Panhandlers

[Pro Stock]

I haven't given much to street people, but once ran into a Vietnam Vet outside of a Wallmart store, he was in a wheelchair and missing both legs, the best thing that you can do for this kind of guy is to stop and have an actual conversation with him and look him in the eye like you would any other person, we talked about five minutes and I could tell that I really made his day, as I left I gave him 20 bucks and told him to have a good day, he looked at the money and told me that it was too much and wanted to give some back !. That made the two or three times that I probably got conned worth it.
The best way to help people is to get hooked up with a good church that helps the homeless or supplies volanteers to soup kitchens. It's too bad that the lazy F__k it up for the people that have fallen on bad times due to health or a financial crisis.

PS if any of you guys are feeling charitable, contact Todd Bevis at:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/toddbevis
Todd is the chassis builder for Cagnazzi Racing and builds the Pro Stock cars for Jeggie and Rodger Brogden. He is the best and one of us !!, just drop him a note, that will mean alot more to him that money, we raised $37,000 for him last night, DSE was one of the doners to the auction.





Dale

[Ralph LoGrasso]

NOTE: PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING POLITICAL COMMENTARY IN THIS THREAD.

I've gone through this thread and edited out quite a few political comments. Some posts were completely deleted as they were comprised entirely of political commentary.

One of the concerns we had when we created the political forum was that some of the commentary would spill out onto the main forum. This is exactly what is happening here. I've gone ahead and removed it, but if it continues, we'll have to look at removing the political forum all together. We really do not want to have to go this route, so please keep all political discussion off of the main boards.

If you'd like to discuss panhandling with political commentary, then simply start a thread on the topic in The Political Outhouse.


ALL POLITICAL DISCUSSION SHOULD REMAIN IN THE HIDDEN POLITLICAL FORUM -- ADMIN

[dadto2jays]

I do not give any money to people asking on the stgreets. We do donate to the veterans, red cross, goodwill and use the receipts as tax write offs god knows I need every break i can get because of the tax bracket I am in.

[seekins]

i dont give unless its a family of kids and they look like they need it. Its not their fault their parents are bums or down on their luck.

Sometimes giving helps but most of the time it will hinder the person. imagine if they actually had to do something for themselves....

if you do give, dont give to make yourself feel better. Give because they need it..

[79-TA]

I haven't given much to street people, but once ran into a Vietnam Vet outside of a Wallmart store, he was in a wheelchair and missing both legs, the best thing that you can do for this kind of guy is to stop and have an actual conversation with him and look him in the eye like you would any other person, we talked about five minutes and I could tell that I really made his day, as I left I gave him 20 bucks and told him to have a good day, he looked at the money and told me that it was too much and wanted to give some back !. That made the two or three times that I probably got conned worth it.
The best way to help people is to get hooked up with a good church that helps the homeless or supplies volanteers to soup kitchens. It's too bad that the lazy F__k it up for the people that have fallen on bad times due to health or a financial crisis.

PS if any of you guys are feeling charitable, contact Todd Bevis at:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/toddbevis
Todd is the chassis builder for Cagnazzi Racing and builds the Pro Stock cars for Jeggie and Rodger Brogden. He is the best and one of us !!, just drop him a note, that will mean alot more to him that money, we raised $37,000 for him last night, DSE was one of the doners to the auction.



Dale

That's something I've always wanted to do, but never really did. Props to you.

[69Pony]

Like most of you I am also leery of giving money out on the street. Now that I work in the burbs it doesn't come up much. I give a lot of time and $$$ to animal issues. I do remember one time in downtown Baltimore when a guy was trying to feed his puppy from trash. He was more of a guy down on his luck then a professional panhandler. I took him and the pup to McD's for lunch. We all enjoyed hamburgers together - he was a good guy down on his luck and not willing to let his best friend - the dog - go hungry. That went a long way to me....

Right now I spend over $400 a month on homeless cats. I am a caretaker for two cat colonies in the area. Basically cats that either escaped or were dumped and now have to fend for themselves. I provide food, water and shelter and just recently caught 13 adults and 5 kittens for TNR. 12 adults were fixed and released, the female and kittens are in my basement doing well and looking for homes. I will get the kittens adopted and the mom fixed soon. Cost me $669 to have them fixed but in one day I was able to get 90% of the colony captured and not reproducing.... THAT is my charity....

[Blue67gto]

I won't give them money, But I have Bought them a sandwich at the store to give them on the way out.

[Dayton]

I always ask them, "can you break a hundred dollar bill?".

[John Wright]

Giving to the bums on the corner holding a piece of cardboard...Hmmm, that is a tough one. I give occasionally, but the ones that don't get any help from me are standing there smoking a cig(as expensive as a pack of them are), and have a pack of dogs to also feed with them.

One guy gave me a story about how he and his mother needed to go to a neighboring state to visit someone at the hospital and they were almost out of gas. I got them to follow me down to the corner gas station to fill their car up. I was watching the pump and not paying any attention and spilled gas all over the ground at 75 cents. They said they were hungry but they had special dietary needs and couldn't eat there at the country store where we got gas(they had a short order counter with great food)...oh well, I guess they were a couple who "got me". Others have seemed more sincere and thanked me over and over, so it's hard to judge the book by the cover. I've also seen the one's driving nice cars and park in the lot at Walmart then walk to the corner of the parking lot to ask for money with their cardboard sign.

[twosaturns]

2 experiences:
yrs ago when working by myself one night in a bicycle shop, a couple came in w/ a sob story, bus broke down, need money to get home, etc. I couldn't give money from the register, didn't have any of my own either. felt bad about that for awhile, until about 6 months later, the SAME couple came in w/ the same story!
2nd story: a buddy of mine was in line the other day for concert tickets, playing w/ his iphone. dude comes up asking to borrow his phone, sister is in the hospital, has to call for a ride, etc. my buddy asks him for the number, ddude gives him some number reluctantly, then my buddy asks 'what's your sisters name?' dude just goes, oh, f you, man, forget it!
I've heard TOO mnay times people try to pull scams. good hearted people try to bring someone to a diner, give some money, tell them to order what they want, but scammer waits until they leave and just get the money.
there are plenty of programs available for folks when things get bad, begging should be way more than a last resort.

[Jarcaines]

if you do give, dont give to make yourself feel better. Give because they need it..

If this is in response to what I wrote, I think you misunderstood me. It's not about "making myself feel better" it's about keeping my money in perspective with the importance of other people.

I am not saying you should just give your money to anyone even if you know they are scamming you.

If you weren't referring to my comment... never mind.

[Jarcaines]

I won't give them money, But I have Bought them a sandwich at the store to give them on the way out.

This is a good way to go also.

[novanutcase]

There was a panhandler working an offramp by my house that had a women with him that would sit on a milk crate with, what looked like, a baby bundled up. He would act like he he was crippled and would clean up pretty good. I was pretty suspect of him for some reason I just had a feeling so I would never give him anything but I would regularly see him collecting $4 -$5 everytime a group of cars were stopped at the stoplight.

There's a Holiday Inn Express a 1/4 mile down the way. I saw him and his "wife" walking up to it late one night. No visible limp on him and the "wife" had the "baby" tucked under her arm!

The next time I was stopped at the stoplight/offramp he came up to me so I told him "Didn't I see you the other night walking up to the Holiday Inn? I noticed you didn't have a limp then!" He quickly hobbled away to the next car!

I don't give money to any homeless! There are services that they can take advantage of if they truly need help!

John

[DRJDVM's '69]

Around here, most of them are meth heads....... they score a few bucks and head straight to their dealer for their next fix.
If you ever watch "Intervention", you see the dope fiends do it all the time.

[rich_fbodySS]

I'm in San Francisco once or twice a week, and literally have to step over several every time I'm there. Berkeley as well.
My dad's from New York and he taught me very early in life to put the blinders on and pretend like I don't even see them. (sounds harsh-I know)
But I must admit, if I'm in the right mood, I'll occasionally give one the change in my pocket.
Many around here don't pretend they need the money for food. See lots of signs that say, " Please give me money for weed, beer, etc."
Lately, though, money is tight even for my family, so not giving much these days-if at all.
-Rich-

[Takid455]

I don't give moeny after a friend of mine got burnned once by the 'need gas' story. However, a few friends and I were walking out of a chinese restuarant in Manhattan as a begger approached us for money. No money was exchanged, but the begger had a hand full of fortune cookies and we had a good laugh afterwards.