Panhandling $$$ ???

[Philip_G]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

Best one I ever saw was a guy standing at an intersection with a cardboard sign that read "Why lie, I want some beer". I had to admire his honesty. I gave him a couple of bucks torward his goal.

I saw a girl once with a sign that read something like "ugly, broke, need money" It kind of bummed me out.

 

[Philip_G]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

The latest scam I've seen many times in the last 3 months is people saying they ran out of gas and need money for gas. But they are never AT the gas station, which would be the logical place to get people to help you with gas money. I have seen one guy in our salon parking lot on 5 different days. His gas gauge must be broken.

So, I'm a no, never.

I was eating lunch at sonic a couple years ago and 2 young men and a dog were standing on the corner maybe a hundred yards away with a little tiny, brand new gas can and a sign that said need gas, I was kind of watching because it was a busy intersection and the dog wasn't attached to anything and I was a little concerned he would wander into traffic, anyway after about 5 minutes they took their new gas can, walked back over across the gas station parking lot, threw it in their honda accord and drove off. Probably to the next spot.

If you want to see homeless people on a large scale go walk around pike's market in seattle, they're everywhere. Much worse than before, I have a friend from seattle and it sounds like they passed a whole bunch of legislation to help the homeless, ultimately luring more in. I couldn't help but be reminded of the walking dead scenes with all of them wandering around

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

Years ago I was on the way back from the home improvement store, in my pickup loaded with supplies, and saw a guy with a "please help, will work for food"

I told him to jump in back, ill feed you and pay you cash. He quickly said "no thanks"
It was a real eye opener.

A friend is a Police Officer... they regularly run off a professionally run operation that travels around in a 15 passenger van. LOL Six or Eight people get moved around town from one high traffic area to the next. Apparently the guy that owns the truck (the pimp), shuttles them from a remote area where they live into the city where the panhandling is easier. He of course takes a cut. Better than turning tricks i guess.

John Stossel has done several reports on professional panhandlers. Makes me sick, i feel bad thinking there are some that are genuine and really need it.

Yea.... i rarely give!

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

My wife and I just raised $1200 for a co-worker who is living less than paycheck-to-paycheck and has a baby with severe birth defects. This co-worker doesn't have time to panhandle cuz she's too busy WORKING.

I know the economy is bad and many are unemployed and underemployed but there are more than enough jobs. I have a ton of respect for a guy working at a convenience store. I have none for a panhandler.

Can't top that post!

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

First cruise I went on departed and returned from Puerto Rico. Our return flight home left sometime late in the afternoon, and since they kicked us off the ship at 10, and we didn't want to walk around San Juan with a bunch of luggage, we opted to hang out at the airport lobby for several boring hours.

Well during that time we saw a big rough looking dude walking around with a little bitty suite case on wheels that wouldn't look out of place being toted around by a 3 year old. He was walking down the line of people sitting on the benches talking to them. When he finally got to us, his tale of woe was he missed his flight back to the U.S., and needed cash to buy another ticket. We all told him, sorry buddy no cash and he moved on. A few hundred feet behind him was airport security. They walked up to us, and asked us what he said. We told them, and they said that guy has been wandering around here for the past 3 days looking for handouts, and we're about to kick him out.

Also had a woman pull the gas thing last week. Not sure if it was legit or not. I was standing in my shop with the garage door open that faces the street. I see a woman walking along looking around. She spots me, and walks over and asked if I speak English (the area I work in has a dense Brazilian population). I tell her yes, and her story is she drove from Worcester to here, and shes now out of gas. I told her nope, sorry, don't have any cash for you. She said don't apologize, but do you know anybody around here that can help? I didn't want to sick her on any of the other places near by so I said no, and she quickly disappeared after that.

Honestly If I had my Jerry can with me, I would have probably offered to run and get her a couple of gallons on my debit card. It would have been interesting to see her response. The other thing thats puzzling is she drove from Worcester to here which is roughly 20-25 miles. The average car usually throws the low fuel light on when you roughly have about 40 miles of fuel left. So basically if her story was true, she would have left home with the low fuel light on.:facepalm: Chalk that up to a life lesson for her if it was really the case.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

Since I live in a small town........ the homeless usually stay at the local mission...... on occasion there is a panhandler asking for money and my wife's reaction is to buy them an apple or an orange and offer it to them AND then gives them directions to the food shelves and the mission.

 

[sasto]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

While in the Dominican Republic and Haiti it's easy for me to give out money. Along the streets are some sitting with a cup. Many have no arms or legs. There is no help for them. They have nothing like we have to help them. A couple dollars will feed them for a day. For a couple years I gave a family $75 a month. This was enough to feed and shelter them. A friend gave the father a job as a caretaker. Another friend gave the mother a job as a cook. I gave my hiking boots to the son. He found a job in the construction business.

Last time we got together.....they cried with gratitude, I cried with happiness and joy for them. God made me do it!

I have no problem with giving, if I know the circumstances. Life is too short.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

While in the Dominican Republic and Haiti it's easy for me to give out money. Along the streets are some sitting with a cup. Many have no arms or legs. There is no help for them. They have nothing like we have to help them. A couple dollars will feed them for a day. For a couple years I gave a family $75 a month. This was enough to feed and shelter them. A friend gave the father a job as a caretaker. Another friend gave the mother a job as a cook. I gave my hiking boots to the son. He found a job in the construction business.

Last time we got together.....they cried with gratitude, I cried with happiness and joy for them. God made me do it!

I have no problem with giving, if I know the circumstances. Life is too short.

I'm a cold hearted SOB but that story is heartwarming. Good for you man!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

I never give money to panhandlers but I will offer money to people that are searching for bottles and cans because they don't have their hands out. Giving money to panhandlers is not helping them. It makes them more reliant on panhandling. Give your money to Salvation Army instead to help them get out of the sitiation they are in.

 

[Philip_G]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

speaking of odd propositions, I was in OKC for awhile training for work and at 6am on the way in some guy walked up to me in my apartment parking lot and tried to sell me some food stamps.

 

[Captain Shikaboo]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

While in the Dominican Republic and Haiti it's easy for me to give out money. Along the streets are some sitting with a cup. Many have no arms or legs. There is no help for them. They have nothing like we have to help them. A couple dollars will feed them for a day. For a couple years I gave a family $75 a month. This was enough to feed and shelter them. A friend gave the father a job as a caretaker. Another friend gave the mother a job as a cook. I gave my hiking boots to the son. He found a job in the construction business.

Last time we got together.....they cried with gratitude, I cried with happiness and joy for them. God made me do it!

I have no problem with giving, if I know the circumstances. Life is too short.

Exactly. Very nice.

My neighbor lost her husband last year. She lost her job when she blew out a knee. Her son left his job in Florida to move back to take care of her and the house. I used to sneak over and fill thier tanks up with gas once a week. I got busted and she said she thought her gas gauge was broken, or something was wrong because it wasn't using any gas. We both got a good laugh.

My favorite charity is building specialized prostetics for wounded warriors and veterans. Some of them can't afford the good ones, so a group of friends and I (two are in the medical field) build some pretty sweet rigs. Fox racing suspension donated a whole bunch of air over oil shocks so we could tool up a group of vet hockey players and some mountain bikers. I always wanted to go into the medical field but I don't like guts, so this is the next best thing I guess. I figured my dad will eventually lose a limb from his go in Nam and diebetes, so I wanted to fine tune something just in case.

 

[Philster]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

I'm desensitized to beggars from growing up in the inner city, but I am really averse to 'helping' them because we use to own a business in an iner city area riddled with panhandlers/beggars, and when you get to know their game, it becomes more of a gypsy con game than anything else.

Someone has been trying to organize a Panhandler's Union. I wonder if that ever got going. He was an anarchist; I am going to look that up now.

.
EDIT: yep, this is the union and this is the guy. He posted around the Web as "Anarchist" and has been banned from a fair number of message boards. Last I heard, he was wanting to push this into the USA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Panhandlers'_Union

 

[Philster]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

I guess I'm missing out. Around me the only beggers are the deer leaning over the fence eyeing my garden.

That's not begging; that's casing.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

Here in San Diego the local alternative paper did an undercover operation some years ago, discovering that the people you see on the busy streetcorners are basically beggar prostitutes working for "guildmaster" pimps who carve up the city into territories. The beggar cuts his profits with the pimp, while the pimp schedules the beggars and protects his turf from other pimps--and from actual destitute people. The best corners go to the best earners, while poor earners get the boot.

The so-called beggars in these schemes are either college students or people with good, steady day-jobs (the pimps want smart, stable employees, after all), and often make as much or more begging than they do at their actual jobs. Tax-free, of course. They hit their corner before or after work or class, change into their "beggar outfits," and panhandle the rush hours.

 

[Captain Shikaboo]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

Here in San Diego the local alternative paper did an undercover operation some years ago, discovering that the people you see on the busy streetcorners are basically beggar prostitutes working for "guildmaster" pimps who carve up the city into territories. The beggar cuts his profits with the pimp, while the pimp schedules the beggars and protects his turf from other pimps--and from actual destitute people. The best corners go to the best earners, while poor earners get the boot.

The so-called beggars in these schemes are either college students or people with good, steady day-jobs (the pimps want smart, stable employees, after all), and often make as much or more begging than they do at their actual jobs. Tax-free, of course. They hit their corner before or after work or class, change into their "beggar outfits," and panhandle the rush hours.

I think I'm switching professions..

 

[BonairII]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

I think I'm switching professions..

Me too!

I'm going to be the best "Panhandler Pimp" I can be.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

Reminds me of the time I handed a guy $2 when walking out of a 7-11. My wife says "He's just going to blow it on alcohol!"

I replied: "Like I wasn't?"

 

[R Socey]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

I saw a girl once with a sign that read something like "ugly, broke, need money" It kind of bummed me out.

That would bum me out too.

the exit I take to get home occasionally has a panhandler on it, there's been 2 or 3 over the last year or two. The next day when they're not there I always notice they leave their gatoraid and plastic water bottles laying around, it annoys me.

That burns me up!

Can't top that post!

Yep!

While in the Dominican Republic and Haiti it's easy for me to give out money. Along the streets are some sitting with a cup. Many have no arms or legs. There is no help for them. They have nothing like we have to help them. A couple dollars will feed them for a day. For a couple years I gave a family $75 a month. This was enough to feed and shelter them. A friend gave the father a job as a caretaker. Another friend gave the mother a job as a cook. I gave my hiking boots to the son. He found a job in the construction business.


Last time we got together.....they cried with gratitude, I cried with happiness and joy for them. God made me do it!

I have no problem with giving, if I know the circumstances. Life is too short.

Good for you - softy!

I never give money to panhandlers but I will offer money to people that are searching for bottles and cans because they don't have their hands out. Giving money to panhandlers is not helping them. It makes them more reliant on panhandling. Give your money to Salvation Army instead to help them get out of the sitiation they are in.

Unless they are obviously handicaped!

speaking of odd propositions, I was in OKC for awhile training for work and at 6am on the way in some guy walked up to me in my apartment parking lot and tried to sell me some food stamps.

They go for half price - terrible!

Exactly. Very nice.

My neighbor lost her husband last year. She lost her job when she blew out a knee. Her son left his job in Florida to move back to take care of her and the house. I used to sneak over and fill thier tanks up with gas once a week. I got busted and she said she thought her gas gauge was broken, or something was wrong because it wasn't using any gas. We both got a good laugh.

My favorite charity is building specialized prostetics for wounded warriors and veterans. Some of them can't afford the good ones, so a group of friends and I (two are in the medical field) build some pretty sweet rigs. Fox racing suspension donated a whole bunch of air over oil shocks so we could tool up a group of vet hockey players and some mountain bikers. I always wanted to go into the medical field but I don't like guts, so this is the next best thing I guess. I figured my dad will eventually lose a limb from his go in Nam and diebetes, so I wanted to fine tune something just in case.

Thanks for doing that for our troops!

I guess I'm missing out. Around me the only beggers are the deer leaning over the fence eyeing my garden.

You wouldn't give them nothing anyway - tightwad. Just kidding, Imsure you would give them the shirt off your back.

I'm desensitized to beggars from growing up in the inner city, but I am really averse to 'helping' them because we use to own a business in an iner city area riddled with panhandlers/beggars, and when you get to know their game, it becomes more of a gypsy con game than anything else. I agree.

Someone has been trying to organize a Panhandler's Union. I wonder if that ever got going. He was an anarchist; I am going to look that up now.


EDIT: yep, this is the union and this is the guy. He posted around the Web as "Anarchist" and has been banned from a fair number of message boards. Last I heard, he was wanting to push this into the USA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Panhandlers'_Union

Thats crazy

Reminds me of the time I handed a guy $2 when walking out of a 7-11. My wife says "He's just going to blow it on alcohol!"

I replied: "Like I wasn't?"

Funny - thanks guys

 

[12vMan]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

I never give money to panhandlers but I will offer money to people that are searching for bottles and cans because they don't have their hands out. Giving money to panhandlers is not helping them. It makes them more reliant on panhandling. Give your money to Salvation Army instead to help them get out of the sitiation they are in.

Great post.

 

[tnriver]

Re: Panhandling $$$ ???

Good post.