She was quite grateful.

 

[Pairaclities]

there's tons around the area of my work. although i never have cash on me, so it is always food, cigarettes or clothes.

just the other day, i was walking out of a market where i had just bought some hummus, chips and bottle of pellegrino to have for lunch, when a beggar came up to me asking me for change to buy food; i asked him if he liked hummus, the guy gave me a look that i could only interpret as "dude, i'm hungry, i don't give a fuck WHAT you give me!", so i just handed him the bag and told him to enjoy.

hope he liked it, because i REALLY wanted to eat that fucking hummus.

Just last week I came out of a 5 Guys hamburger place with a bag of 3 loaded burgers and sides.
There was a rough looking character sitting on the sidewalk and he looked at the bag I was carrying and said: "I haven't eaten in 2 days".
I said "I wish I had your willpower" as I got in my truck.

 

[pointless]

if i have a buck or a cig to spare i'll give it up. if i don't i won't. it's no big deal, really. hell, i gave a dude a buck last thursday because he asked and i had one to spare. for all i know he mingled it a few more bummed dollars to buy crack and if he did whatever, man. hope he had fun.

 

[pink]

I saw one the other day. We rarely see them here, our town is pretty small. It was so sad, I started crying because I couldn't help him. I was broke myself. It just broke my heart.

 

[Wings]

there's tons around the area of my work. although i never have cash on me, so it is always food, cigarettes or clothes.

just the other day, i was walking out of a market where i had just bought some hummus, chips and bottle of pellegrino to have for lunch, when a beggar came up to me asking me for change to buy food; i asked him if he liked hummus, the guy gave me a look that i could only interpret as "dude, i'm hungry, i don't give a fuck WHAT you give me!", so i just handed him the bag and told him to enjoy.

hope he liked it, because i REALLY wanted to eat that fucking hummus.