Why I don't give anything to panhandlers.

#26
#26
bamacheats said:
Here, the bums pick intersections with 3 minute cycles. They average $5 per red light. That's 20 cycles per hour, or $100 per hour.
Click to expand...

The only people I give to in these situations are the Shriners. If I see somebody with a bucket I just ignore them or tell them all I have is my drinking money. I'll occasionally give a few bucks to some guy on the interstate ramp but it's rare.
 
#27
#27
I stop and help people if they are broke down or in need from time to time. But about 5yrs ago I was driving home from work. As I exited off of I-40 at Straw Plains I saw a man sitting on a bucket panhandling right on the edge of the road at the traffic light.

I was driving my jeep with the top off and turning left which put me right beside him at the red light. He stood up as I came to a stop. I took a look at him and noticed that his entire face was heavily tattooed. The sign he was holding said "please help, cannot find work". I turned the radio down and told him he might should have considered that before tatting his entire face. Save the cost of the ink and he would have been able to make it through a job interview.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Then he mumbled some cuss words at me, I paused and then spit tobacco between his feet, broke eye contact and drove off.

Wife said it was a dick move, but I felt ok about it overall.

Be safe,

CH_V
 
#29
#29
Nerd-Vol said:
I do wonder if you can make more than 7.25 an hour panhandling in most cities. If so, minimum wage is for the birds, unless you have that pesky pride issue.
Click to expand...

Easily.

Think of all the foot traffic in large cities. New York for example, 100's of people pass you in an hour. Heck, probably in 15 minutes. If 7 of 100 give you just a dollar, you've got 7 dollars. In an hour, it's probably really easy to get 20 bucks or more and it's not taxed.

I remember a news segment several years ago where a guy was panhandling in New York I believe it was. They followed the guy because they heard he's a scam artist. If I recall, at the end of the day, the dude grabbed a bag of clothes from under the dumpster, changed his clothes, went around the corner and hopped into his porsche.

With that being said, there are homeless that people really have no hope. If they have no family to rely on and no address, it's kind of hard to get a job or even get help to get back on their feet. You can't apply for anything without an address. Maybe if you get yourself into a homeless shelter you can use that as address, I really don't know. Seems like it could be hard for homeless people to get back on their feet if they have no address and no family/friends.
 
#30
#30
CopperHead_Vol said:
I stop and help people if they are broke down or in need from time to time. But about 5yrs ago I was driving home from work. As I exited off of I-40 at Straw Plains I saw a man sitting on a bucket panhandling right on the edge of the road at the traffic light.

I was driving my jeep with the top off and turning left which put me right beside him at the red light. He stood up as I came to a stop. I took a look at him and noticed that his entire face was heavily tattooed. The sign he was holding said "please help, cannot find work". I turned the radio down and told him he might should have considered that before tatting his entire face. Save the cost of the ink and he would have been able to make it through a job interview.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Then he mumbled some cuss words at me, I paused and then spit tobacco between his feet, broke eye contact and drove off.

Wife said it was a dick move, but I felt ok about it overall.

Be safe,

CH_V
Click to expand...

You be safe, CH_V, you be safe.
 
#31
#31
CopperHead_Vol said:
I stop and help people if they are broke down or in need from time to time. But about 5yrs ago I was driving home from work. As I exited off of I-40 at Straw Plains I saw a man sitting on a bucket panhandling right on the edge of the road at the traffic light.

I was driving my jeep with the top off and turning left which put me right beside him at the red light. He stood up as I came to a stop. I took a look at him and noticed that his entire face was heavily tattooed. The sign he was holding said "please help, cannot find work". I turned the radio down and told him he might should have considered that before tatting his entire face. Save the cost of the ink and he would have been able to make it through a job interview.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Then he mumbled some cuss words at me, I paused and then spit tobacco between his feet, broke eye contact and drove off.

Wife said it was a dick move, but I felt ok about it overall.

Be safe,

CH_V
Click to expand...

How did any of your actions help his situation? It's a bit late to tell him about the tattoo issue.

I agree with your wife.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
#33
#33
Is a panhandler the guy who rides around in the wagon with pans hanging off the side?
 
#34
#34
CopperHead_Vol said:
I stop and help people if they are broke down or in need from time to time. But about 5yrs ago I was driving home from work. As I exited off of I-40 at Straw Plains I saw a man sitting on a bucket panhandling right on the edge of the road at the traffic light.

I was driving my jeep with the top off and turning left which put me right beside him at the red light. He stood up as I came to a stop. I took a look at him and noticed that his entire face was heavily tattooed. The sign he was holding said "please help, cannot find work". I turned the radio down and told him he might should have considered that before tatting his entire face. Save the cost of the ink and he would have been able to make it through a job interview.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Then he mumbled some cuss words at me, I paused and then spit tobacco between his feet, broke eye contact and drove off.

Wife said it was a dick move, but I felt ok about it overall.

Be safe,

CH_V
Click to expand...

maybe the spitting of the tobacco at him was a dick move but that's it. The rest of it was right on. He made the choice to tat his face, should have made better choices if a job was so important like people have told him all his life.
 
#36
#36
GreveHaller said:
maybe the spitting of the tobacco at him was a dick move but that's it. The rest of it was right on. He made the choice to tat his face, should have made better choices if a job was so important like people have told him all his life.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but how did his advice help him at all. He was simply being "that guy". That would be like me going to a former smoker who now has lung cancer and saying "heh, you probably shouldn't of smoked" it's not really helpful advice anymore.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#37
#37
Nerd-Vol said:
Yeah, but how did his advice help him at all. He was simply being "that guy". That would be like me going to a former smoker who now has lung cancer and saying "heh, you probably shouldn't of smoked" it's not really helpful advice anymore.
Click to expand...

difference is tat boy isn't dying.

Actually, it would help tat guy to realizes that prior choices do have consequences maybe he should do something that beg for money because he blew his on disfiguring his face beyond being employable. He has to find a way to overcome those mistakes and find his niche because asking for money aint cuttin' it.

He can also take those lessons and pass it on to members of his family to not make the mistakes he made.
 
#38
#38
GreveHaller said:
difference is tat boy isn't dying.

Actually, it would help tat guy to realizes that prior choices do have consequences maybe he should do something that beg for money because he blew his on disfiguring his face beyond being employable. He has to find a way to overcome those mistakes and find his niche because asking for money aint cuttin' it.

He can also take those lessons and pass it on to members of his family to not make the mistakes he made.
Click to expand...

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer." -Bruce Lee
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#41
#41
I just usually grab my phone and start talking OR I tell them that my money goes to my children

If they want my dough, they can go through my church to get it.
 
#43
#43
Deputy Fife said:
They can begin to prove that by doing something other than begging.
Click to expand...

Mental illness is pretty rampant among homeless populations. Factor that in with addictions, poor lifestyle choices, health issues, etc and many of them are flat out not employable in the traditional sense.

I am not making excuses for them. Give however you wish or don't give at all. I am not judging anyone, just saying that not all of them are driving home in shiny Fiats after a day of fleecing the populace.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
#44
#44
f77f00 said:
Mental illness is pretty rampant among homeless populations. Factor that in with addictions, poor lifestyle choices, health issues, etc and many of them are flat out not employable in the traditional sense.

I am not making excuses for them. Give however you wish or don't give at all. I am not judging anyone, just saying that not all of them are driving home in shiny Fiats after a day of fleecing the populace.
Click to expand...


Yes a lot of people are dealt s***** hands in life & a lot choose to never do anything to change it.
 
#46
#46
govols/cc said:
Yes a lot of people are dealt s***** hands in life & a lot choose to never do anything to change it.
Click to expand...

Yes and sometimes they are not able to overcome whatever demons or illnesses they are dealing with.

There are resources in most cities and that can be a path back to normalcy for some people. Others are never going to seek that kind of help for a multitude of reasons.

The population runs the gamut. Not everyone grows up with traditional family stability. Some kids are not safe at home and never will be. They run and it usually doesn't end well. You have vets with mental and physical issues, women with kids, "normal" folks that end up homeless due to illness, loss of income, massive bills, what have you. Straight up junkie low-life types that are happy to take your hard earned money, etc. All kinds of folks are out there.

Not everyone is living with a safety net. Not everyone is capable of functioning in a normal society.

Help if you like. Use money to help if you want, volunteer to help if you want, or ignore them if you wish. All valid options.
 
#47
#47
f77f00 said:
Mental illness is pretty rampant among homeless populations. Factor that in with addictions, poor lifestyle choices, health issues, etc and many of them are flat out not employable in the traditional sense.

I am not making excuses for them. Give however you wish or don't give at all. I am not judging anyone, just saying that not all of them are driving home in shiny Fiats after a day of fleecing the populace.
Click to expand...

There's no need to separate addiction from poor lifestyle choices. Addiction IS a poor lifestyle choice.
 
#48
#48
f77f00 said:
Mental illness is pretty rampant among homeless populations. Factor that in with addictions, poor lifestyle choices, health issues, etc and many of them are flat out not employable in the traditional sense.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about posting something similar but I figured it would fall on deaf ears.

There are certainly homeless who made poor yet conscious decisions that lead them to where they are. But there are also many that have mental illness and wouldn't be able to hold down a job even if given the opportunity. They don't have the support or capability to make decisions that would help keep them off the street. Sad existence
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#49
#49
A professor decided to do an experiment to see how much a homeless guy really made in NYC. He ended up making 150 k tax free.
 
#50
#50
golfballs said:
I was thinking about posting something similar but I figured it would fall on deaf ears.

There are certainly homeless who made poor yet conscious decisions that lead them to where they are. But there are also many that have mental illness and wouldn't be able to hold down a job even if given the opportunity. They don't have the support or capability to make decisions that would help keep them off the street. Sad existence
Click to expand...

Sad thing is they still find a way to procreate.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top