To me, these people are one of the scourges of modern life. Well, yes, there may be some TRULY needy people .... but at least over here in Oz ........ I think there are a lot of agencies set up to deal with those truly in need.  However .... some of these have alcohol, drug addiction, gambling problems ..... so ..... even if the government gives them a hand out ... they may quickly blow it on whatever their addiction might be .... then .... accost YOU in the street !

Tonight, I was almost home ..... when some Aboriginal (almost certainly ... given the area I live in ) shouted across the road ... having opportunily spotted me walking briskly home close to midnight ....'Hey 'mate' ..... can you spare me $2.50 for the fare home ?!

Well, I felt like responding 'Hey ! I'm NOT your 'mate' !  >:(  Aboriginal, or otherwise .... (I don't care what color/creed you are) .... as a total stranger going past on their way home, minding their own business ... I aint gonna suddenly jump out and come to your rescue when I know jack sh** about you .... especially when I suspect all of the above ^


So .... how do YOU deal with these would be pests ?

They are one of my pet hates ..... these people who are always asking 'can you spare any loose change' .... can you spare 50 cents .. .. can you spare .... can you spare ......

Man, if we ALL  just handed it over .... these people would soon be millionaires (especially if they have other regular income !).


They, are up there with cyclists on the footpath, whizzing behind your shoulder (for me). Oh, sorry, I just knocked you to the ground. Huh? Apart from scaring the sh!t out of me on a regular basis ....you even  think 'sorry' covers my sharing this FOOTpath (moron !)  >:( >:(  with you !! Frig off ! If you can't be bothered to get a drivers license, catch a bus/train/walk like the rest of us ..... what the hell is your business on this friggin' footpath ? Hey everybody .... I want to hear you say 'I'm as mad as hell .... and I'M NOT gonna take it anymore!' I wanna punch these selfish pricks out that don't give a damn about stealthily coming up behind you / possibly colliding with you ... and ... think they have a RIGHT to be there too (?)  >:(  8-P >:( DICK-HEADS !!  >:( >:(

! Man .... whilst I like to feel good karma towards the world ..... there's no doubt there are a lot of jerks  >:( very selfish jerks .... out there !  >:(




Your input ?  ???

The beggars used to work the train station big time before they got banned. 'Can you spare however much so I can buy a ticket' etc, or 'I haven't got quite enough for a ticket home'.

I have bought people food before but as it's not what they really want even though they say 'can you spare any change so I can buy food' you usually get a load of abuse for your trouble.

We had an Irish family that used to beg with children/babies in Oxford, they have been banned now also. The money those women made out of the tourists in the summer was untrue. 

On the Tube in London years ago, there used to be a series of 'professional beggars' from one of the Eastern Block countires. The women used to be carrying a baby, and because the women cannot not allegedly speak English, handed a hand written card with words stating "I am homeless, no work, I have to care for this baby, etc". When sitting on the train and one of these women approached me, I would take my time to read the card, nodding understanding and then produce a previously written card out of my pocket with "I am unemployed too".

I deal with it by feeling bad when I'm stopped at a red light and someone is standing there with a sign and I think should I go get them something to eat? Do they even want food? I don't know, I just feel guilty sometimes because I don't know who is really needy and who isn't. 

he asked for you for two-fitty? Is that the rate of fare?  I don't know if I would have given or not, just depends on how he looked, and my gut instinct. I don't mind helping the poor, or those poorer than me  :-\\

If you go to San Francisco, you'll be acosted by panhandlers every 20 yards. It's ridiculous, and yet it's sad there are so many. one time in Santa Cruz at the Boardwalk, I gave this this dude a buck just because his cardboard sign was so honest.  it read "why lie, I need money for beer"  that made me laugh so I pitched in.

Interesting comments. ^    ^^      ^^^        ^^^^

Yeah, I generally stay looking straight  into space, pretend I never heard, and walk straight on by. Actually, some skinny little young brat of a guy came up to me and  asked me for some money a couple of months back. Think I was busy making a phone call from an open public phone booth at the time. This time, I briefly acknowledged his presence with a momentary glance, but,  saying nothing. He then abused me, shouting "Oh .... you're ignorant I see' .... or words to that effect. He carried on walking up the street. The more I dwelled on this, the more I later felt like punching his lights out. He invades my space .... then abuses me for not co-operating with his agenda !

As I said, some 'dicks' out there !

I don't have bus fare, I lost my wallet is a very old plea, I've seen it too many times for any of them to be legit.  Especially if I'm with a woman.

The ones that really irritate me, are the little league baseball teams or church organizations that get a pail and setup shop in busy intersections.  The worst I saw was in my hometown, at an intersection of a 50mph road (where I've seen semi-trucks fly by at 60+mph).  People walking up and down the median strip everytime the light changed.  Would love to know what genius allowed them to set up shop there.  "Voluntary Toll" I've seen some of them called too.  It's dangerous for everyone involved, and usually for groups that can earn the money in other ways anyways.

I don't have bus fare, I lost my wallet is a very old plea, I've seen it too many times for any of them to be legit.  Especially if I'm with a woman.



I get this a lot coming out of the Supermarket. The old, "My car broke down and I need bus fare to get home to my wife and kids"
routine, just so happens to be a liquor store right next to the Supermarket. I refuse to to give these people money, the only guy
I gave money to was the guy who was honest. He told me he needed money to buy a bottle, I admired the honesty and gave him
a couple of bucks.

Another guy told me he needed bus fare because the guy he was driving with got pulled over and was being arrested. I thought,
now this is a different story, I still didn't believe but I gave him the change in my ashtray and told him that's all I had. As I was going
home, about a 1/2 mile away, there was a police car with a car pulled over and an occupant in the back seat. Now, was the guy
taking advantage of an opportunity or was he telling the truth?

I don't make a habit of giving to beggars, especially the street urchins under the guise of kid sports, who accost you going
into the convenience store.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/tbr/lowres/tbrn26l.jpg





???
Man .... I'm starting to 'see the light' .... seeing a business opportunity here. We now have 2 cases .... where people (Badfinger/ Loki) have handed over money to people who said they needed money for booze !














http://www.coloradowineassociation.com/Portals/0/Accesory%20Images%20and%20Info/WinoSlow.jpg


















http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mba/lowres/mban1986l.jpg



Hey, I'm gonna hit the streets with that one ! When I'm a multi- millionaire (anytime within the next few days) .... you're all invited to my party. Heck, I'll probably just fly you all out to wherever !  ;)  ;D

I would take my time to read the card, nodding understanding and then produce a previously written card out of my pocket with "I am unemployed too".



that's great, Phillip! ;D

that's great, Phillip! ;D


Yes ... that IS a clever idea. I've often thought of retorting with something like 'I'm down on my luck  too .... can you spare ME a dime' although some of them would probably not believe you, and give you one torrent of abuse .... or worse .....

Occasionally I will give some money or food to one or two of the regulars I used to see in town.  If I'm feeling mean, I'll detour around the place where I know they'll be sitting.

and here is something else I don't quite understand. I would rather give a bum money for booze than cigarettes 

and here is something else I don't quite understand. I would rather give a bum money for booze than cigarettes 


Not so hard to understand. Most of us drink booze ..... and although we realise excess is harmful, we don't associate so much with cancer. Giving money to someone to buy 'cancer sticks' ..... well, I refuse (have done for years) to buy my brother cigarettes as a gift anymore, though I'll happily buy him whiskey. If he wants to kill himself slowly ... that's his business. Don't want it on MY conscience !

Not so hard to understand. Most of us drink booze ..... and although we realise excess is harmful, we don't associate so much with cancer. Giving money to someone to buy 'cancer sticks' ..... well, I refuse (have done for years) to buy my brother cigarettes as a gift anymore, though I'll happily buy him whiskey. If he wants to kill himself slowly ... that's his business. Don't want it on MY conscience !
good point, that must be it.  smoking & lung cancer related together. good deduction Al.

Yes ... that IS a clever idea. I've often thought of retorting with something like 'I'm down on my luck  too .... can you spare ME a dime' although some of them would probably not believe you, and give you one torrent of abuse .... or worse .....
If ask on the street for money, a typical reply from me (especially now) would be "Sorry no, I am unemployed too and you probably have more mone than me anyway".

Whenever they ask me "Do you have any change", I say yes, and I just keep walking.  He only asked me if I had change,  He never said he wanted any ;D

A few years ago, there was a guy in his late teens in a shopping mall here collecting money for Salvation Army.  Nothing wrong with that right?  In this case there was, because a few hours later, this guy was overheard outside talking about how he just scammed people into thinking he was collecting for the needy >:(

Whenever they ask me "Do you have any change", I say yes, and I just keep walking.  He only asked me if I had change,  He never said he wanted any ;D
What has happened to the word please?

If ask on the street for money, a typical reply from me (especially now) would be "Sorry no, I am unemployed too and you probably have more mone than me anyway".
and then they feel guilty  ;D    good one


Whenever they ask me "Do you have any change", I say yes, and I just keep walking.  He only asked me if I had change,  He never said he wanted any ;D

A few years ago, there was a guy in his late teens in a shopping mall here collecting money for Salvation Army.  Nothing wrong with that right?  In this case there was, because a few hours later, this guy was overheard outside talking about how he just scammed people into thinking he was collecting for the needy >:(
my older brothers friend scammed people with his little table and American flags collecting money for veterans of war. my brother said he kept at least half of the proceeds.



once I completely puzzled this panhandling individual. when he said "spare change"  I replied "no thanks"  

On the day I was told of my redundacy last year. I was walking through a shopping mall and was stopped by one of charity collectors that ask you for money by direct debit. I almost exploded. When asked by this collector my reply was "You are asking me for money on the day I am losing job, get away!"
The collecter stood there dumbfounded.

What has happened to the word please?


These beggars would beat the sh*t out of you and steal your wallet before they would say please.

The best gag.  If you see one coming your way, and you know he's going to ask you, before he starts to talk, interrupt him and ask him if HE can spare any change ;D

The best gag.  If you see one coming your way, and you know he's going to ask you, before he starts to talk, interrupt him and ask him if HE can spare any change ;D
That is it, make sure that you are the dominate person in the conversation.

On the day I was told of my redundacy last year. I was walking through a shopping mall and was stopped by one of charity collectors that ask you for money by direct debit. I almost exploded. When asked by this collector my reply was "You are asking me for money on the day I am losing job, get away!"
The collecter stood there dumbfounded.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0S020pcm5lHVOYACUGjzbkF/SIG=12r1hsd6p/EXP=1201335516/**http%3A//images.ciao.com/ide/images/products/normal/382/product-21382.jpg

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0S020pcm5lHVOYACUGjzbkF/SIG=12r1hsd6p/EXP=1201335516/**http%3A//images.ciao.com/ide/images/products/normal/382/product-21382.jpg
I was not that bad.

I was not that bad.
Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down was bad. I think he asked for change to make a phone call at the store and the clerk wouldn't give him change for his dollar, so he went to buy a can of coke, but the cost would not leave him enough change for the phone call and he just lost it  :D  >:( 

Michael Douglas in the movie Falling Down was bad. I think he asked for change to make a phone call at the store and the clerk wouldn't give him change for his dollar, so he went to buy a can of coke, but the cost would not leave him enough change for the phone call and he just lost it  :D  >:( 
I remember seeing the clips on tv, should I watch it?

I remember seeing the clips on tv, should I watch it?
oh yes, it's a good movie. one thing after another, his life goes from bad to worse and he goes mental. I think Robert Duvall is the cop trying to stop him before he hurts someone

Back in the 90's there were alot of 'New Age Travellers' or Crusties as we called them and they always had dogs. One guy asked my friend and me 'Can you spare some change for my dog' and my friend said 'Why what's he going to do with it?' Which threw the guy a bit.  ;D

In the U.K we have a magazine called The Big Issue. it's sold by the homeless for the homeless and is a great idea in principle. I used to buy it when it first came out, it was out every two weeks, it then became weekly and the price has gone up and up and up and the magazine got thinner and thinner. I've stopped now because I can't actually afford to buy it every week anymore.  :-\\

Back in the 90's there were alot of 'New Age Travellers' or Crusties as we called them and they always had dogs. One guy asked my friend and me 'Can you spare some change for my dog' and my friend said 'Why what's he going to do with it?' Which threw the guy a bit.  ;D
What ever happened to Swampy?

What ever happened to Swampy?
Probably still living up a tree!  ;D

We had one in Oxford the other week called Gabriel trying to stop them cutting down the last tree in the memorial square. I was supporting him wholeheartedly I HATE the way they have cut all the trees down in the city centre.  :(
A couple of years ago a tree blew over on top of a parked car and killed the woman inside it. The council hadn't been maintaining the trees, checking for disease etc and got fined for it. Their solution was to cut down all the trees so they don't have to bother maintatining them! There was this beautiful big tree in a churchyard near where I work and they chainsawed it to the ground despite the protests. It was incredible when it happened, this huge crowd stood watching in absolute dead silence, the atmosphere was like being at a funeral or a memorial service.   

In the U.K we have a magazine called The Big Issue. it's sold by the homeless for the homeless and is a great idea in principle. I used to buy it when it first came out, it was out every two weeks, it then became weekly and the price has gone up and up and up and the magazine got thinner and thinner. I've stopped now because I can't actually afford to buy it every week anymore.  :-\\
I have never brought a copy of The Big Issue, does it have a Sudoku puzzle in it?

On the day I was told of my redundacy last year. I was walking through a shopping mall and was stopped by one of charity collectors that ask you for money by direct debit. I almost exploded. When asked by this collector my reply was "You are asking me for money on the day I am losing job, get away!"
The collecter stood there dumbfounded.



How about that ! I have never visualized you having a temper .... up till this point.

You're always looking so sedentary to me .... ->  http://www.inthe00s.com/avatars_custom/avatar_365.png

Shouldn't judge a person by their avatar ?

How about that ! I have never visualized you having a temper .... up till this point.

You're always looking so sedentary to me .... ->  http://www.inthe00s.com/avatars_custom/avatar_365.png

Shouldn't judge a person by their avatar ?
It was a highly emotive day.

There are some bums who ask for food or money to buy the food so which would you do?

There are some bums who ask for food or money to buy the food so which would you do?


Give them the food. Hand them your 'Big Mac' .... BUT leave the green pickles on ! They are unlikely to hassle you the NEXT time !  :-X  ;D

There are some bums who ask for food or money to buy the food so which would you do?
If I am carrying a sandwich of which I do not particularly fancy, I give the sandwich away, even when it is old, etc...

Give them the food. Hand them your 'Big Mac' .... BUT leave the green pickles on ! They are unlikely to hassle you the NEXT time !  :-X   ;D
I like the gherkins!

I like the gherkins!


Yes, I do remember this one beggar .... the trick didn't work. Like Oliver Twist, he was always asking for more. He was a little over 6 foot, bearded, late 40's (?) ... this was in the UK a few years back .... had a beard ... sort of looked like Rolf Harris ? 

In the U.K we have a magazine called The Big Issue. it's sold by the homeless for the homeless and is a great idea in principle. I used to buy it when it first came out, it was out every two weeks, it then became weekly and the price has gone up and up and up and the magazine got thinner and thinner. I've stopped now because I can't actually afford to buy it every week anymore.  :-\\


I never bought it regularly but would sometimes stop and get a copy.  The problem in town was too many people selling it in my opinion.  The town I'm from isn't that big, most of the shops are still around the market square and it wasn't unusual to have three or four people in that area trying to sell you the Big Issue.  As you say it got more expensive and poorer value so I stopped buying it about a year ago.

Guess I have a soft heart then. I don't mind giving spare change to the homeless people around here.

This one beggar was bolder than some I've met, while enjoying a crab cocktail at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, a bum approached me & asked if he could have a bite. I said "no, take the whole thing & I'll get me another one". 

We had a man on the corner by the freeway for a week in the town where I was growing up.  He had a sign about feeding his family.  Our youth group bought him several bags of groceries and he told the leader he wanted money not food.  So, I don't like giving change, but I will give them food.  I don't do it often, usually it is the ones who say they are vets.  I have a soft spot for veterans. If I see them and I am running into the store for a second I will pick up a couple of things.  I also bought on chicken nuggets, chili and a drink from Wendys.  It was cold and I felt bad for him.

Give them the food. Hand them your 'Big Mac' .... BUT leave the green pickles on ! They are unlikely to hassle you the NEXT time !  :-X   ;D


What if they want money to buy a coffee and a doughnut? ???

We get a lot of cardboard sign people showing up in spring and summer.  One day I was riding in the car with my dad and there was a guy with a sign that said homeless.  He must have had 20 keys clipped to his belt loop.  If any of them come up to me I could start using sign language that should frustrate most if not all.

http://www.amiright.com/parody/60s/disneysmarypoppins0.shtml

The beggars used to work the train station big time before they got banned. 'Can you spare however much so I can buy a ticket' etc, or 'I haven't got quite enough for a ticket home'.

I have bought people food before but as it's not what they really want even though they say 'can you spare any change so I can buy food' you usually get a load of abuse for your trouble.

We had an Irish family that used to beg with children/babies in Oxford, they have been banned now also. The money those women made out of the tourists in the summer was untrue.   
I hate people who use their kids to help them beg.having kids doesn't mean you're needy--only that you're "breedy".if you don't have money,don't breed.if these people got money,they rarely spend it on the kids anyway.

I like the gherkins!
Me too!

I'm a bleeding heart liberal...just not an irrational one.

Around here the majority of street panhandlers suffer from substance abuse problems often accompanied by psychiatric problems.  If you give them a quarter, or a dollar, or twenty dollars, chances are they're going to drink it or shoot it. 

Street begging does not get the beggar off the street.  I'm sure as hell not going to morally chasten folks who end up on the street, but I'm not about to enable it either.  If you are truly homeless and hungry, the worst thing you can do is stand on the corner.  I've had my share of problems, never quite went homeless or hungry, but came close enough to taste it.  America has a disgraceful lack of social safety net; however, there are ways climbing out of the pit.  Like everything else in this country, it's a hustle.  There still are government programs to help you with food, housing, and vocational rehab; there are similar programs in private benifcent organizations, but their numbers and funding are both paltry.  Getting to them is a Spartan battle.  Routinely hungry people are denied food money and homeless people are denied shelter, when this happens your only choices are keep trying or die.  You need your wits about you.  Sobriety is vital.  Sitting on the corner with your hand out is not the answer. 

A lot of right-wingers would cheer those last statements.  They don't understand.  This is not a good thing.  A lot of the people on the street--drug users or sober--are not healthy enough to go for that aggressive edge.  That's the Catch-22.  If they were wiley and aggresssive, they wouldn't be homeless in the first place. 

There are outreach organizations you can donate money to, but it's better not to hand out money on the street. 

Some of your Archie Bunker-types will say, "Go get a job, you bum!"  If you've been homeless for twelve weeks and you walk into an employment agency, you've got a snowball's chance!  You're all beat up and grubby-looking and you can't even put down an phone number on the application!

Some people suggest taking the bum who's begging for a coffee and a sandwich into the shop to buy him the coffee and the sandwich.  This is only practical if you've got the time to do it...and the will to spend time with a street person.  If you walk into some cafes with a homeless guy or a bag lady, the proprietors will through the both of you out.  A lot of times homeless people suffer a syndrome of mental health problems, substance abuse, and rational paranoia from being hurt on the street.  They might not be too keen about going anywhere with you!

The panhandlers in Amherst are obnoxious drunks who frighten the children and curse at passersby.  I have no qualms about giving them the cold shoulder.
::)

Give them the food. Hand them your 'Big Mac' .... BUT leave the green pickles on ! They are unlikely to hassle you the NEXT time !  :-X   ;D

Hand them enough Big Macs with pickles and they won't be able to hassle anybody ever again!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/05/grim.gif

Our local news set up hidden cameras on a corner frequented by beggars. One guy in his 40's shown
up in the morning, stood on the corner until about 5 pm then was relieved by a middle aged woman.
The news crew followed the man around the corner and watched him get into a Saturn. They then
followed him as he drove to the suburbs. Turns out the man and woman were working as a team pulling
a double shift and making a pretty decent tax free living. Makes you think twice before handing over those
nickles, doesn't it?

Hand them enough Big Macs with pickles and they won't be able to hassle anybody ever again!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/05/grim.gif


and don't forget the cups of coffee.

Hand them enough Big Macs with pickles and they won't be able to hassle anybody ever again!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/05/grim.gif




and don't forget the cups of coffee.



..... and don't forget to give them a card with the address of THIS site on it. If they are TRULY needy, leading them here is the thing likely to give them the most sustenance.  8)

Hopefully, though .... none will read THIS thread, else I might anticipate a lynch mob ?    ???


Hey, if they say "Buddy, can you spare dime (?) , cos I need money for the internet cafe"  .... "I want to visit 'inthe00s' "  ???  8)  well, I just MIGHT crack for that line ?  ???  :-\\