Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Over the years in street ministry, I watched panhandling move from a way to raise a few dollars when one is hard-up ... to an industry. Many guys from the missions in various areas have food, shelter and clothing, but, use panhandling as a means of raising money for cigarettes, alcohol and misc.
The "will work for food" signs at the corners are easily fabricated (as are the 'homeless veteran, need help') - but, typically meaningless. They know perfectly well you are not going to stop what you're doing, invite them into your vehicle and take them home to mow the lawn or paint a room ... which is why they are there, instead of at the day-labor office.
I'm all for helping people and have done so for many years, but, throwing money at people on the streets is easier than getting involved, yet, doesn't really help anyone. Many, however, do that out of a sense of 'guilt' over not substantively getting involved (financial or time) elsewhere.
Keep some non perishable food in your vehicle and give that to them instead of cash.
Maybe it's just me or where I live but over the last five years I have seen a lot more panhandlers than before. Every high volume intersection in my city (Columbus, Ohio) seems to have a panhandler. Sometimes I wonder if they work in shifts. I write this now because I just got back from shopping at a Meijer department store and was hit-up in the parking lot by a woman who drove up alongside me as I was walking. She proceeded to give me a sob story about how she needed money because her car did not have much gas and she had to travel 50 miles to care for her sick, pregnant sister who was alone. I had heard almost exactly the same story, nearly word-for-word a few weeks earlier from a different woman in a different parking lot. Neither got my money. You can thank all of these people for your reading this post.
I have seen a guy who really was a 30 year vet begging. I knew one of the workers at one of the local bars/gambling places. He hated him as he'd take the begging money and gamble it. He got a great pension... Then there's those begging with a smartphone and wearing clothing as good as I have but I work for $15 an hour...
The last time someone asked me for money for food, I offered to buy him what he wanted at the taco bell we were at. "No, I just want the money" he replied and walked away...
If any of you panhandlers are reading it, just ask for money. There is no need to go into a 1000 page audio book about how your dog's pet chihuahua robbed you at gunpoint. A lot of people don't care, some people will help you, and some people won't. It doesn't matter what or how. If they see a need, they are likely to meet it.
I agree but I’d bet that there are a lot of people who almost expect some explanation. I feel like it’s sort of a power trip for the potential giver.
The only reason they bother with the word “Hungry” is because it’s a discomfort word for US. Most people can’t imagine a discomfort worse than “hungry”, or “cold”. We get nervous if our gas gauge dips to 1/8th a tank. That’s why “out of gas” works too.
They know a discomfort worse than hunger. Worse than cold & worse than stranded. I know that discomfort & it ranks 2nd only to oxygen deprivation.
That’s why they are hustling. Wouldn’t you fight back if someone tried to strangle you & you couldn’t breathe? Hold your head under water? Sure, you’d fight.
I truly have almost nothing to give. I’ve been unemployed for 12 years to be my disabled child’s caregiver. The most I’ve ever given to a panhandler was $5. He was obviously starting to get dope sick & didn’t have much time left before he couldn’t panhandle anymore.
He was happy with my $5, seemed very grateful & told me “God bless you ma’am; I’m going to get me some food right now!” So I asked him “Why would you do that?” He was stunned & just looked at me, so I said “Just go get what your needing”. He answered “You know. Thank you”.
Nobody better criticize me for “enabling” either. Withdrawal can kill. By the time someone is less than an hour away from delirium tremors or acute opiate withdrawal; that enabling ship has sailed. They aren’t far from being another transient in a paupers grave. At least with another 12 hours granted, anything could happen. Maybe they could wind up arrested & being medically detoxed in jail.
When they say “hungry” or “out of gas”; that’s just their way of dumbing it down for us.
That reminds me of the other thing I hate about people who give to panhandlers. It's this expectation that you still have control over something you give away.
The word give in the English language means give. Not "give with strings attached" or "give and use so you make me happy".
I've never seen so many people who get wound up about money they "give" to people, and then complain because the money isn't used to their specifications. If you don't like a panhandler using money for drugs, you have three options: 1) Don't give 2) buy them what you think they should have or 3) have them sign a contract when you give them the money.
In the meantime, what you give to someone means it's now theirs and not yours. No matter how irritating, that person is free to use the money you gave him any way he chooses. There are so many people who need to figure that out and then get over it unless they want to do one of the three things above.
I've never seen so many people who get wound up...
If you don't like a panhandler using money for drugs, you have three options:
1) Don't give 2) buy them what you think they should have...
This last is the basis for contributing to charities; a good thing. (but do check 'em)
More people should do it but especially so everyone who gives on the street.
Pretty simple solution to this. Make it a point to NEVER give anything to a panhandler. If people would simply adopt this rule, they would be forced to find other means of support. Another poster mentioned panhandling being around as long as prostitution. The thing is, sex workers actually WORK for their wages. Sitting at an intersection looking down and out does not qualify as work, even if they put some effort into looking the part. I have no bias toward homeless folk and understand there are a lot of reasons why someone can be homeless. That does not mean you have to panhandle. Most panhandlers I see are not homeless. If someone has so little self respect that they spend their life sitting on a street corner, I got zero empathy.
Sign says: Help my wife has been kidnapped and I'm short 49 cents on the ransom! I gave the guy money and took his picture.
I got hosed by a guy a few months ago. Guy was asking for bus fare to get home (bus stop was right in front of the gas station). He claimed to have just gotten out of the hospital (he had a wristband) and a folder of medical records. He seemed legitimate, I gave him $10.
A week later he was still pulling the same scam at the same gas station! He approached me and I asked what he did with the 10 bucks he got from me last week with that story.....he abandoned the ruse after I was telling people pumping gas about his scam.
I gave a dollar to a panhandler once, at the Seattle Ferry Dock.
He was holding a sign that said "I won't lie, I need it for beer!"
I felt that kind of honesty should be rewarded!
I frequently get a temptation to go to the surplus store and find some old-style O.D. "Fatigues", and then put my patches on them. Then park my motorhome in the corner of a parking lot next to a busy intersection, put on the Fatigues, and stand there with my Corgi (people love little dogs) holding a sign saying "Viet Nam Veteran needs money to fill this thing up and get out of your town!"
Yes, I CAN prove that I am a 'Nam veteran!
Or, perhaps put the Navy patches on the "Greens", and have the sign say "Retired Seabee needs gas money to fill this thing up and get out of your town!"
I have the ID card to prove that, too.
Maybe do both, and compare results. It might be an interesting psychological study: Would Army ("Tropic Lightning" 25th Inf. div) or Navy (RNMCB 18) get the best responses?
So far, I haven't tried it...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
