Homeless Junkie Panhandlers...

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Jade

Guest
I can usually tell if someone has fell on hard times or if their just beggin outside the conveince store for other reasons. If their situation seems genuine then I don't mind helping...especially when doggies are involved<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">. However I have given money to people in the past and then drive a short distance away and watch. They kept collecting change from other people and a half hour later they buy a 40oz of St, Ides with the change. My personal favorite is when someone uses food stamps to buy a dozen twinkies...seperately...and then uses the excess change for beer. Last time I was in D.C. I actually had people not begging but demanding money when you walked by. Of course they forgot to hide the gold chain and rings. Sorry, you don't look to desperate to me<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"> I've seen a million of those tricks so I'm wary of who I help and who I pass by<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif" border="0">
 
J

Jade

Guest
I can usually tell if someone has fell on hard times or if their just beggin outside the conveince store for other reasons. If their situation seems genuine then I don't mind helping...especially when doggies are involved<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">. However I have given money to people in the past and then drive a short distance away and watch. They kept collecting change from other people and a half hour later they buy a 40oz of St, Ides with the change. My personal favorite is when someone uses food stamps to buy a dozen twinkies...seperately...and then uses the excess change for beer. Last time I was in D.C. I actually had people not begging but demanding money when you walked by. Of course they forgot to hide the gold chain and rings. Sorry, you don't look to desperate to me<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"> I've seen a million of those tricks so I'm wary of who I help and who I pass by<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif" border="0">
 
K

kybert

New member
i dont give money out, unless of course they are threatening to assault me. such a common occurance in perth *grumble*. however if someone asked for food or a train ticket i would probably get them one. but no one has ever asked me for those, just money.
 
K

kybert

New member
i dont give money out, unless of course they are threatening to assault me. such a common occurance in perth *grumble*. however if someone asked for food or a train ticket i would probably get them one. but no one has ever asked me for those, just money.
 
K

kybert

New member
i dont give money out, unless of course they are threatening to assault me. such a common occurance in perth *grumble*. however if someone asked for food or a train ticket i would probably get them one. but no one has ever asked me for those, just money.
 
L

littledebbie

New member
I pretty much go by my instinct on a case by case thing. Usually it's about if they seem stable enough for me to be comfortable even having an exchange with them.

Also, I tend to see regulars that I know are harmless and I have a feeling have some things going on with them and are doing the best they can. I always try to keep in mind that they are someones loved one. Someones father, brother, son, sister etc. Someone might being wondering where they are and if they are warm and fed. I know I'm cant fix anyones life but if I have the change or the dollar and it feels safe enough.... Hey I figure at the end of the month I'm not really going to miss that ..what 1.50?

Side note: I should say I do JUDGE some folks. We have some professional intersection workers that claim to be vietnam vets and they are SOOOO not old enough and theyre wearing new shoes and theres a McDonalds bag at their feet and and Ice chest as well. And they are there Every single day and give me a break for as hard as you work the intersection you could go flip a burger. Seriously they dont even look like addicts or anything... I don't get that. It's like they have decided THIS IS what they do for a living?
 
L

littledebbie

New member
I pretty much go by my instinct on a case by case thing. Usually it's about if they seem stable enough for me to be comfortable even having an exchange with them.

Also, I tend to see regulars that I know are harmless and I have a feeling have some things going on with them and are doing the best they can. I always try to keep in mind that they are someones loved one. Someones father, brother, son, sister etc. Someone might being wondering where they are and if they are warm and fed. I know I'm cant fix anyones life but if I have the change or the dollar and it feels safe enough.... Hey I figure at the end of the month I'm not really going to miss that ..what 1.50?

Side note: I should say I do JUDGE some folks. We have some professional intersection workers that claim to be vietnam vets and they are SOOOO not old enough and theyre wearing new shoes and theres a McDonalds bag at their feet and and Ice chest as well. And they are there Every single day and give me a break for as hard as you work the intersection you could go flip a burger. Seriously they dont even look like addicts or anything... I don't get that. It's like they have decided THIS IS what they do for a living?
 
L

littledebbie

New member
I pretty much go by my instinct on a case by case thing. Usually it's about if they seem stable enough for me to be comfortable even having an exchange with them.

Also, I tend to see regulars that I know are harmless and I have a feeling have some things going on with them and are doing the best they can. I always try to keep in mind that they are someones loved one. Someones father, brother, son, sister etc. Someone might being wondering where they are and if they are warm and fed. I know I'm cant fix anyones life but if I have the change or the dollar and it feels safe enough.... Hey I figure at the end of the month I'm not really going to miss that ..what 1.50?

Side note: I should say I do JUDGE some folks. We have some professional intersection workers that claim to be vietnam vets and they are SOOOO not old enough and theyre wearing new shoes and theres a McDonalds bag at their feet and and Ice chest as well. And they are there Every single day and give me a break for as hard as you work the intersection you could go flip a burger. Seriously they dont even look like addicts or anything... I don't get that. It's like they have decided THIS IS what they do for a living?
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>littledebbie</b></i>
I don't get that. It's like they have decided THIS IS what they do for a living?</end quote></div>

Sadly that is exactly what some do. For whatever reason is hard to say!
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>littledebbie</b></i>
I don't get that. It's like they have decided THIS IS what they do for a living?</end quote></div>

Sadly that is exactly what some do. For whatever reason is hard to say!
 
J

JazzysMom

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>littledebbie</b></i>
I don't get that. It's like they have decided THIS IS what they do for a living?</end quote></div>

Sadly that is exactly what some do. For whatever reason is hard to say!
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
when I was a freshman in college I created a progrma through our dorm we dubbed 'box world' we provided cardboard boxes (of a livable size) and duct tape and such to all willing participants from across campus and they raised money by sleeping outside in the fall in their boxes for a night--albeit a cold night! We also had a canned food drive and a gropu of speakers from the local homeless shelter who educated us about their experiences with homelessness (thye had all been homeless, went through local shelters programa nd then became workers at the shelter).

THeir recommendation was if you come across someone offer to help them get to a shelter or church or buy them food if thye dont want that then they are looking for their next fix whatever source it might come from and you should not condone this by providing them with money. They said that is what allowed them to stay on the street so long is peoples willingness to support their habit when they realy needed a helping hand like the shelter provided them (this was not a typical shelter).

THe program was a great success and got even bigger the next year when it was adopted by one of the on campus organizations and got even bigger.
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
when I was a freshman in college I created a progrma through our dorm we dubbed 'box world' we provided cardboard boxes (of a livable size) and duct tape and such to all willing participants from across campus and they raised money by sleeping outside in the fall in their boxes for a night--albeit a cold night! We also had a canned food drive and a gropu of speakers from the local homeless shelter who educated us about their experiences with homelessness (thye had all been homeless, went through local shelters programa nd then became workers at the shelter).

THeir recommendation was if you come across someone offer to help them get to a shelter or church or buy them food if thye dont want that then they are looking for their next fix whatever source it might come from and you should not condone this by providing them with money. They said that is what allowed them to stay on the street so long is peoples willingness to support their habit when they realy needed a helping hand like the shelter provided them (this was not a typical shelter).

THe program was a great success and got even bigger the next year when it was adopted by one of the on campus organizations and got even bigger.
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
when I was a freshman in college I created a progrma through our dorm we dubbed 'box world' we provided cardboard boxes (of a livable size) and duct tape and such to all willing participants from across campus and they raised money by sleeping outside in the fall in their boxes for a night--albeit a cold night! We also had a canned food drive and a gropu of speakers from the local homeless shelter who educated us about their experiences with homelessness (thye had all been homeless, went through local shelters programa nd then became workers at the shelter).

THeir recommendation was if you come across someone offer to help them get to a shelter or church or buy them food if thye dont want that then they are looking for their next fix whatever source it might come from and you should not condone this by providing them with money. They said that is what allowed them to stay on the street so long is peoples willingness to support their habit when they realy needed a helping hand like the shelter provided them (this was not a typical shelter).

THe program was a great success and got even bigger the next year when it was adopted by one of the on campus organizations and got even bigger.
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
On the other side of things there is a guy here where I live (not a huge town) that will stand and the corner of a highway off ramp and a busy road (where you are forced to sit waiting toget out) and have a sign asking for help etc. It infuriates me because he is there alot for years now and he never 'looks' homeless and it si not in the part of town where homeless shelters etc are. ANyway he is clean and dressed nicely and well fed. Since I go down this road so much I begin to reckognize his face and there is a gas station 1st thing on this road so I pul in there one day and there is this guy getting out of a nice car, with his homeless sign walking to the corner--YOU have got to be kidding me I am thinking. Sure enough whenever I see him panhandling I see this car parked at the gas station. I jsut want to run him over with my car nwo when I see him. Can he really be making enough money to make this hoax worht it? It really t's me off, this guy, giving bad name to those really in need.
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
On the other side of things there is a guy here where I live (not a huge town) that will stand and the corner of a highway off ramp and a busy road (where you are forced to sit waiting toget out) and have a sign asking for help etc. It infuriates me because he is there alot for years now and he never 'looks' homeless and it si not in the part of town where homeless shelters etc are. ANyway he is clean and dressed nicely and well fed. Since I go down this road so much I begin to reckognize his face and there is a gas station 1st thing on this road so I pul in there one day and there is this guy getting out of a nice car, with his homeless sign walking to the corner--YOU have got to be kidding me I am thinking. Sure enough whenever I see him panhandling I see this car parked at the gas station. I jsut want to run him over with my car nwo when I see him. Can he really be making enough money to make this hoax worht it? It really t's me off, this guy, giving bad name to those really in need.
 
M

mom2lillian

New member
On the other side of things there is a guy here where I live (not a huge town) that will stand and the corner of a highway off ramp and a busy road (where you are forced to sit waiting toget out) and have a sign asking for help etc. It infuriates me because he is there alot for years now and he never 'looks' homeless and it si not in the part of town where homeless shelters etc are. ANyway he is clean and dressed nicely and well fed. Since I go down this road so much I begin to reckognize his face and there is a gas station 1st thing on this road so I pul in there one day and there is this guy getting out of a nice car, with his homeless sign walking to the corner--YOU have got to be kidding me I am thinking. Sure enough whenever I see him panhandling I see this car parked at the gas station. I jsut want to run him over with my car nwo when I see him. Can he really be making enough money to make this hoax worht it? It really t's me off, this guy, giving bad name to those really in need.
 
K

katyf13

New member
I really doubt anyone has ever decided "hey! I think I'll be a panhandler for a living!" In most cases, they don't have the mental ability, be it cognitive or psychological, to pull themselves out of the situation they are in. If I had to live in the freezing cold street under a newspaper, I'd probably do drugs too. There are tons of them where I work in Providence, I can't give every time I see them or I'd be broke. Sometimes I give them extra granola bars or water I keep in my car. I hate when people are pricks to them and yell things like "get a job!" like it's that easy. The shelters in Providence are completely full and homeless moms have had to sleep on the floors at social service agencies. It is a bigger problem than people asking for your change.

Geez, I'll stop my ranting now. I don't realize how passionate I am about topics until I start writing.
 
K

katyf13

New member
I really doubt anyone has ever decided "hey! I think I'll be a panhandler for a living!" In most cases, they don't have the mental ability, be it cognitive or psychological, to pull themselves out of the situation they are in. If I had to live in the freezing cold street under a newspaper, I'd probably do drugs too. There are tons of them where I work in Providence, I can't give every time I see them or I'd be broke. Sometimes I give them extra granola bars or water I keep in my car. I hate when people are pricks to them and yell things like "get a job!" like it's that easy. The shelters in Providence are completely full and homeless moms have had to sleep on the floors at social service agencies. It is a bigger problem than people asking for your change.

Geez, I'll stop my ranting now. I don't realize how passionate I am about topics until I start writing.
 
K

katyf13

New member
I really doubt anyone has ever decided "hey! I think I'll be a panhandler for a living!" In most cases, they don't have the mental ability, be it cognitive or psychological, to pull themselves out of the situation they are in. If I had to live in the freezing cold street under a newspaper, I'd probably do drugs too. There are tons of them where I work in Providence, I can't give every time I see them or I'd be broke. Sometimes I give them extra granola bars or water I keep in my car. I hate when people are pricks to them and yell things like "get a job!" like it's that easy. The shelters in Providence are completely full and homeless moms have had to sleep on the floors at social service agencies. It is a bigger problem than people asking for your change.

Geez, I'll stop my ranting now. I don't realize how passionate I am about topics until I start writing.
 
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