This is why I avoid panhandlers and many of the "homeless" in Chicago (rent, violent crime)

[Ron.]

You use one story to justify your logic..................How often do you hear stories like this, not to often?

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Woman beaten on her birthday by homeless panhandlers:

Woman In Coma After Alleged Beating By Homeless Couple - News Story - WMAQ | Chicago
Homeless couple charged in S. Loop attack :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime (http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1129251,loopattack082708.article - broken link)


People have scoffed at my warnings against interacting with panhandlers in the city. Now one must see my logic.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

You use one story to justify your logic..................How often do you hear stories like this, not to often?

can't speak for Avengerfire, but considering many homeless people suffer from some sort of mental illness or substance abuse issues, it's just not wise to press your luck when dealing w/ them and the vast majority are just best left alone.

IMHO, this story has only come to light due to the severity of the incident (woman was put in drug induced coma) and the fact that it happened in the "safe" South Loop. I have no doubt at all there are more reports of women being assaulted by the homeless and both men and women being harassed by them, whether verbally or physically. these stories just don't make it on the news though

[BJT83]

Get a grip, this doesn't happen that often. Pretty soon we're going to have to profile every single person in the city?

How about the beating of homeless people by kids? 10-year-olds attack, beat homeless man, police say - CNN.com

Am I going to cross the street to avoid 10 year olds now? Nope.

For the record, the Tribune states that the male victim of this attack DID try to subdue these people, but things got out of control. The poster who claimed he did nothing should have read that. Also, FWIW, about once a week I buy the same homeless guy an egg mcmuffin at the mcdonald's by my work and eat one with him. He's a very nice guy, never harasses me...point is, they aren't ALL nut jobs.

[long101]

There is a guy that sits on the corner everyday asking people for money with his sign. Well about 3 weeks ago I was getting coffee in Starbucks and I saw the guy inside paying for his drink. He took out a roll of 20s which had to equal 300+. Since I saw that I dont look at "homeless" people the same. I know that most of them truly are homeless and you cant get a job without a residence and I do feel sorry for them. However there are quite a few that take advantage of other peoples kindness.

[BJT83]

Originally Posted by long101

There is a guy that sits on the corner everyday asking people for money with his sign. Well about 3 weeks ago I was getting coffee in Starbucks and I saw the guy inside paying for his drink. He took out a roll of 20s which had to equal 300+. Since I saw that I dont look at "homeless" people the same. I know that most of them truly are homeless and you cant get a job without a residence and I do feel sorry for them. However there are quite a few that take advantage of other peoples kindness.

Yeah, but even the ones who don't need help do their part to relieve me of my white, liberal guilt

[aragx6]

That's such crap. People confuse guilt and empathy. I can care about someone's life without feeling guilty for what I have. If that makes me "a bleeding heart liberal" then so be it. What a travesty when, in this country, caring about the less fortunate is a four-letter word.

[BJT83]

I was making fun of myself, so I don't see how you can think that's crap. I agree that there's a fuzzy line between guilt and empathy. I'd like to think I'm being empathetic when I give to panhandlers (always food, never money, by the way), but it also makes me feel good about myself. I think that's unavoidable. Does that make my giving self-centered? Probably, but I'm sure the dude with the egg mcmuffin could care less about my internal crisis. He's just happy to eat a hot breakfast.

[i blame history]

My fiance and I emptied our pockets of change for a woman not too long ago, and it was literaly ALL the cash we had on us. The next step would have been for us to hand over our bank cards. After swearing up and down that she'd "be greatful for whatever we could give," she took one look at what we handed her, rolled her eyes, made some rude remark, and turned to harrass a girl who was walking right by us.

I don't see myself "donating" to anyone else, after that. I have about $200 TO MY NAME at the moment. Most of that change was change that we had found on the gorund... we dive to the sidewalk for pennies to save, while I've seen people just empty handfulls of coins on the ground to avoid carrying them. Many $50 deposits have been made to our savings account just from change that we pick up from the ground and find in public couches. Sure, we look like morons, and maybe we are. But walking away from a couch with $3 that I didn't have before sure does feel good.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by aragx6

That's such crap. People confuse guilt and empathy. I can care about someone's life without feeling guilty for what I have. If that makes me "a bleeding heart liberal" then so be it. What a travesty when, in this country, caring about the less fortunate is a four-letter word.

It's not a bad thing.
I worked downtown for about 8 years but at that time I was young, fit and not an easy target so I didn't worry about being assaulted by the homeless except on a few instances where I came across people who were obviously *not right* mentally that were acting aggressively.

It's a hard call, when are you helping and when are you enabling?
Additionally, many of these people are pretty dang dangerous with past histories of violence, mental illness, carrying Hep C, HIV etc.

In general I avoid them but if the guy is playing an instrument, is polite and seems not messed up on drugs etc. then I'd give them some money.

I've also seen most of the various scams like....I need a ticket to get to Milwaukee and then if you go to buy it for them they can exchange the ticket for cash. I would have fallen for that one but it seemed odd that the woman wouldn't go up to the ticket counter with me and the ticket lady let me in on it.

[Steve-o]

Its best just to not talk to them. Ive had a few run-ins with panhandlers who were extremely persistent and annoying. It wasnt until I freaked out on them that they left us alone. I dont advise freaking out on them, but there were 2 other guys with me at the time.