Treatment Towards Beggar - Page 11

The X-Factor · #**101** 12-04-2006, 03:50 PM

El D's story reminded me of a time when I first started driving. I was going down the street in my 79 Chevy Impala and this bum was trying to hitch a ride and I pulled up and rolled the window down just a bit and asked him if he was tired of walking. He replied with "yeah buddy, I sure am" Then I looked at him and said that sucks why dont you run a while and pulled away.

SteppingRazor · #**102** 12-04-2006, 04:14 PM

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El D's story reminded me of a time when I first started driving. I was going down the street in my 79 Chevy Impala and this bum was trying to hitch a ride and I pulled up and rolled the window down just a bit and asked him if he was tired of walking. He replied with "yeah buddy, I sure am" Then I looked at him and said that sucks why dont you run a while and pulled away.

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Dude you are meaner than Patrick Bateman.

I've never had a bum ask money from me, i must look like a bum.

entertainme · #**103** 12-04-2006, 04:45 PM

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Also, in some third world countries by encouraging this you really hurt the kids. Their minders will chop off a hand so the kid will be more successful at begging.

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If this is the kind of story you need to tell yourself to keep from feeling guilty for not giving beggar kids money, then so be it. However, this sounds much more like an urban legend than anything.

In the US, the urban legends is that all bums are making thousands of dollars a day, live in the suburbs, and drive SUVs. In the third world, the bums are so poor that they are apparently having their appendages cut off so that they can make more money.

It's amazing what some people will believe.

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Call CNN crazy then too.

I never said it was a common occurrence, just that it does in fact happen.

I have no need to "tell myself stories" to "keep from feeling guilty." I strongly believe in personal charity. However, street giving is the wrong way to go about it.

By making children begging profitable you keep them from getting an education. You make them tools for others to exploit.

Give generously, but do it wisely.

The Poker Mom

Warik · #**104** 12-04-2006, 09:16 PM

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If a homeless beggar comes up to you and begs for money do you give him any money? If so, why and how much? If not, why not? Same situation, but beggar is not actively begging. Said homeless person is sitting up against a building on the curb shaking a cup. What do you then? Give him something? Walk by?

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First time: "No, sorry."

Second time:

Homer · #**105** 12-04-2006, 09:33 PM

I guess I'll be the first to agree with NT! and say that I'm also a stubborn bastard. I realize that a simple "Sorry, man" will probably work but just don't care. If I knew for sure the bum needed the money for food I might consider giving it, but I'm sure most of the time it's for whatever their crutch is. I'd rather give money to a reputable charity, if anything.

SteppingRazor · #**106** 12-04-2006, 09:58 PM

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Also, in some third world countries by encouraging this you really hurt the kids. Their minders will chop off a hand so the kid will be more successful at begging.

[/ QUOTE ]

If this is the kind of story you need to tell yourself to keep from feeling guilty for not giving beggar kids money, then so be it. However, this sounds much more like an urban legend than anything.

In the US, the urban legends is that all bums are making thousands of dollars a day, live in the suburbs, and drive SUVs. In the third world, the bums are so poor that they are apparently having their appendages cut off so that they can make more money.

It's amazing what some people will believe.

[/ QUOTE ]

Call CNN crazy then too.

I never said it was a common occurrence, just that it does in fact happen.

I have no need to "tell myself stories" to "keep from feeling guilty." I strongly believe in personal charity. However, street giving is the wrong way to go about it.

By making children begging profitable you keep them from getting an education. You make them tools for others to exploit.

Give generously, but do it wisely.

The Poker Mom

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Jesus christ that's horrible, i never believed Anurag Diksh*t would do such a terrible thing.
But now that he's out of the US market he gotta make his money somehow.

hawk59 · #**107** 12-04-2006, 10:56 PM

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making eye contact is perfectly fine, but you have to say something if you do, otherwise they will hastle you. i lived in nyc for several years and found that the easiest thing for me is to just acknowledge them and say something like sorry, or no change.

they won't hastle you if you acknowledge them and say that you aren't going to give them anything. you don't need to yell at anyone. generally if you treat them respectfully like a human being they will treat you the same.

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they'll hassle you if you look like the kinda shook ass white boy who will give them some money. the more you respect or acknowledge them the more they're going to bother you.

your approach is retarded and you're wrong.

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you realize that pretty much every homeless person is certifiably insane?

iversonian · #**108** 12-04-2006, 11:36 PM

1 year, 4 months in SF -- $0.00 given to panhandlers.

wrongarm300 · #**109** 12-05-2006, 01:04 AM

I use to give my spare change to anyone that asks, I just hated saying no, one story ruined that. My dad was on his way into a grocery store when he was approached by a man asking for any change that could be afforded. Dad told him that he wasn't sure how much the groceries were going to be, but he promised this man that if he had any extra change left on his way out, he'd let this man have it.

While checking out, my pops asked for change for his last twenty so he could give that guy a couple bucks. The manager of the store happened to be standing nearby and heard this. He immediately comes over and explains to my dad that he would not give that guy a penny. Seems the manager went out one afternoon and told this 'beggar' that he would offer him a job stocking shelves/bagging groceries. The beggar looked him straight in the eye and said "are you nuts? I make more money sitting out here then you do in there busting your ass, why in the world would I want to take a pay cut?"

I have never and will never give another person a penny

rory · #**110** 12-05-2006, 05:40 PM

There are some guys I walk by every day so they are a part of my environment and so I give them change most of the time if I have it on me and I'm not in a big hurry. We wind up having an understanding after a while where they just go "Hey man" and I say "how you doing" to them if I'm just walking by or I stop and give them some change and say its friggin cold or whatever keep warm and have a nice day. I treat them like they are a human but not because I am really concerned about them, because really, I'm not. If they died it wouldn't really matter to me, but at the same time I hope they don't die. They always sit in the same spot so I have my change ready. It takes like two seconds. It costs me like $5 a week. It makes me feel good. I can't imagine having someone acknowledge they are a person even for two seconds makes them not feel good. If they get drunk or buy drugs or buy food on my dime, who cares?

Sometimes there are more aggressive people and I just ignore them. I also ignore people who I feel are particularly shady. I don't want to reward behaviour that I think is inappropriate even if they can't help it. I also don't like to give my change to people that are inappropriate or aggressive because if there are other people down the street I won't have any to give to the person that acts more calmly or is less aggressive.

If you are unsympathetic to them, I think it is probably because you have never seen people you care about spiral downards and get in a bad way. Those people on the street used to be regular people and for whatever reason they got addicted to drugs or alcohol or lost their minds and now they have nowhere to go. It's not like people start out life strung out or crazy. The public mental health system really sucks in a lot of cities and turn sick people out on the streets who really need help because they have no money. You or I are just a neurotransmitter receptor dysfunction away from being those people in the streets.

Sometimes they are pleasant-- there is one guy who just opens the door at the convenience store for everyone and doesn't even ask for money. Boston has a newspaper that the homeless people distribute called "Spare Change" which costs a buck.

We also have our share of young kids with purple hair and tattoos with new boots on begging for change. I ignore them. If you can afford Manic Panic you don't need my buck. I'd rather give my buck to the guy down the street suffering from the shakes so he can get a drink. Also I generally don't give to people who have a sob story, I have a family and three kids and blah blah blah. Just don't explain why or tell the truth, don't lie.

There was one guy I gave 5 bucks to because he had a good sign. It said, "Wife and kids kidnapped by ninjas. Need money for martial arts training to rescue them." I appreciate cleverness.