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I realize that sounds cold and harsh, but I, too, saw a lady on a corner of Wal-Mart a few years back, with her kids in tow and her husband wearing a Santa hat. It was near Christmas time, and I felt bad. Sucker born every minute, and I was the sucker that day.
I asked her what they needed. She wanted food. There were tons of fast food places right next to her, and I asked if she wanted something from one of those places. No, she wanted real food that she could make. I was down with that, as it was better than garbage fast food. I said, "Well, we could go into Wal-Mart and get something." She agreed.
I told her that I had a limit, but please get what she needed up to that limit. At first, she was buying staples, generic brands - beans, rice, bread, that kind of stuff. As she put more in the cart and I didn't say anything, she got bolder. She started talking about how she also needed some shampoo, and things like that. She started picking shampoo that I didn't even allow myself because of the price. It's great shampoo, but it's expensive, too. I reiterated my limit. She decided not to try to get the shampoo.
We shopped some more. Again, as she put stuff in the cart, and I didn't say anything, because what she was putting in there was actually good thinking and priced well for someone who didn't have any money to buy food, she started to get bold again. I told her that she was at the limit and it was time to check out.
We went to self checkout, I helped her scan and bag, and we walked out of the store. It wasn't a lot to carry, and I figured that between her and the husband, they could carry all the bags. As I'm wheeling the cart back towards that corner where her husband and kids were supposed to be standing, she whipped out a candy bar.
W? T? H?! We didn't pay for any candy bars. She had 3 of them, one for each of her kids. I asked her where she got those from, they were never scanned. She just smiled and pretended she didn't speak enough English to understand me.
She fricken stole them!
Then, when we were about to arrive at the corner again, she said, "here" and pointed left. There was her husband and her 3 kids, right next to a mini van that was not cheap. It was one of those fancy schmancy ones and was done up inside.
Are you fricken kidding me?
They had more money than I did. Not only did they take advantage of this sucker, they stole from the store, as well. I handed her the cart, said, 'Here you go', and walked away back towards my car.
I will never, ever help like that again. I will never, ever feel pity for anyone I see holding a sign with their little family, ever again. She claimed she was from Spain. I know the accent from Spain because we had a Spanish exchange student in high school, I crushed on him hard, and we talked all the time. It is different than a Mexican accent, a South American accent, even a Cuban accent. She wasn't from Spain. I should have walked away then, when she first tried to tell me she was from Spain, because I knew it was a lie...but I made excuses for it. Like an idiot.
They probably are on welfare, but that doesn't mean they won't go stand out on the corner, with a pathetic little sign, and pretend that they don't have anything. Don't be so quick to get taken in by that. I will never get suckered like that again.
Are some legit? I'm sure they are, but thanks to this lady "from Spain" who couldn't get assistance, (because she wasn't legally here, she admitted - and YES, I KNOW - but I was stupid back then and let my emotions ride over logic), I'll never know. People like her ruin it for those who legit need help. You take advantage of people, lie through your teeth, steal from the store - and you're here illegally - I no longer feel sorry for any of them.
Having a nice vehicle doesn't equate to having money for food. It is usually inherited. Either way, they don't have 2 cars like us where they can sell one and still have transportation to obtain basic necessities. Sorry she stole some food, sadly, when you are destitute, that is likely a habit developed to survive. So nice of you to ensure they were not hungry, good for you
Our food bank makes Friday school deliveries, that way needy kids aren't hungry on the weekend. I'd much rather volunteer with them than give a panhandler money. Most panhandlers are scam artists.
I do both. I volunteered once a month for some years in our church kitchen to feed anyone who came through
I never turn anyone away but do not hand out much money either, usually it's $5 but could be $10.We don't have many of them
Once you go through a middleman aka an organization, you can kiss your money goodbye. They often turn others away due to mental health issues, etc.
To ensure those get what they need, it's best to donate directly to them.
I think a lot of it is just virtue signaling. The police have been very public and very clear NOT to give money to these beggars, particularly those who are snarling traffic. I can't help myself, I will and do say something if I see anyone handing cash to a scammer. They are enablers to a real societal problem now. If no one gave money, the panhandlers would go away. They are aggressive enough that I almost maced one. If no one gave cash to that guy he wouldn't have been out there harassing people.
I just wonder how these folks get any money. Who carries cash these days? That and they are usually in a location that makes it very awkward to stop and cause traffic to back up behind you.
I won't lie ~ I have in the past given them money but I have since quit. It does seem like a scam to me.
It kills me when they have little kids with them. I'm sure the kids love standing out in the cold being used as props.
This is rich. You make all kinds of assumptions about this woman without a shred of evidence to support them except your own personal bias, and then you get all indignant and demand that people respond to your assumptions the way you want them to.
Bottom line is, you have no idea of what has happened in this woman's life to lead her to where she is now. But you also don't really care about that, because you started this thread to bash illegal immigrants--that much is obvious in your OP--and nothing more. To no one's surprise.
Having a nice vehicle doesn't equate to having money for food. It is usually inherited. Either way, they don't have 2 cars like us where they can sell one and still have transportation to obtain basic necessities. Sorry she stole some food, sadly, when you are destitute, that is likely a habit developed to survive. So nice of you to ensure they were not hungry, good for you
Or they can sell the nice car and drive an older one and have more money. But thinking responsibly and living within your means is for the other guy right? Keep making excuses for them like they are children and they will continue to act like children.
Still doesn't explain why she isn't getting all the benefits available (assuming she's here legally).
Also, why is "couple" is quotations? Are you saying the man wasn't with her, and I lied?
They could be getting benefits. Doesn’t mean that they can afford housing.
Also doesn’t mean that anyone will rent to them with poor credit, poor work history, etc.
If they can find someone to rent to them, maybe they are begging for the deposit and/or the difference in rent.
Welfare benefits have never been high enough to cover market rate housing costs.
[A better question in this economy with two young adults is why weren't both of them walking into that Walmart and getting jobs. As for welfare its not as easy to get as many people think for healthy people. She would basically get help because of the kids and probably is. Housing as someone else said often has a many years waiting list. This particularly angers me because i have a disabled friend on very limited income who has been waiting for years. As healthy people, because they popped out kids have swamp the system.
In the end it could also easily be a con game. Years ago i lived in an area where a woman would drive around to different stores in a van with a bunch of special needs kids, she had fostered. She was using them as a way to get sympathy and get handouts from people. I wasn't surprised when i saw that she had eventually been arrested for fraud. Although at this point i can't remember the exact details of that arrest.
Even Walmart has standards for hiring.
If they are indeed homeless, it’s pretty likely they can’t pass a credit or background check.
I just spent a month driving around the Mid West. The amount of "now hiring" signs I saw at all kinds of retail outlets etc was astonishing.
Lots in my area too.
But, and it’s a big “but,” most, if not all places require positive background and credit checks as well as negative drug tests to qualify for any position.
Or they can sell the nice car and drive an older one and have more money. But thinking responsibly and living within your means is for the other guy right? Keep making excuses for them like they are children and they will continue to act like children.
I guess you missed 50% of my post??
People like us have two cars. They have only one. You cannot sell a car then buy a good one on the cheap that fast, not to mention you don't even have wheels to go look at buying the second car. You are without wheels to go to the Soup kitchens too. It's a bit dangerous.Not to mention....Good deals don't come around that often.
It's usually wiser to keep the reliable car. At least you are ensured your survival by driving yourself to soup kitchens and the food stamp office. To the ER in an emergency and so on. It's best poor folks have a nice car, or they are truly screwed. When applying for a job, youd be surprised how many look out the window to see the car you drove off in. No one wants to hire homeless people.
People need to understand the logistics of being poor. I've been there. We also had a nice car and weren't unwise enough to part with it. After getting our health cleared up, it was used to work and pull ourselves out.
I made up nothing. Rachel assumed the couple was illegal based on what? Her hatred? Bigotry? Assumption? Obsession with illegal immigrants? Who knows, but whatever it was, it certainly wasn't based on knowledge of the facts. She admitted herself she didn't know whether they were in the country legally.
It's very simple. Don't give to panhandlers. They aren't forcing you to.
I didn't ASSUME anything. That's your bigotry and hatred toward conservatives talking. I was perplexed as to why she would beg for money when we have so many safety net programs in place - and which I pay taxes for. I merely wondered if she was an illegal alien, and it is very possible - even likely - that she is. You got triggered because I dared bring up a negative with illegal aliens - that they are mostly poor and can't support themselves without help.
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