# Why Lie? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2002, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929 "2002-07-20T03:37:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kgriffey79](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/1 "2002-07-20T03:37:27Z")
Last night I saw a panhandler on the side of the ride while I was being driven by a friend. His sign read… ``` WHY LIE? I need a beer ``` We all busted up! We gave him a few bucks. I’ve seen another sign that said, “Will suffer verbal abuse for money.” I’ve seen other funny ones in this messed up town of Eugene, OR, but I seem to have forgotten them ☹ Anyway, what’s your favorite panhandling sign you’ve ever seen? The clever ones deserve the money damnit! ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/2 "2002-07-20T04:30:51Z")
I’ve never seen any clever ones. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smashed_Ice_Cream)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/3 "2002-07-20T04:44:54Z")
Eugene is a strange place. To be honest, I’m with **Violet** , and have never thought any to be clever. I’ve seen a few “Why Lie?” ones, and they’ve just p\*ssed me off. Yeah, I need a beer too, but I’m on my way to work. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/4 "2002-07-21T00:10:45Z")
(On one side) “Angry? Stressed out?” (On the other) “Yell at the bum. It’s cheap!” I saw this while coming back from dinner with our sons, who were busy impersonating a pack of wolverines at the time. I needed the laugh and gave the guy a couple of bucks for it. ---
**Author:** ![stofsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/5 "2002-07-21T01:36:13Z")
My dad gave me a snapshot of a guy on the street in Key West. He’s sitting in a $5.00 plastic yard chair, wearing a black and yellow Cat in the Hat hat, and has a sign that says, “Dirty Jokes!! 50 cents and up. I NEED BEER.” I framed it and put it on my desk. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/6 "2002-07-21T02:33:29Z")
they were funny 10 years ago. wait until you see that sign another few times. it grows old quickly.:o ---
**Author:** ![ijustdontcare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c57346/32.png) [@ijustdontcare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ijustdontcare)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/7 "2002-07-21T06:22:39Z")
Some of my buddies were at a concert downtown one night. A guy was saying, you know, “Hey, I’ll be honest, I need some liquor. Can anyone spare some change?” A few people, including my friends gave the guy a couple bucks. Then, one lady went to the store, and bought the guy a fifth of Jack Daniel’s. He was so happy, he gave all the other people their money back and ran around yelling, “God bless this woman! You can all have your money back, I don’t need it anymore!” Just thought I’d add that story. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/8 "2002-07-21T18:44:32Z")
When I was in college in Madison, WI, there was one homeless guy with a guitar who had the words to “Brown Eyed Girl” (among other similar songs that I can’t remember) written on pieces of posterboard. Many a weekend night you could see him, surrounded by 30 or so drunk college students, all singing along along and dancing while he played the guitar. Very surreal experience. -lv ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/9 "2002-07-21T22:57:40Z")
Yeah, I’d be pissed off at “I need beer” as well… which is not to say I wouldn’t crack up. I just wouldn’t give any money. Shit like, “I need to feed my kids” works better on me even if I’m thinking “Gee, I hope you don’t have any kids” while I’m counting off the cash. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/10 "2002-07-21T23:04:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Violet \* > \*\*I’ve never seen any clever ones. :mad: \*\* My sentence finishes at ‘any’ ---
**Author:** ![auliya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@auliya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auliya)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/11 "2002-07-21T23:57:35Z")
Ain’t America a great place! I am stunned at the acceptance of beggars shown here. I guess we are lucky here in Brisvegas and Down Under generally. I have never seen a panhandler , much less one with a sign. I suppose they must exist, but if a society is functioning properly there shouldn’t be ANYONE forced to be homeless or to beg. ---
**Author:** ![BrattiAtti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@BrattiAtti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrattiAtti)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/12 "2002-07-22T01:40:54Z")
This isn’t _exactly_ the same thing, but… A guy asked me for a cigarette. When he saw me scowl, he quickly added, “I’ll give you my soul!” I was a little creeped out, but amused nevertheless. I handed him a ciggie and politely declined his offer. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/13 "2002-07-22T17:41:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auliya \* > \*\*Ain’t America a great place! I am stunned at the acceptance of beggars shown here. > > I guess we are lucky here in Brisvegas and Down Under generally. > > I have never seen a panhandler , much less one with a sign. I suppose they must exist, but if a society is functioning properly there shouldn’t be ANYONE forced to be homeless or to beg. \*\* …must…restrain…urge…to…respond… Anyway, blah, blah, blah, glass houses, blah, blah, blah. End. ---
**Author:** ![Tiburon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e36b37/32.png) [@Tiburon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiburon)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/14 "2002-07-22T19:31:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auliya \* > \*\*I have never seen a panhandler , much less one with a sign. I suppose they must exist, but if a society is functioning properly there shouldn’t be ANYONE forced to be homeless or to beg. \*\* …must…restrain…urge…to…respond…like…slortar… Hey, I’m with you, **Slortar**. But hell, I’ll give **auliya** the benefit of the doubt. Here’s the good news - in America, we don’t FORCE anyone to be homeless or to beg. Usually, they have a choice. 🙂 Okay, that’s a little snide…you get the picture. All in good fun, folks… Back to the OP, though…I’ve given $ to a few pan handlers but never based upon a sign. It’s usually just a matter of if I have a few bucks easy to reach in my pocket and can spare the dough. Tibs. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/15 "2002-07-23T18:11:26Z")
[Chris Rock] If a homeless person has a funny sign, he hasn’t been homeless for long. A real homeless person is too hungry to be funny. [/Chris Rock] ---
**Author:** ![Ill\_Logik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Ill\_Logik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ill_Logik)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-lie/119929/16 "2002-07-23T19:24:24Z")
There is a bum who sits near Times Square in NYC with a sign that says “Tell me off for $2.” Apparently he has been doing that for quite sometime, because I saw him myself over 2 years ago, and then about 8 months ago I saw him on the “Insomniac with Dave Attell” show. It was pretty damn funny.