Do you give money to panhandlers?

[Archguy]

Do you give money to panhandlers? Under what circumstances? I'm sort of troubled by the whole business. I don't like promoting panhandling, and if I were trying to lessen its effects in the neighborhood where I live, I might resent those who give. But I also feel 'there but for the grace of God go I" and I know full well how people can suffer a run of bad luck, or hit rock bottom without ever meaning to, --- and I'm not sure I see the harm in lessening someone's load a tiny bit, especially when it's so easy to do.

 

[bigx5murf]

Most of them time they approach me, I'm not even carrying cash.

 

[mkane]

hardly

 

[Oerets]

No, don't remember ever doing so.

 

[radioactive]

I've got another question.how many people actually carry money on them anymore.?even if you came across someone panhandling and wanted to give them some spare change or something chances are most people don't have any.society has gotten to use to debit cards and will pay for anything with them down to a pack of gum.

 

[jbrainey]

Nope...and I don't feed strays either. It only encourages them to stick around. Sorry if this causes butthurt in anyone.

 

[Tronk]

No. I always see them at off ramps when returning home from work, and my thought is I have to use my money to get to work the next day, so no.

Also, there's one that parks his car at a nearby park and ride and walks to the ramp to panhandle. Gotta wonder about these people and how many of them net more a year than I do.

 

[Tronk]

Nope...and I don't feed strays either. It only encourages them to stick around. Sorry if this causes butthurt in anyone.

Exactly.

 

[twitch54]

I've got another question.how many people actually carry money on them anymore.?

of course I do, along with a concealed weapon.

 

[ic-racer]

Complementary naloxone is all I offer.

 

[bbqjoe]

I don't carry cash, so I just hand them my ATM card.

When we have a good year in the garden, I drive around town looking for panhandlers.
When I ask, and they tell me they're hungry, I reach in the back seat and hand them one of my wife's 3 foot zucchini's.

 

[chris35745]

I never give money to panhandlers, as most of them are not genuine. I have worked downtown for several years and have seen the truly homeless. When they finished the commuter rail line out to my part of town, all the fake panhandlers showed up. They ride the train down here and set up on corners and freeway ramps. Never mind the fact that it costs about $5 one way to take the train down here. Why would someone spend $10 to ask for money if they needed money? It's simple, they are fake. Look at their clothes. They have on nice, clean clothes all the time. It is nothing more than a scam. These scumbags pretend to be desperate and hope you fall for their scam and give them money. They have jobs and more than enough money to get by. Do these people ever pay any taxes on the money they get? Not a cent, every cent they get, goes into their pocket. A panhandler at a good location can easily make over $40000 a year without paying a single penny in taxes. A friggin good scam. Quite often, when we shop at the local Walmart down the street, well off the highway and city streets, we will usually see the same scumbag sitting next to the same vehicle with his wife and kids in tow with a sign that says he ran out of gas and needs money. Really? Ran out of gas at Walmart? The same time EVERY WEEK? Happens to me all the time. Also seen turds walking around a parking lot with a small red gas can telling people they ran out of gas and need money, when there was a gas station directly across the street. If these pieces of shit really did run out of gas, why dont they walk up to someone at the gas pump and ask for $1 in gas? Because they dont need it, they want money for booze or drugs, its as simple as that. If I were at the gas station and someone asked me for a little gas, I would give them a gallon or so. I wont give them any money. If you ever encounter a panhandler who says they need money for food or something else, offer them the food or whatever it is they say they need, I guarantee you that they will refuse and want the money. That proves that they are fake and intend the money for something else. In short, they lie to get money.

 

[bbqjoe]

I see the organized pan handlers in town as well.
I've seen the van pull up in a parking lot, and 10 or 12 people get out with all their props; gas cans, signs, crutches, and dogs with bandannas.
They spread out and hit the corners.
Often times I'll enter the lot and see a couple on the corner, holding their sign, and there's the dog wearing a red bandanna sitting next to them.
When I come out an hour later, it's a different guy, new sign, same dog, different bandanna.

They switch spots and get ups a number of times a day.

They all meet up at the van later that evening, pile in, and drive away.

These people want nothing to do with 3 foot zucchinis! LOLZ!

 

[PanheadXR290]

It depends on if after I give them a chance to fess up what drug their jonsing ,or if they play the I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today Popeye routine ,if they fess up I give them $20 to $40 ,if they don't fess up and I see them shaking like Don Knott's I don't give them anything ,that way the next time they see me they don't lie .

As to true homeless people who aren't strung out on dope there is a homeless camp in the woods behind the steak house my wife and I frequent ,they have kids and dogs there,last winter we dropped off 6 little buddy 30,000 BTU propane heaters ,a 40lb cylinder of propane with a transfer hose to fill the 12 one pound bottles of propane we bought them ,we dropped off a truck load of straw to get under their tents ,we stop by once a week with care packages ranging from food & propane to dog food and medicine like left over antibiotics ,one of the family's we met last winter had their mother die from pneumonia so we try to stay on top of the propane situation better ,I've got a beat up 100 lb propane tank that still holds without a leak but they won't refill it for me because it dosent have the new check valve ,once I get a new check valve I'll be able to bring 100 lbs of propane at a time ,most of them get food stamps so most of what we get for them is pet supplies ,medicine ,quilts and straw every 2 months ,the police were going to kick them out but saw they were better off there than on the streets so ended up leaving them alone ,for now .

 

[kaplang]

Most of them time they approach me, I'm not even carrying cash.

I don’t carry cash either but I will offer to buy them food if their asking for help outside a restaurant or market I am going too. I’ve bought peanut butter and jelly, loafs of bread, cheese and once I was asked for some frozen fish from Trader Joe’s. Bought that also. I have a very limited income but can sometimes help those that are way worse off then me. I don’t care how they got in their individual situation, they need help and sometimes I can.

 

[Tom Brennan]

Yeah, I give money to beggars. I’m thankful I’ve the money to give. Besides, being raised Catholic I’m aware of the story of St. Martin of Tours and in the back of my reptilian Catholic mind I’m afraid a beggar might be Christ testing me. I’d hate to get up to the Pearly Gates and St. Peter says, “Yeah, you’re the asshole that was doing OK but couldn’t spare a fin for that poor guy with the shakes who needed a drink. Well here’s another fin; take it and go to Hell.”

 

[usedto]

Never mind.

 

[PanheadXR290]

I've got another question.how many people actually carry money on them anymore.?even if you came across someone panhandling and wanted to give them some spare change or something chances are most people don't have any.society has gotten to use to debit cards and will pay for anything with them down to a pack of gum.

Since my business is 100% cash ,and I have a concealed carry permit and never leave home unarmed I always carry cash with me ,if I even told how much I keep in my pocket nobody would believe me ,or say I'm bragging ,I can't remember when I left the house with less than $3,000 in cash ,usually more ,if you spend on cards the cash leaves a trail .

 

[restorer-john]

I see the organized pan handlers in town as well.
I've seen the van pull up in a parking lot, and 10 or 12 people get out with all their props; gas cans, signs, crutches, and dogs with bandannas.
They spread out and hit the corners.
Often times I'll enter the lot and see a couple on the corner, holding their sign, and there's the dog wearing a red bandanna sitting next to them.
When I come out an hour later, it's a different guy, new sign, same dog, different bandanna.

They switch spots and get ups a number of times a day.

They all meet up at the van later that evening, pile in, and drive away.

Are you serious? Professional panhandling gangs?

Wow.

 

[PanheadXR290]

Yeah, I give money to beggars. I’m thankful I’ve the money to give. Besides, being raised Catholic I’m aware of the story of St. Martin of Tours and in the back of my reptilian Catholic mind I’m afraid a beggar might be Christ testing me. I’d hate to get up to the Pearly Gates and St. Peter says, “Yeah, you’re the asshole that was doing OK but couldn’t spare a fin for that poor guy with the shakes who needed a drink. Well here’s another fin; take it and go to Hell.”

A man after my own heart ,money is a tool,nothing more,when you have more than you need and don't share the good fortune karma is very ironic .