Oftentimes, I’m indifferent to beggars and give them money depending on how I feel that particular day.
However, when I was a student in Pittsburgh, there were a few beggars that hung around campus. On the way to classes, students would the same ones nearly every day, and eventually “warmed up” to them. The bums were even given nicknames (i.e. “Shuffles”) in the school newspaper. At any rate, I’ve purchased an entire pizza for a bum. On another occasion, I bought a Chinese food dinner for a bum and his dog (I really felt bad for the dog).
I do think back to one instance as a child when I gave a beggar some money. He was asking passersby for nickels and dimes. I gave him a quarter, and the guy literally looked at it, stared back up at me, and lectured me on the difference between a quarter and nickels and dimes. He made a scene and kept saying, “I asked for nickels and dimes, not quarters!” What a bastard.
I pass them up without guilt or regret.
They aren’t out there begging to survive (there are plenty of shelters and places for food and they know it) but rather begging for money for extras (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) and I’m not into funding that.
We’re getting record low temperatures here (-20 last night) and they showed on the news people who worked at shelters driving around the city offering warmth and food. They showed a guy flattly turning them down cause he wanted to hang out longer to beg.
It’s beyond me how people can enjoy being spiteful and stingy so much. God forbid somebody should want the same little luxuries you do if you have judged them to be inferior or unworthy.
I ran a homeless shelter for years and at least here in California vagrancy laws are illegal and non-aggressive panhandling is protected free speech. Communities can regulate the time, place and manner of panhandling but they can’t outlaw it all together.
In terms of the OP, get over it. They aren’t hurting you if they aren’t aggressive and you can’t legislate poverty out of existence no matter how inconvenient it is for you to have to remember that it exists. Sure, lots of people panhandle for booze and drugs and no one is forcing you to give them money.
A government should have the right to set standards of behaviour in public places, including a proscription against actively accosting anyone for any reason–panhandling or witnessing.
Whether your personal approach to alms for street beggars is “right” is written on your heart. It cannot be inferred from an individual’s action regarding a particular bum at a particular moment. The wealthy man who gives $10 with a flourish but has no compassion has not achieved a measure of behaviour exceeding the man who gives nothing to panhandlers but volunteers his time at the soup kitchen.
Ignoring a lot of things on the street (while still being aware of them) worked fine for me for years in the city. It’s not incredibly rude to ignore something that has nothing to do with me. (And I think the word “bum” is incredibly rude, so there you go. )
Calling the cops on someone just panhandling is not a nice thing to do, to me it’s like being rude to waiters. What if circumstances where such that you needed to ask a stranger for money because of some series of events left you without money, a wallet, transportation and food, would you want someone to call the cops on you for just asking for help? Saying “no” or “sorry” is one thing, but calling the cops?
I was young - maybe 10 or 11. I just remember that he wasn’t very polite or thankful. He just went into a tirade and belittled me for apparently not knowing the difference between a quarters, dimes, and nickels. I thought I was just being generous. Oh well.
Some of those horrible pan handlers had jobs and homes not long ago and were asking themselves the same question’ should I give money to the panhandlers’. There but for fortune go you or I.
I live in an urban area and see homeless/panhandlers nearly everyday. I can’t give change to everyone, as I’m not working now and have money issues of my own. However, I do give change when I can and usually to those who seem to need it more…old, mentally ill, desperate looking, etc. I would never call the cops unless someone was being physically threatenig and I cannot imagine the lack of normal human compassion that would lead someone to do so.
I simply can’t give change to everyone. But especially not the folks who sit at the same spots every day and get pissy if they don’t get what they feel is a decent amount. Or the pockmarked toothless 23 year olds who say they really need money because they lost their wallet on the train on the commute in, since the train is on the other side of town, and they are coming from the opposite direction.
Look, I’ve been unemployed since July 7th. I took the train downtown St. Louis for a job interview. I brought $4.50 worth of quarters, just enough for the round trip fare. I am absolutely strapped right now, but even if I weren’t, I don’t feel like I have to justify myself to someone who asks me for money. I’m sorry, but it is an invasion of my personal space. I’m not that comfortable with ANYONE I don’t know coming right up to me in the city, no matter what the intentions are. How do I know? I’m a small girl. I go where I’m going and pretty much look straight ahead, while being aware of my surroundings. If you approach me, I will try to get out of your way, or say, “excuse me,” or “no, thanks I’m good,” and keep on moving. Also, aside from train fare I absolutely do not carry cash around with me…ever. But, again, I don’t think I should have to feel like I’m being put on the spot every time I walk downtown.
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