Do You Donate Money to Anybody You Encounter in Public? I Do Not.

[Mr_Geek]

When they ask me for money I just say real fast "I was about to ask you the same thing".

[MItoBH]

Since I've been living in the LA area, I have just been overwhelmed with the level of sophistication some of these professional beggars have. I admit, the human in me has given a few people a buck or two whom really looked like they could use it - and I felt good doing it. But the cynic in me ignores most of them. I saw a raggety 30-something, dirty pregnant lady at Fairfax and San Vincente intersection on Saturday. She was just waving and smiling and walking pass the cars with her begging sign.

I didn't give her a dime. She has time to have sex and get pregnant, she has time to shower and apply for a job at 7-11.

[adr3naline]

I don't give money to anyone on the street. Charitable cause, homeless, doesn't matter. I cannot verify a charity's contributions by talking to the naive college kid they hired and any homeless person actually in need wouldn't turn to begging.

I took the Red Line to work for a year and saw my fair share of perpetual beggars/hustlers. A mom carrying around her infant saying she "made a mistake", a "singer" who demanded money after forcing a song on everyone, even a guy who sells incense (which I didn't mind too much...he made the place smell great just by walking through.)

The best had to be when I saw a beggar unknowingly beg another beggar for money. They both just stood there in confusion....slowly separating without a word.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

No, I don't. Even if it's not an overt scam, giving people on the street money almost never truly fixes their real problems. Their lack of money is almost always symptom of a whole bunch of other issues. I'm not psychic, so I really don't know who is really going to benefit from any money I give and who won't. Since the vast majority won't benefit, I play the odds and don't give to anyone.

^This