I don’t have money for panhandlers. I have very little myself and I can’t take it away from my child’s welfare, whether that panhandler has a crossword puzzle or, like I saw the other day, a golfball sized thing coming out of the forehead.
I’m usually not distracted by them, but there’s been a couple lately sitting in a grassy spot at the exit of Walmart. The woman is grossly, morbidly obese. She melts into the grass. I am not making fun of her; I do pity her because she looks so uncomfortable. But she is sitting there with a bag from one of the local fast food restaurants, listening to her music (not sure what the source is but she has on headphones), looking like a giant greasy melting blob of Crisco while her partner paces, smoking, holding a “help-hungry” sign. They are there every time I pass and I’ve seen many people stop to give them money. I don’t know that my spare change is really going to help them. Of course they could be making more money than we make.
I pretty well never give money to panhandlers; however, when I used to go downtown regularly and actually encountered panhandlers, I would always carry spare fruit and offer that to people who asked.
I certainly don’t begrudge someone who’s down on their luck an apple or banana, so why not. Generally the fruits were well received.
One time I was leaving a mall and a young (not homeless looking) guy approached me with a ‘broken down car, no $$, can’t get back to BC, haven’t eaten, etc’ story. He asked me for $$ for food which I said I couldn’t give him. However, I had a mostly new Starbucks card in my car and I offered him that. He was DELIGHTED which makes me think that his story may have actually been true. (Either that or he was just really jonesin’ for caffeine.)
The OP panhandler just sounds lazy me. I only give money to guys who are activley offering a service and don’t add in “or just spare some change” at the end. I know there’ s a high unemployment rate right now, I get that. So if someone is willing to provide a service then I’ll fork over $5 or so. Doesn’t happen often though, mostly just bums wanting a handout. But the guy who cleaned my windows(it needed it after several clouds of insects), the guy who carried my groceries, shined my shoes, whatever, I’ll give for that.
Depending on the context I have given and will continue to. In the context above I wouldn’t. There’s a local guy I call the bookworm beggar cos he’s constantly got his nose in a book while holding out a cup. He looks too comfortable. Something about his demeanour just irritates me and I’ve never given him a red penny. I don’t really get the conflating begging with buskers and busking. Although if you expect a homeless schizophrenic alcoholic childhood abuse victim or what not to sing you a song or play a tune in exchange for some shrapnel then have at it I suppose.
I’ve given money to people like that before who didn’t ask me for anything (and who didn’t have any sort of sign). Sometimes if I pass by someone who is obviously homeless or a bum and they don’t say a word to me (or anyone else, I’ve noticed, who passes them by), so I’ll root around in my pocket for some loose quarters, go back, and give it to them. They’ve always seemed very appreciative.
As far as I’m concerned, this question in the title doesn’t need any qualification.
I wish I could reclaim all the cash I gave to panners over the years, before I spent a lengthy period being desperately poor myself. Even when my survival strategy included the concept of “eating days,” at no point did it occur to me to beg on the street.
I would ask the woman a question in a few Romany dialects. If she could answer me, I would give her a dollar and a stern lecture on how she was doing it all wrong. If she couldn’t answer, I would probably also give her a dollar because we both women and tell her about some of the social agencies and charities that exist to help her.
I would never give money to a panhandler. Donating to a formal organization to help the homeless is a lot more constructive.
If I were going to give anything to a panhandler, it would be a gift certificate to McDonald’s or a starbucks card like the person above mentioned.
I stopped giving money to homeless people once I realized they can get food stamps. At least in Illinois they can. I didn’t think it was so, but I volunteered at the Salvation Army and yep it’s true, they can get food stamps in as little as three days. The Salvos as well as a host of other missions in Chicago will give you an address and even help you fill in the form online.
Now homeless people may be needing money for other things, legit or not, but they do NOT need it for food, at least in Illinois.
Not only do you oppose all government funded aid to the poor, you also want to prohibit private aid as well. You’re not leaving a lot of options for someone who is down on their luck and on the street. Maybe they should all become tax lawyers.
Last winter, I was really sick with bronchitis, and went to the pharmacy to get some medicine. As I was leaving, driving behind the store, there was an old black guy dumpster diving. He came toward my van, wavinf his arms, and I cracked the window to see what he wanted.
He told me he was hungry, and asked if I could get him something to eat. There is a Subway right there next to the pharmacy, and I was feeling generous; I told him to meet me around front and I’d buy him a meal.
He curled his lip up and told me he ‘don’t want no Subway, they’re mostly just bread’ and asked if I could take him somewhere for a burger.
WTF?
There are NO other eating places in that area. I told him no, I was sick and I wasn’t driving anythere but home. He gave me the dirtiest look, waved his hand at me in a dismissive gesture and said “BAH!” as he walked away.
My mama always told me beggars can’t be choosers, but I guess he never heard that.
MOL: I’m pretty sure the crossword puzzle imples they can’t even be doing the work of actually asking people for money.
And I one of those who offers food. Not because I don’t think they have the right to booze or cigarrettes, but because if they have enough money to refuse food, they can buy their own.
My sister, on the other hand, will offer them money–if they’ll let her present the gospel to them.
