The curbside beggars are really beginning to tick me off. When they hold up their “Please help!!! God Bless” signs I’m tempted to hold up a “Get a job!” sign. One guy was panhandling not a block from a convenience store with “Now hiring cashiers - $10/HR” on the big sign on the road.
StG
Here in Georgia, they finally put Sunday beer sales on the ballot, and to no ones surprise it passed.
Also not surprisingly, Sunday is no longer the one day of the week when you wouldn’t encounter people in the grocery store parking lot who had to “drive all the way up here” to see the doctor, and need to panhandle for the return gas money.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you.” (I’m sorry, I won’t help you)
To the Susan-Komening cashier back inside I’d said “no, not this time.” (or anytime)
In my defense, I prefer to donate my time to charity (doing something besides fundraising. Funny how that’s what they really want you to do)
Please donate to the SBF[sup]*[/sup]; it’s a very worthwhile cause
I dunno, if I was the manager of a convenience store, I don’t think I would hire the curbside beggar panhandling not a block away. If I was the beggar, I don’t think I’d go in and ask to fill out an application (which is most likely done online now). But I do know what you mean, there are a few around here who seem to live under a bridge and they hold up signs at the exit ramp. And they’ve been there for as long as I can remember (maybe not the same ones). Is it possible they have a license to do this?
Cool story time:
At my local gas station, there’s this one older homeless guy that hangs out there constantly. I always give him money because he never asks for it. He just sits there on a curb with a cup by his side.
Also, he managed to pick one of the worst gas stations you can imagine. The gas staion itself is in a highly industrial area. By that I mean there are no restaurants close by, no movies, no shoppiong centers, nada. Bottom line, this place doesn’t see a whole lot of foot traffic. Which kind of leads me to believe he’s got some mental issues going on.
So one night I pull up to the gas station. It’s cold as hell out and I really don’t feel like getting out of my car. I see my homeless friend sitting over there on the curb.
I honk my horn and wave him over to my truck. I tell him I’ve got a five with his name on it if he’ll fill up my truck.
He did it, I handed him the five and thanked him.
This must have been a Eureka moment for him because FF, a couple of weeks later, I pull into the gas station only THIS time my homeless friend is busy at the gas pumps filling people’s cars.
Seems he’s doing pretty well for himself. He tells me he can even afford a cheap motel room from time to time.
Have you ever bought tickets from the Roundabout Theatre Company? Buy one ticket one time and they will call you incessantly asking to become a member. Even though all I have ever bought from them have been $10 tickets. Why they think that means I’m going to sign up for a yearly membership of several hundred dollars I have no idea.
And yeah, the ATM doorway panhandlers piss me off more than any other type. I’m not going to give you money for doing something for me that I can do myself and didn’t even ask you to do!
No beggars where I live. I did see one in Spokane, while on vacation, that sat curbside all day. When he finally got enough he loaded up on steel reserve and carried it to his friends.
Did a bit of research on this once. People have retired to a comfortable living after begging and banking their cash. I even saw a news broadcast where the reporter interviewed some people with houses of their own who made upwards of 300$ per day sitting on the curb with dirty makeup stuff.
I hate these people. For some reason we get a lot of them on Market Street in SF. They always act like they’re your new best friend (at least they used to act that way with me, until I got the drift of their method and I scowl at them first). They usually work in pairs, so they can catch people going in both directions.
When I see one that has corralled some sucker who is patiently listening to the spiel, I always want to break in with this question:
Is there any reason this person couldn’t just go online and donate whatever they want, to this well-known charity that you seem to represent? And how much less of what they would donate through you actually goes to the charity, and instead goes to pay your bonus and the overhead of the company that hires you?
I want to, but I never do.
Roddy
Another one: I resent having perfectly healthy young teenagers beg for recreational stuff. You want new uniforms for your sports club? Here’s an idea: why don’t you do something useful and EARN the money for it?? Mow lawns, rake leaves, babysit, wash cars or dogs, whatever.
And get off my lawn. Hrmmph.
I grew up in Toronto, All it took was a “No,” or No, thank you," and you were generally told, “Okay,” or “Thanks anyway,” or “Have a nice day, brother.”
Now I live in southern Alberta, near the largest First Nations reserve in the country. The only beggars in town are First Nations people. Now, when I’m asked for money and refuse, I’m told:
“You fucking racist!”
“You stole our land! You owe us!”
“Gimme money, whitey asshole!”
Not to mention the physical threats with weapons.
Yeah. Like I’m going to contribute to that.
'Nuff said for now.
It doesn’t usually bother me because the people usually need the money and will leave me alone when I say no, but firefighters standing at an intersection to do a shake down on people really annoy me because they make more money than most people the last I checked. Ditto for police calling for money.
That’s why I generally only donate to curbside panhandlers who are enduring terrible weather conditions while standing there.
My rule of thumb is that if I am approached by someone wanting to sell me something (not in the store) or by someone wanting money from me, the wallet stays shut. And I usually won’t donate to charity at a store, unless I tend to donate to that charity otherwise.
The stores run those promotions because they get bragging rights AND they get to have a nice tax write-off.
The Salvation Army bellringer set up in front of a store during Christmas. (sigh) My heart sinks at the sight. There’s always a newspaper article on how donations are so down this year and they can’t find any volunteers to ring the bell in front of the kettle, and then there they are standing in the cold…yeah, they guilt me into putting money into the kettle because I support them by sending a check on occasion anyway, and putting in a buck on the way in or out isn’t going to break me. But seeing the SA bellringer makes my heart sink.
I hear ya.
mmm
I never, ever, give to anybody stopping traffic at an intersection. It makes me see red. How dare you stop the flow of traffic, making everyone go along at 2 miles an hour, endangering yourself and everyone else, to try and raise money for your stupid little piddling town? Grrr!
I also don’t like the SA bellringers. At least they’re pleasant, but I won’t give money to a religious organization (I have donated stuff to them; most recently an armchair, don’t look at me like that).
I had a guy approach me in Michael’s once with a little note like Stink Fish Pot’s that said he was…deaf, or autistic, or some such, and could I give him a little money. I was taken aback, and I gave him $2 out of plain shock. I should have reported it to the manager but I was just so surprised. Next time…shakes fist
Let me be clear, Mean Mr. Mustard, only the panhandlers were terrible in Vegas. I’d go back in a heartbeat, I had so much fun, and I hardly gambled. I am certainly not part of the haves or the have-nots, but I have enough to have fun - and I earn it!
We don’t encounter this kind of thing much out in the country. Sometimes there’s a family suffering some kind of a tragedy and a small-town bar or restaurant will hold a benefit, and the volunteer fire departments hold street dances to raise funds, but the only public begging we’re likely to run into is the SA bellringer during the holiday season. However, on the TV “news” from the Twin Cities, every local or regional tragedy these days includes a “Fund Has Been Set Up” statement. There was a recent case where a young boy died after swimming in a lake apparently infested by a particular deadly amoeba, and his family came right out and requested money from the public to pay for his medical bills. I’m more likely to give $5 to a random wino on a street corner than I am to one of those conspicuous-compassion funds.
I never give to a charity unless I know they are not spending an inordinate amount on admin and fund raising costs. Charity Navigator is a great place to check on them. Prime offenders are organizations claiming to be collecting for police.
Panhandlers, never.
I used to give money to a particular charity whose goals I still believe in. I stopped when they started getting aggressive and even hostile on the phone. Yeah, a good way to encourage somebody to do you a favor is to get nasty to them.
Totally agree, we had a couple of lads locally, touting for donations for something or other, for which they were going on a "gruelling cycle ride "around "Greece.
Though later on in the article it did say that they did go on regular cycling/camping holidays anyway.
So did I give them money ?
Nah .