Why are there so many panhandlers in San Antonio? (Mercedes: neighborhood, restaurant)

[DigginHouseVibez]

I agree with the decision to give items to established organizations. Having worked with the St. Vincent de Paul Society myself I know that no matter WHAT comes in (at least when I'm there) that it ALL goes to the people who need it. I only say that because someone always chimes in and says "but those people keep half of the good stuff". . . I know. . it's true with some organizations. There are a lot who do but it's a gamble ANY time you donate. There are shady people everywhere. . .

While my husband was in college he was working for Goodwill as a job coach for a while and based on his experiences I will no longer give people handouts. Especially panhandlers. I've had many experiences similar to Chisco's and just the other night my husband shared some of his stories with me. 1. There's help available to almost anyone who needs it and that is legitimately true from what I've seen. I've heard homeless people complain that they stop giving them help but the only instances we've seen (speaking from his and my combined experiences) where that happens is when they repeatedly come back for handouts but refuse the rehabilitation that is offered to get them back onto their feet so that they can become productive citizens again. My husband would see these same people panhandling not far from where he worked. HE STILL SEES SOME OF THE SAME PEOPLE PANHANDLING and this was over fifteen years ago that he worked there. When people would come to st. vincent de paul, they'd fill out questionnaires and they were given food and clothing or whatever we had at the time (vouchers, gift cards, etc) based on the number of people in their family and the situation. Some of these people. . MANY of these people are SMART. They know that the same people aren't always there and they come back and fill out ANOTHER card to get food again (because you're only allowed so many visits per month under your file). When they come back they use the same address though (I didn't say REAL smart!) and the same amount of children, same ages, etc - just different names. It used to infuriate me because the other half of the people we would get were elderly, barely making it, barely able to pay their taxes (to keep from losing their homes) and usually wouldn't take all of the help offered to them. On many occasions I'd have them tell me 'no, I don't need that much, it'll just go to waste'. I can't tell you how hard I cried the first several times I volunteered. There are also a lot of lazy people and there are many people who don't know where they can go for help so my preference is to donate time (when i have it) and money or items to organizations that will turn around and help these people. There's public information on almost any organization. It's not hard to determine which of these are legitimate. Again, the only people I've seen turned away are the ones who refuse the rehabilitative options they're presented with. It's like unemployment. . . you can't keep collecting it if you refuse to look for work. Then it becomes a handout and you become a burden.

And please please note that I'm not saying this applies to everyone. I've been on both sides of the argument and I am where I am because of personal experience. I just weighed it out and it's what makes the most sense to me.

[TexasNick]

Isn't it funny, though, that people don't get these same feelings when they see beggers and homeless people doing the same thing ..running around asking for money and help. I think it's because with people, they can help themselves, but an animal can't.

I just never understood how people can care about animals more than their own kin. I'm the same way sometimes, though.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by rd2007

I see most of those "beggars" as professionals, mostly because they are. I've seen and read numerous pieces on them and I won't give them a dime anymore. Now lately I've been seeing people on the news picking up free turkeys and they didn't exactly look like they were hurting for money. Some were dressed in professional looking clothes and some were even wearing medical smocks. Last I checked, the medical field was a pretty well paying one. I have lost faith in most adults and really don't care what happens to them anymore.
On the other hand, domesticated animals are at the mercy of their owners. They can't go to school or get a better paying job. They're completely dependent on us and we often-times fail them. Very few things pi$$ me off more than this subject and I feel sorry for anyone I ever catch abusing or throwing away one..

A nice young guy I used to work with saw an apparently homeless man asking for money one day, so he ordered an extra burger with his lunch and took it over to the man in need.....who proceeded to sneer at him, and decline the hamburger. "I'm just out here for money, okay man?" said the supposedly unfortunate soul. The nice young guy was shocked. He learned a sad lesson about the world that day .

[rd2007]

I've heard that from several people and I know it's true. They've also done investigative reports where they follow around the "homeless" person, to their home, and it's usually a pretty nice one. They did a study in San Diego when I lived there in the late 90's and the "homeless" people there were making over $80K/year just from standing at intersections. I know that really tall scraggly looking guy did 30th St. (or whatever that street was 15 turned into before it got to the 805 and 5) for years when I lived there. He only worked M-F and only in the day time. So pretty much a 9-5 job.

[TexasNick]

I once gave a "homeless" guy some money (enough to buy a fast food meal) and he looked at my sandwich in the car and said, you are not gonna give me that too?.

[golden_knight71]

They did this thing on tv showing someone who makes about $20 a day panhandling-- his true motive? --- Crack cocaine he was a user who was begging money to support his habit.

[StanStelle]

Originally Posted by rd2007

I've heard that from several people and I know it's true. They've also done investigative reports where they follow around the "homeless" person, to their home, and it's usually a pretty nice one. They did a study in San Diego when I lived there in the late 90's and the "homeless" people there were making over $80K/year just from standing at intersections. I know that really tall scraggly looking guy did 30th St. (or whatever that street was 15 turned into before it got to the 805 and 5) for years when I lived there. He only worked M-F and only in the day time. So pretty much a 9-5 job.

Making $80k/year sounded hard to believe, but I did some calculations and it sounds like its possible. $80K/year is basically $40/hour for a full-time worker who works the usual 2000 hours per year (40hours/week * 50 weeks). So $40/hour amounts to $10 every 15 minutes. At some of the intersections I've seen with two lanes going in one direction, the panhandlers usually wander back maybe 5 cars or a total of 10 cars per each light change. If the light changes every minute then in 15 minutes they have an opportunity to get change from 150 cars. So is it possible to get $10 in 15 minutes from those 150 cars that stopped by them? It seems likely and therefore $80k/year is possible. Of course this all depends on full-time panhandling, steady flow of traffic throughout the day, timing of the traffic lights, etc. etc.

[lovinSA]

Originally Posted by rd2007

I've heard that from several people and I know it's true. They've also done investigative reports where they follow around the "homeless" person, to their home, and it's usually a pretty nice one. They did a study in San Diego when I lived there in the late 90's and the "homeless" people there were making over $80K/year just from standing at intersections. I know that really tall scraggly looking guy did 30th St. (or whatever that street was 15 turned into before it got to the 805 and 5) for years when I lived there. He only worked M-F and only in the day time. So pretty much a 9-5 job.

Is that the one when the news reporter questioned him about being homeless he twisted his answer and said straight faced, when he is out panhandling he is 'homeless' as he was not in him home?

[the_dimwit]

If I lost my job today and next month could not make my house payment (for whatever reason...just go with it) and then had to "beg for money," I'd be guilty of living in a "big house" while "pretending to be poor." My point is, don't be so quick to judge. You know nothing of an individual's situation (unless you've had the "nerve" to actually talk to someone asking for money) and should therefore "put up or shut up."

The fact is, there are needy people--even in San Antonio, where the sun shines all the time and people whistle while they work. If someone is trying to "pull one over" by posing as a beggar in order to get free money, food, or drugs then that is between him/her and his/her maker. It's incredibly unfair of we fortunate few (who obviously have the means to post on an Internet forum) to expect a poor person to prove his/her "poorness" by showing his/her "poor card" before we give money.

I'm sorry, but a hamburger doesn't pay a bill, nor does it feed a family of four. It's a great gesture, but it doesn't always meet the needs of the individual. Instead of just assuming the position or needs of an individual on the street, why not actually talk to him/her and find out what he/she needs? Wouldn't that be better than just assuming that "they are all the same?"

Disclaimer: This mini-rant is not aimed at anyone in particular and should in no way be taken as a personal attack.

--Dim

[ashbeeigh]

A while back, maybe like late August early September, I was on SW Military and Zarzamora by the HEB Plus doing some outreach (i.e. being a pain in the ass for my job) and saw a man panhandling up and down SW Military. We were out about the same time so he signed the petition I was working on and we started talking. I tried to understand where the "homeless man" was coming from, but I just didn't understand it. I gave him names and phone numbers of several agencies that could help him. It turned out he actually wasn't homeless, but living with the guy that was selling bottled water at the same location. He was living with someone else, taken care of and everything. Yet, he was out there in dirty clothes everyday. I wish I had asked him how much money he made on a daily basis. Anyway. i didn't give money to people before that, but now, I really don't.