# I’m getting a little sick of everyone having their hand out! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2024, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467 "2024-05-13T03:36:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/21 "2024-05-13T14:48:03Z")
What really bugs me — for a number of reasons — is when they bring their ambulances and fire trucks and park them in the median _with the emergency lights flashing non-stop_. That whole practice is wrong on many levels. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/22 "2024-05-13T15:16:09Z")
Of course, the alternative for many of these is higher taxes, but I guess that would be “Reds under the bed” for many. Many years ago I decided to only donate to “human” charities, so no dogs, cats or endangered pandas. When I got married, my wife agreed and we also agreed that people who stick their collecting tins - real or electronic - in our faces get now’t. We don’t contribute 10% but we do give what we can spare to a carefully selected group of charities. They have to benefit people and they have to have reasonably low overheads. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/23 "2024-05-13T15:40:22Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > What really bugs me — for a number of reasons — is when they bring their ambulances and fire trucks and park them in the median _with the emergency lights flashing non-stop_. That whole practice is wrong on many levels. Unrelated, but that reminds me of something. Quite a few years back, I was on the freeway about to exit. As I got closer to my exit, I could see quite a bit of traffic backed up and within a few minutes it was backed quite a ways onto the freeway itself. Once I could see the end of the ramp, I saw a police car, either with someone simply pulled over or a minor accident that wasn’t really in the way (or something similarly minor, I don’t remember exactly). The problem was that the squad’s lights were on, which locked the traffic lights with a red light facing the exit. Eventually I called the local PD and got a ‘what am I supposed to do about it’ attitude from whoever I spoke to. “You need to contact that officer and have them shut their lights off or move their car or something because this isn’t safe now that the right lane of the freeway is at a stand still”. And a few minutes later the cop, who probably didn’t even know it was happening, shut off his lights and traffic started moving again. > [@bob\_2](#): > > Of course, the alternative for many of these is higher taxes, but I guess that would be “Reds under the bed” for many. With a lot of them, at least WRT this part of the discussion, I think the issue is more that they’re standing in the road doing it. I mentioned above that my store will let them use our parking lot to do fund raisers and people love it. People will come just to donate money and see the fire trucks or buy a brat and some corn on the cob. > [@bob\_2](#): > > now’t nothing? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/24 "2024-05-13T15:47:34Z")
> [@Jaycat.again](#): > > I ask them for the gluten-free cookies. That shuts them up. Really? Because they usually have one. The toffee I think. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/25 "2024-05-13T15:51:09Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I think the automated payment systems (I use Apple Pay for most transactions) make it just a bit too easy to beg for money. I actually saw an actual beggar on the side of the road (highway exit ramp) with a sign that had a QR code for Venmo. Kidjanot. Just that once but it certainly stood out. I couldn’t decide if that was a clever move or not (I did not scan or donate). ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/26 "2024-05-13T15:54:51Z")
I never donate to any cause at the till. They get to use those amounts for tax deductions. In the end you’re losing taxes that would have contributed to your community by giving them the deduction on your contribution. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/27 "2024-05-13T16:45:09Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > At Firehouse Subs, it’s some First Responder fund. I don’t know how much of it comes from donations at the register but Firehouse Subs _does_ give grants to fire depts. We’ve benefited in that we put in for one & (eventually, took a couple of tries) got a grant to purchase specific equipment to make us safer & better able to do our jobs. > [@snowthx](#): > > > [@velomont](#): > > > > My personal piss-off is the local fire dept doing a cash collection at a busy suburban intersection. > > A few years ago some clever imposters got a hold of firefighter-“looking” gear and set up shop at an intersection nearby where the real firefighters were doing the fill the boot thing. Never give money to beggars standing in traffic. > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > What really bugs me — for a number of reasons — is when they bring their ambulances and fire trucks and park them in the median _with the emergency lights flashing non-stop_. That whole practice is wrong on many levels. We don’t do it but when you’re operating on a shoestring budget it helps …& having the apparatus there, with lights on both makes it safer as people tend to slow down & proves that whomever is asking for funds is legit. I don’t typically give as I donate enough (time) to where I volunteer but I don’t begrudge other companies for doing such. I just wonder how much they bring in compared to in the past as a lot of people don’t carry cash anymore? They should probably tape a QR code to the side of the boot if they want to maximize income ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/28 "2024-05-13T17:04:01Z")
I give EXCLUSIVELY to animal charities, zoos, wildlife rehabilitation, but only locally. I don’t send money to any organizations sending letters from NYC headquarters. If I’m asked to round up or donate or buy cookies, I have no problem saying, ‘Not today, sorry.’ and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/29 "2024-05-13T17:13:40Z")
Here in Oregon the return on bottles and cans is 10 cents apiece. Instead of turning mine in at the grocery store I put them in a trailer for the local animal welfare people. It isn’t that much, but probably comes to around $100 a year. I also donate to the Dornbecker children’s hospital in Portland. Butt that’s about it. I have no problem saying no to everybody else, but it does bug me a little. I’ve noticed on Facebook now that you can donate to a charity for someone’s birthday. That annoys me. I hope that dies out soon. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/30 "2024-05-13T17:27:10Z")
The first year my kid was in public school I got a begging email from the school once a week or more. I was really dreading years more of that. Of course the begging came from the same address as actually important messages, so blocking or unsubscribing was not possible. Even after starting the year with a donation, the messages still kept coming. Perhaps people complained, I don’t know, but since then it has been much, much better. The school has one main fundraiser per year, and we’d receive emails about that, but otherwise the begging has stopped. And as others have mentioned, by not irritating me, I’ve been willing to give more to the school in the form of a donation to the classroom at the start of the year, and then another during the big fund drive. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/31 "2024-05-13T17:28:05Z")
So I was gonna ask what the dope was on these. Specifically the ones that come up on the credit card machine when you pay at big supermarkets. I’ve been told that this is a scam, specifically that while it is a donation to the charity listed the supermarket gets to claim your donation against their taxes, so by doing it you are helping a huge multinational supermarket conglomerate to avoid taxes. Is that true? ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/32 "2024-05-13T17:30:29Z")
I know a couple of pubs in central London that have a prompt to offer a tip in their EPOS system (and quite often the staff tap the “No” box before presenting the terminal to me - maybe they recognise me as a mean old git). But I’ve not met it any other time. On the other hand it’s common for shops to have out a collecting box in charities’ flag day seasons, particularly remembrance poppies for the British Legion, and supermarkets have out collection points for food banks. But it’s not pushed or on some sort of opt-out basis, just something else by the till. And there are TV adverts for all sorts of charities but since most of my watching is stuff I’ve recorded, so I can skip the ad breaks (mean old git again). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/33 "2024-05-13T17:45:16Z")
The most annoying for me so far was when my granddaughter sent out the annual request for donations for their HS music groups who travel to competitions. I have no problem with donating for that, but the website that handles the donations has a tip line! It’s set to automatically default to 20%. A tip for fucking _what_, exactly? And you have to be careful if you want to change it, because if you think you can just type a zero without first erasing the 20%, you will end up tipping 200%! I have to wonder how many more people would donate if it wasn’t for the insult of them asking for a tip. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/34 "2024-05-13T17:49:11Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > > [@Biotop](#): > > > > I don’t know. I think the disparity of wealth and the disparity of need in this world is so great, I am kind of surprised how little charity I am asked to provide. > > With an enormous disparity of wealth, you shouldn’t be asked to provide as much charity, because the ability of you to provide charity would likely be less. Better to seek out the few that can actually provide charity than ask randoms. I see it the same way as @Biotop. Jay\_Z, It’s fine for charitable organizations to seek out the few with the most money to spare. It’s politically impractical for the government to do much more than has been done on that basis. The police exist to keep the people who need the money the most from seeking out the few who have the most money to spare. At least now they get to do it on public property. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/35 "2024-05-13T18:00:01Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > If I was ever gonna plop my $19 a month down on them, I won’t now. Are you saying that if you _weren’t_ told about them you might donate to them? How does that work, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/36 "2024-05-13T18:05:00Z")
[This is from South Park](https://youtu.be/3KT9IUd_Cnc), but is SFW and relevant. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/37 "2024-05-13T18:07:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are you saying that if you _weren’t_ told about them you might donate to them? > How does that work, exactly It doesn’t work. It’s a viscous cycle (specifically 90 weight gear oil that smells like a vault toilet). If I’ve never heard of you, you’re not getting any money. If the first time I hear about you I get annoyed, your not getting any money. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/38 "2024-05-13T18:12:47Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Shouldn’t the VA be caring for veterans who sustained injuries while serving? There are multiple problems with the VA system involving funding, incredibly long wait times, _lying_ about those wait times etc. [2014 Veterans Health Administration controversy - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Veterans_Health_Administration_controversy) ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/39 "2024-05-13T18:20:25Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > My view on this is that all charities are subject to the same downfalls as all organizations – no matter how well-intentioned they are, once they get big enough, they become self-serving bureaucracies seeking only further growth. “Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” –Eric Hoffer ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2024, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467/40 "2024-05-13T18:22:55Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I never donate to any cause at the till. They get to use those amounts for tax deductions. In the end you’re losing taxes that would have contributed to your community by giving them the deduction on your contribution. I have looked at several sites and the consensus seems to be that companies that collect donations through jars at their establishments cannot directly claim tax deductions for these contributions. The donations are not part of their income, so they do not qualify for tax write-offs. However, businesses can still engage in corporate philanthropy by making direct donations to qualified charitable organizations and claiming deductions based on those contributions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-m-getting-a-little-sick-of-everyone-having-their-hand-out/1001467.md?page=3)