Alot of beggers in Houston? (Austin, Fresno: homes, buy, college)

[Sassyroots]

Originally Posted by David Dollar

I seem to getting hit up a lot lately when I am in parking lots or pumping gas.

It seems to be a bit much lately..but I still give if my heart moves me to give at that time

[westres1]

There was article in Chron a few years ago that found they made on average 12 an hour which more than min wage at fast food joint. I sometimes give money but our Church occasionaly sells kits you can give out with socks crackers water etc..and I prefer to give something like that. The money from the sale goes to a shelter.
I do not like to be approached at gas pumps and that is happening more and more.

[DJboutit]

I try to avoid the Chevron at 610 & south main when filling up after 9pm you will get asked by 2 beggers and one will also say somthing like f**k you if you say I can not help. The mean beggers I have found are in the ghetto poor areas of town if you pull up to a gas station in a decent looking car & your white beggers seem to flock to you. There is another scam going around my car has a flat tire or I ran out of gas I need some money so I can get home. If you can not seen a car on the side of the road close by the are lying 100%. Do not give any money to these so called churches ect that stand on street corners I saw a news report a yr ago about saying these organizations keep 80% & only give 20% to the charity they collecting money for it should be the other way around 80% should go to the charity.

[feufoma]

No more than any other major city in the U.S. If it bothers you so much why not volunteer at a shelter?

[jeremy2788]

I was actually approached at a gas station the other night being asked for money, and some dude once drove his car to the gas station and said he left his money at home but needed gas and was hoping id help him out.

Good try though.

[catfancier]

The folks who basically set up camp at various long-light intersections do bother me, as you have to not make eye contact for 2+ minutes if you don't want to open the window and give... sometimes I actually will go a different way to avoid them. I see "regulars" -- it is like their job. Hwy 6 & Bissonnet, Hwy 6 & Beechnut and Hwy 6 & Bellaire (you'll notice a pattern here <G>) always has someone walking the corner median. At Bellaire one time it clearly was the day's work -- lawn chairs, a cooler, 2 dogs tied to the shade tree with their own water bowl. I can't help but think their time would be better spent at Workforce or a social service agency....

I have a friend who does what another poster suggested -- she swings thru Burger King or whoever and swings back around and hands the beggar the bag of food. There have been mixed reactions....

When I lived in NYC metro and was in Grand Central twice a day there once was a young man who had an adorable kitten on a leash on his shoulder. His sign said "help me feed Matilda." I went into one of the shops and bought 3 cans of cat food. Clearly, it was not what he really wanted...which I had suspected all along.

It all is complicated... as another poster said, sometimes your heart says "do it" and other times I sit uncomfortably waiting for the damn red light to turn and am annoyed at their presence....

I do volunteer at a food pantry and also feel there are some folks "making the rounds" who drive up in a very nice car, and some who really do need those three bags of non-perishables... a few come on foot or bicycle or bring an empty stroller or supermarket cart to walk the bags back in.... Sometimes the poverty is striking. I wish I had the answer.

[jalapenochips]

Houston, especially Downtown is the worst I've ever seen in terms of aggressive beggars/vagrants in a major urban area -- have been approached with some pretty wacky and elaborate stories, repeatedly.

What boggles my mind is how often I see people handing over bills - especially on interchanges in the Galleria area...assuming these guys take $10-15 an hour, they're doing better (unless they file W2s) than many hard working people.

[Even Further]

The local government should crack down on this type of activity. I travel quite a bit and know what other areas are like, and pan handling is out of control here. I see the same people all the time at certain intersections. There's a youtube video of a Houston bum starting his 'shift' by rubbing dirt on his shirt and face to complete the right look.

[Info Guy]

Originally Posted by CassandraAB

So I moved to Houston on Monday and ever since ive been here people have been asking me for money. Some of them have nicer clothes then I do...which makes little sense to me. I would hate to say no to someone in need but these people just dont seem needy just lazy. Regardless how do the rest of you guys deal with beggers? What do you do in that situation?

How do we know one is really unfortunate and homeless from the fake?

[Info Guy]

There was a Youtube video where the dude homeless dude poser made like $250,000 a year cleaning windows. He wore very crappy clothes like he was homeless, had messy hair and a long beard. He parked his brand new luxury Benz far away from the intersection he was standing at. He had a very nice huge house lol