How my stance on panhandlers changed, if just for one day.

[IggyWH]

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I have difficulty coming up with a definition of "bum" that wouldn't come very close to describing me or other poker players I know.

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It's pretty easy.. I pay taxes and support our economy by buying [censored], they don't.

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One would think this quite valid point was enough, but apparently it isn't.

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I really don't think so. That money wasn't created by work - it was always there. As such, it was *always* available to be spent on goods and services. Even if it were gambled away in a casino, that money would get re-distributed to the casino owners/stockholders/what have you and come back into the economy.

Taxes don't enter into it. Although I guess if you're comparing a poker player who makes $50,000 a year to a bum who makes $50,000 in quarters and $1s in non-income, then yes, the poker player is ostensibly contributing more.

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How about the fact that there are many professional poker players supporting their families through poker, using the money they get from poker for charity whereas there aren't many bums that support families or do charity work.

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You can pretty much say the same thing about drug dealers, prostitutes and any other shady profession.

[HP]

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I have difficulty coming up with a definition of "bum" that wouldn'You can pretty much say the same thing about drug dealers, prostitutes and any other shady profession.

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I was about to say the same thing. What if we are talking about a drug dealer who pays taxes, and supports the economy by buying stuff with his winnings?

To make it worse in my case, I don't pay tax (don't live in America). The only way I can seperate myself from a drug dealer, is what I'm doing is legal (I think. Haven't looked into it really, as it wouldn't stop me from doing it). And whether something is legal or not doesn't change how I feel about it in terms of right/wrong

And IMO this is relevant to the thread, as the fact I play poker for a living directly impacts how I feel about charity

I've basically concluded I'm a leach on society. This makes me feel bad. In an effort to avoid this if just a little bit, I try to do many charitable things. As I believe the spread of wealth is too great in this world, I can look at myself as a Robin Hood... except keeping 70% for myself. I sleep a little better at night.

[HoldingFolding]

Interesting. I've lived in Japan for 20 years & have never seen a homeless person ask for money. They mostly 'work' by collecting cardboard. The neatness & orderliness of their lives is quite an eyeopener, especially considering their is no social security safety net.



This is in stark contrast to London when I go back; where the beggars are young, aggressive, presumably collecting the dole & getting subsidised housing.

[SomethingClever]

I think that's great.

I've offered food to panhandlers twice in lieu of money... but both times I was rejected [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Both times were at grocery stores. The first time, the guy asked for money, I told him I'd buy him some food, but he wasn't very specific about what he wanted. I ended up buying some bread and an apple for him, but by the time I left the store he was nowhere to be found.

The second time, an aggressive panhandler asked me for money on the way in. I almost never carry cash, so I truthfully said I didn't have any.

On the way out, I saw he was still there, and he asked me for money again. I still didn't have any, but I offered him my apple. He said no!

The lesson: panhandlers hate apples.

[Phat Mack]

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Hang on, since when can you just buy meat patties at Maccas?

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Uhhh... order a plain hamburger minus the buns?

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Just say that you need a couple of patties for a dog. Sometimes they'll just give them to you.

[Phat Mack]

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Homeless Guy: Wow that's great. I'll have two premium grilled chicken club sandwich and a large chocolate shake.

Me: (lol) I don't know about that, how about a couple McChicken sandwiches?

Homeless guy: Nah man, I ain't down with all that fried mystery meat.

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This qoute made my day. How old was he?

[XXXNoahXXX]

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Homeless Guy: Wow that's great. I'll have two premium grilled chicken club sandwich and a large chocolate shake.

Me: (lol) I don't know about that, how about a couple McChicken sandwiches?

Homeless guy: Nah man, I ain't down with all that fried mystery meat.

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This qoute made my day. How old was he?

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He was like in his thirties. I was impressed by the preemptive "or if you have change after". Its like from person to person he switches off between sad/hopeless and happy-go-lucky depending on what he thinks will work best.

I think he knew I wasn't going to buy him those, but figured he'd take a shot and "frame the negotiation"

[danlux]

In my experience, 95% of homeless people are alcoholics or drug addicts, and by giving them money you're only enabling them.

I've offered to buy homeless people food, and one time I actually did only to have him throw the food back at me.

[the_scalp]

Most people who claim to have been rejected when they've offered food to a homeless person are liars . . .

I'm operating on a small sample size, here; but of the dozens of homeless people that I've offered food to, not one has turned me down. I've given people rides in cars to McDonald's/KFC, ordered the food they asked for, and paid for it. They've always been grateful.

KyleB: good for you for finally doing what you say you'd like to do (actually procure food for the hungry). Those of you who are all talk and no action (or, more sadly, not action and all narcissism) should do a gut-check.

It's not that hard to keep a few granola bars in your gloveback to hand out to the "Will Work for Food"-sign people. Sure, most of them want money for drugs or booze -- but they certainly don't mind the nutrition.

[szw]

I've never given out food but when its cold and I am driving by a homeless person I will often give them my gloves or scarf that I have lying around the car. This means I buy a lot of gloves and scarves (usually pretty cheap ones), but I usually lose them anyways.