Panhandling by Refugee from Bosnia in Irving

[Denisko]

Originally Posted by mgforshort

Again. If the refugees are nuisance to you, you do not need to help them.
I’ve worked closely with refugees myself, refugee program supports them for upto 3 yrs. But yeah let’s be real, that support isn’t enough so that is where agencies step in."

I left my native country of Hungary with 200 Deutsche Marks ( about $ 75) and 5 days after arriving in Munich I had a job and I supported myself just fine. It wasn't hard at all. When I arrived in Florida later I had a few thousand dollars but I went to work 2 weeks later and I supported myself ever since. I've never been hungry or homeless and I always had a dependable car or motorcycle. The longest I've been unemployed was 5 days. Arriving in Phoenix I had a job and apartment by the end of the day; same thing in San Diego; same in Fullerton, Orange County. You guys don't realize what an easy country we live in, even for foreigners.

It can be done with a slight effort even for someone not speaking the language in the beginning. Any refugee who needs 3 years assistance is nothing more than a leech on our very kind and generous country.

As for Bosnia, it was part of the former Yugoslavia, and south of Hungary / Austria.

Exactly! I have been in the US since 1997 and always worked and never asked people for handouts, moved here with $500 and very basic english, to the point that i had a dictionary with me on the dates!

[chicagodude.1984]

Originally Posted by nsumner

Are you sure you didn't get scammed by the gypsies?

I was thinking the same thing

[TTB14]

Originally Posted by neal.pressley

No, the story was NOT made up and it was real life experience. Today around noon I went to WholeFoods which is just less than a mile away from the Target Parking lot where the first encounter happened only few days back. Today within a minute when I enter the store, the same lady approached with a shopping basket with few breads and some meat and started the same story that she has three kids and if I could pay for her groceries. I tried to engage her in conversation and asked her why she shopping there in first place. I told WholeFoods is very expensive, if she do not have money, why she do not go to Walmart. She showed the bread in her basket and told she likes that bread very much sand it's very good. I asked her what is her name and she mentioned "Laila". I was little mad and I asked if she has any ID. She did not understand that and I asked if she had a passport or any documents showing her name. She told she do not have any thing. This time there was a twist in the story. When I asked where her husband was , she said he is coming, he is still in Bosnia. After little interrogation, she got the vibe that I will not be helping and she herself told if you do not want to help, its okay. Few minutes later when I was exiting the store, I saw her at the checkout counter and noticed that there was another lady customer who was paying for her.

Seems like this lady has a great taste and she likes groceries from upscale stores and she has devised a unique way to make others pay for her groceries. My wife told me why I did not call the police. I told it was not needed, though she is not doing the right thing, her crime is nothing as compared to other crimes. There are instances of guys robbing others at gunpoint and even killing others for a few dollars. At least she was not asking money at gunpoint, she just wanted to have a great tasting bread.

Definitely not made up. I live in Irving and have wondered about this woman as well. I’ve seen her several times outside of target, the entrance median in front of Target, and once outside of the Whole Foods.

Always very nicely dressed and the little girl with her was also well groomed. She had a baby carriage once or twice with her (though I couldn’t confirm an actual infant was inside) along with the little girl when it was absolutely FREEZING outside.

[NoClueWho]

Originally Posted by Denisko

Exactly! I have been in the US since 1997 and always worked and never asked people for handouts, moved here with $500 and very basic english, to the point that i had a dictionary with me on the dates!

Where are you from orginally?