Pan-handlers...

dcfaithful

What's your take?

Do you help them out?
Do you intensely juggle in your mind the possibility that they're a fraud?

I'll admit, somtimes I give...but it's generally depending on the mood I'm in...and how much money I have for myself. Guy outside of the coffee shop this morning looked like he could use the help, so I gave him a dollar and some change, all that was in my pocket. He looked like he could use it more than I could...and if he's a fraud, well... I can go to sleep at night knowing I'm a better person than him.

Cree Nations

if I have money in my pocket and someone is desperate enough to ask me for some of it, I always give it to them, it could happen to anyone of us. If I am in the position to ask for money, I hope someone gives it it me. I cant control whether or not they are fraudulant in their desire to acquire money, I will leave that between them and the Creator, karma is a bitch.

Indifference71

dcfaithful wrote:

What's your take?

Do you help them out?
Do you intensely juggle in your mind the possibility that they're a fraud?

I'll admit, somtimes I give...but it's generally depending on the mood I'm in...and how much money I have for myself. Guy outside of the coffee shop this morning looked like he could use the help, so I gave him a dollar and some change, all that was in my pocket. He looked like he could use it more than I could...and if he's a fraud, well... I can go to sleep at night knowing I'm a better person than him.

Honestly, I generally don't give anything. I do always think in my mind about the possibility of a fraud...

I get off the highway after work and this same lady is standing there at the exit every single day. She must be doing pretty well over there if she comes back every single day...

eyedclaar

My idea for a fool proof pan-handling idea is to cut a hole in the top of a table that is covered with a blanket all the way to the ground. The blanket needs a hole in it too, but anyway, you hide beneath the blanket covered table, poke just your head through, wear some kind of army cap and claim to be a disabled vet. Just a head sitting there asking for $.

BinauralJam

i always give, i'm a sucker, if karma's real, i need all i can get.

81

Indifference71 wrote:

dcfaithful wrote:

What's your take?

Do you help them out?
Do you intensely juggle in your mind the possibility that they're a fraud?

I'll admit, somtimes I give...but it's generally depending on the mood I'm in...and how much money I have for myself. Guy outside of the coffee shop this morning looked like he could use the help, so I gave him a dollar and some change, all that was in my pocket. He looked like he could use it more than I could...and if he's a fraud, well... I can go to sleep at night knowing I'm a better person than him.

Honestly, I generally don't give anything. I do always think in my mind about the possibility of a fraud...

I get off the highway after work and this same lady is standing there at the exit every single day. She must be doing pretty well over there if she comes back every single day...

they fight over corners downtown.

i'm not one for donating to panhandlers.

elvistheking44

In last months GQ, there was an article about a bank robbery schemed by a former high school quarterback, blah...blah...blah.... Anyway, he was caught by a homeless man that noticed his disguise was hidden by a dumpster he panhandled by....when the homeless man was interviewed he made mention that the economy was hurting his panhandling as well. He normally brought in $200 A DAY!!!!!, but since the recession he was only bringing in $50! $200 a day, tax free, thats freakin $73,000 a year!!!!

elvistheking44

Also, I do give. Im sure they are going to use it on booze or drugs, but hey thats what I was gonna spend it on as well

81

ofthegirl99 wrote:

In last months GQ, there was an article about a bank robbery schemed by a former high school quarterback, blah...blah...blah.... Anyway, he was caught by a homeless man that noticed his disguise was hidden by a dumpster he panhandled by....when the homeless man was interviewed he made mention that the economy was hurting his panhandling as well. He normally brought in $200 A DAY!!!!!, but since the recession he was only bringing in $50! $200 a day, tax free, thats freakin $73,000 a year!!!!

$52K if you only count week days, but yeah, still a ton of money.

i once read an article about this guy who worked a normal job, than after work, he would change into scrummy clothes and collect about the same amount as his salary pan handling

dcfaithful

Cree Nations wrote:

if I have money in my pocket and someone is desperate enough to ask me for some of it, I always give it to them, it could happen to anyone of us. If I am in the position to ask for money, I hope someone gives it it me. I cant control whether or not they are fraudulant in their desire to acquire money, I will leave that between them and the Creator, karma is a bitch.

Being a firm believer in "what comes around goes around", or more simply...karma, this is kind of my take too.

I have to refrain from asking people how they got to where they are though. May be cold-hearted of me, but I think I'd be less willing to give someone who's homeless money if the main reason they're homeless is because of their extremely poor choices in life. In other words, something preventable. Like an alcoholic who loses everything and becomes homeless...but continues to beg for booze money.

dcfaithful

81 wrote:

ofthegirl99 wrote:

In last months GQ, there was an article about a bank robbery schemed by a former high school quarterback, blah...blah...blah.... Anyway, he was caught by a homeless man that noticed his disguise was hidden by a dumpster he panhandled by....when the homeless man was interviewed he made mention that the economy was hurting his panhandling as well. He normally brought in $200 A DAY!!!!!, but since the recession he was only bringing in $50! $200 a day, tax free, thats freakin $73,000 a year!!!!

$52K if you only count week days, but yeah, still a ton of money.

i once read an article about this guy who worked a normal job, than after work, he would change into scrummy clothes and collect about the same amount as his salary pan handling

Taking advantage of people's good nature = a sure way to solidify yourself as being a worthless prick.

samsonite

Cree Nations wrote:

if I have money in my pocket and someone is desperate enough to ask me for some of it, I always give it to them, it could happen to anyone of us. If I am in the position to ask for money, I hope someone gives it it me. I cant control whether or not they are fraudulant in their desire to acquire money, I will leave that between them and the Creator, karma is a bitch.

i'm with you, it's not my job to judge the character of another. i'd rather help someone who's lying than ignore someone who needs help. convincing me you need help just makes you a good salesman, it says nothing about your true condition.

81

http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/ ... 6-million/

http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/167/5/477.pdf

mysticweed

99% of the time
i just give
to keep from
feeling guilty

RYEzupSF

If I have money to give I give. It is actually something I put into my budget. I don't care who is asking or what the reasons are. I live in a country where over 20% of the homeless are veterans, 40% are mentally ill. I live in a city where over 1.5% of the people are hardcore homeless. People are desperate. I'm not. I give.

That being said, I work with chronically homeless, mentally ill,substance using people coming out of jail. In the ten years I have been doing this work, I have learned so much about resilence and survival from my clients. I can't remember one person who I have worked with that has not survived serious abuse, trauma, violence, sexual abuse etc. Most of the people I work with are struggling with severe addiction and the addiction keeps them on the streets. But most of those people are smoking crack to quiet the voices in their heads, or drinking to forget losing their kids, shooting heroin because they are so fucked up from serving in Iraq (I'm working with more and more young homeless vets everyday). By no means am I saying this is true for everyone, and I know that there are people out there who aren't in that situation. But in my experience, the majority are in terrible situations and are doing what they have to do to survive. Our system has failed many of these people, so I do what I can. I'm not trying to be preachy, I'm just sharing my experience...

FenwayFaithful

I try to give to the panhandlers whenever I can, it's the Catholic in me. But I think sometimes that these guys on the street corners in Boston make more money panhandling than I do working.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

I dont give em a fucking thing..........

Who Princess

I don't spend time worrying about whether they're a fraud or not. But I've spend most of my adult life as a professional do-gooder, working in nonprofit agencies. I can tell you firsthand that there are a few people who abuse "the system" but just as many, probably more, who are abused by the system. I also know that many people become homeless because of drug/alcohol addiction and major mental illness. If I give someone money, there's a good chance I'm enabling an addiction. It may not bother some people if the asker spends the money on drugs or booze but it bothers me.

So if people ask me for money, I explain that I don't give money to people I don't know. Since they usually say that they're hungry or need a place to sleep, I tell them someplace nearby where they can stay or get a meal. (I can often tell by the reaction if they are genuinely looking for those things.) I realize that being in the helper business, I have more information about those resources than most people do. I will also tell that to panhandlers if they press me because they tend to understand that people who do the kind of work I've done usually aren't pushovers. I get hit up a lot, maybe because I'm female, maybe because I tend to make eye contact with people no matter who they are.

I hope I don't sound harsh because actually I'm a pretty soft touch when it comes to helping people. But not in a spur of the moment setting. I'll be the first to emphasize that NONE of us are immune to hard times. I just don't think handing over my spare change is the best way to help someone. Homelessness is a complicated problem.

Jason P

When I was an intern in San Francisco, they were everywhere. Plus, I had a 12 block walk from the BART subway and literally had to go through a gauntlet of beggars. I chose to walk because I hardly had enough money to pay for the subway, yet I still had to have over 100 people come up and beg me for money every morning and evening.

At first I would hand over what I could because I would feel guilty, but that would only attract attention up the block from more pan-handlers. I finally figured out the only way to keep them away was to numb my feelings and totally ignore them. Never glance at them. Don't cock your head if you hear them. Just keep walking and treat them as if they are cinder blocks. 99% of the time that will work. That may sound cold, but so be it. Your not really helping them by giving them money, your only helping sustain their problems. In my opinion.

Luckily, I now live in an area with zero pan-handlers . . . unless you count political groups.

rollings

eyedclaar wrote:

My idea for a fool proof pan-handling idea is to cut a hole in the top of a table that is covered with a blanket all the way to the ground. The blanket needs a hole in it too, but anyway, you hide beneath the blanket covered table, poke just your head through, wear some kind of army cap and claim to be a disabled vet. Just a head sitting there asking for $.

OMG! I saw this once!!

I couldn't believe it, there he was....just a poor head sitting on the table.

Me, I grabbed the head, as if receiving a hand-off, and tried to make off with it, running down the street.

Of course, the bewildered guy under the holed-blanketed table asked "WTF"?

I too replied "WTF? I'm only trying to get ahead too ya know."

81

Half Full wrote:

eyedclaar wrote:

My idea for a fool proof pan-handling idea is to cut a hole in the top of a table that is covered with a blanket all the way to the ground. The blanket needs a hole in it too, but anyway, you hide beneath the blanket covered table, poke just your head through, wear some kind of army cap and claim to be a disabled vet. Just a head sitting there asking for $.

OMG! I saw this once!!

I couldn't believe it, there he was....just a poor head sitting on the table.

Me, I grabbed the head, as if receiving a hand-off, and tried to make off with it, running down the street.

Of course, the bewildered guy under the holed-blanketed table asked "WTF"?

I too replied "WTF? I'm only trying to get ahead too ya know."

booooo

RKCNDY

I usually don't give money. Downtown, there is a program that helps true homeless people to get back on their feet: http://www.realchangenews.org/ The newspapers are sold for a $1 donation, the vendors (homeless people) pay $0.35/paper. They are working towards something. I buy a newspaper whenever I see a vendor.

Also, I weed out people who truly need a hand, I will offer to buy them food, offer my leftovers if I have a take-home box, offer whatever granola/candy bar I have in my bag. I realize many people did not ask to be homeless, but when I see that 'panhandler' out on the street corner every day, and in the evening going back to his brand new MinnieWinnie to bed down for the night...I have to think twice before giving a handout...all that cash they get from panhandling is tax free....$40-$75K/year tax-free, cash money......

UpSideDown

Cree Nations wrote:

if I have money in my pocket and someone is desperate enough to ask me for some of it, I always give it to them

Got any money in your pocket right now?

dcfaithful

UpSideDown wrote:

Cree Nations wrote:

if I have money in my pocket and someone is desperate enough to ask me for some of it, I always give it to them

Got any money in your pocket right now?

He's got a beard...he must be homeless. :P

Cree Nations

UpSideDown wrote:

Cree Nations wrote:

if I have money in my pocket and someone is desperate enough to ask me for some of it, I always give it to them

Got any money in your pocket right now?

thankfully no, one of the reasons I try not to keep money on me.....;)

gearboy

i normally just ignore them but I have been known to ask them to do 5 push-ups, I explain to them that I Work hard for my money so they should to. not once has anyone done a push-up

chadwick

i give anyway everything
when i get to be wealthier than i am today
i am going to have a blast giving people all sorts of unexpected/unusual things

CJMST3K

chadwick

CJMST3K wrote:

that sign sucks
i like helping others
whether they are real or a scam
to me it does not matter

i see a poor homeless looking person
they want some help
i will do what i can

i'll then go home and enjoy the rest of my day

CJMST3K

chadwick wrote:

CJMST3K wrote:

that sign sucks
i like helping others
whether they are real or a scam
to me it does not matter

i see a poor homeless looking person
they want some help
i will do what i can

i'll then go home and enjoy the rest of my day

If I believed a person is in distress, and that my money would help them better their situation, then I would. But I believe a number, if not most of them, are professional panhandlers who are probably making $15 or more an hour tax free. Or for those panhandling in Oregon near a Walmart, they make $300 a day according to the police.


http://www.komonews.com/news/local/15157611.html

COOS BAY, Ore. - A police survey says panhandlers outside Wal-Mart in Coos Bay can make $300 a day. Inside, it takes a clerk a week to make that much.

Police say people who have a problem with that needn't look to the law - asking for money is considered protected free speech.

Coos Bay authorities say most panhandlers are not criminals.

Coos Bay Police Captain Rodger Craddock says most have lived in the city a long time and they actually have homes. Craddock says, "This is just their chosen profession."

He says most are docile, and that people should report those who are not.

Bob More, director of housing and emergency services at South Coast Community Action, says many panhandlers are there for the money - to feed their addictions.

He suggested a voucher system involving tickets people could give that are good for a meal or bed in a shelter.

rollings

To test the genuineness of a pan-handler?

Give him some real food and note his reaction.