Weekly "off Topic" Topic (30/01/120

[Ludwig Venter]

Every Monday, I'll post a new topic for discussion for the week......

This week's Off Topic topic is:

I often find that when going to the shop, a Beggar (drunkard) approaches me for cash to "buy a bread".... (opposite the liquer store... Ha! Ha!)...... I would go back into the shop and buy him a bread, but before I turn the corner...... I notice in the rear view mirror that the bread is chucked into the litter bin on the pavement......

Would you give cash to a beggar? or how do you approach such situation??..... (sometimes even kids ask for money).... do you give or tell them to get a life?....

 

[doresy]

Funny story.

Back when I was between marriages I remember working overtime one Saturday morning then retiring to the pub. Around 3pm I caught the first of 2 buses home which took me to the bus station. Having a half hour to wait I nodded off on a seat. I awoke to realize that I had missed my connection resulting in an hour wait. Feeling the effects of my couple of afternoon beers plus nap and having a days growth on my face I expect I look a tad unsavory.
It was in this condition I thought that I'd better call my girl friend to say I was going to be late for lunch. This was before mobile phones so I needed a 10p coin to make a call. Having only a pound I proceeded to look for a source of change and on seeing a couple of builders approaching I thought that they would do.

I only got as far as "have you change for a" when they retorted "go get a job you drunken bum!"

 

[coldcazzie]

I'm honest. I say: sorry I don't have any cash on me. Which is true. All my purchases go on the credit card, and so therefore I have no need to carry cash unless for a specific purpose like bus fare, in which case it goes straight on my pink bus card (think an oyster card, but only for busses within Bradford), or veg/eggs from the market meaning I'm only carrying cash between my house and the bus stop, or the market cash machine and the market sellers. Not very many people asking for cash in between those places!

I usually get called a liar/not very nice/a female dog. I usually ignore them. Not my fault they don't believe me!

 

[DrRob]

An old friend of mine was asked by a beggar for cash for a train ticket to the next city, with associated sob story.

Sadly for the beggar he didn't count on my friends amazing ability to naively run with a situation. We caught up with my friend waving off his new acquaintance as he pulled away from the station.

Interesting look on his face.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

I recall an incident in 1996, when we toured London and a guy was sitting in the subway to Piccadilly Circus with a poorly dog on a chain..... Being involved with the SPCA in those days, I felt so sorry for the animal, I chucked a couple of pounds in his hat..... Just then, another gentleman came up to me and scolded me for having given the guy cash...... He said I'm encouraging this guy in his evil starving the dog purposely to gain the sympathy of people to donate him cash.... I was furious when I realised that I was tricked.....

 

[blinky000]

The guys out here that purposefully sit NEXT to cash points get on my nerves. Then you can't use the "I have no cash on me" excuse. You just have to say no and walk away. Thankfully, places like the Blue Cross and RSPCA do a lot of work giving blankets and treatment to dogs that the owners can't ultimately smoke, drink or otherwise ingest.

When I was about 10 or 11, I gave some change to a woman who was crying under a blanket in the underground. I felt sorry for her, she was obviously homeless. I gave her the money and got the exact opposite reaction I was expecting. The woman shouted at me "I'm not a bleeping hobo!". Obviously she was in denial too. I caught up with my grandad and he asked "did she say thank you?" to which I replied, "Er, yeah. Something like that". I haven't given money to a hobo since. They can be so ungrateful.

While we're on the subject, I think the South Park episode about homeless people sums it up perfectly

 

[the_lock_man]

If I gave a pound to every homeless person in Portsmouth, I would very quickly become homeless myself.

 

[KrazyKuhli]

I tend to walk past and Ignore them (don't like doing it) but also the people going around with petitions I got stopped 3 times by the same person in one day!!!

 

[This Old Spouse]

I just give them my best line, "Are you referring to the money that I work so hard to earn to pay my bills and put food on the table? No. You can't have it."

 

[Nosphaer]

I would give handouts, but I think one would be making a bigger impact by donating to an organization that was run by ordinary people in hopes of rehabilitating the homeless and poverty-stricken. While giving directly to the one begging is a sweet feeling, especially after they make a good pathos appeal, you can't trust their psychological state entirely with the money.

It's a touchy subject for some, so it's a good one at that...

Like I said, if I were to donate, I probably would donate directly to the "recipient", though knowing that I was supporting a shelter/rehabilitation group for the needy would be more assuring of a feeling, so my answer is essentially a "no".

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I gave money to a homeless man for beer one time. But he was holding a cardboard sign that read "I'm not going to lie, I really need a beer." I had to give him credit for honesty. When we passed by him again later, his sign said,"I'm not going to lie, I really need ANOTHER beer." I love a sense of humor.

 

[Rummynose]

I don't give money!

I've given fruit, granola bars, juice boxes, cold sodas in a can, bought sausages on a bun and hot coffee and gave it, given my wrapped sandwiches for my own lunch....and in all those years have had only 2 negative come backs: One homeless man threw the just bought sausage on a bun on the ground in front of me, and a homeless woman, who clearly had psychological issues yelled, and kept yelling at me not to touch her stuff!

The ones that really need or want the food are amongst the ones who only want the money to buy the alcohol or drug of their choice. I don't care what they did or didn't do to get to this point in their lives, I care about making this moment in their life a little better!

 

[Box]

When I was a bakers apprentice every couple of months or so a homeless guy would sleep under a the old bread sacks and card on our loading bay
We used to wake him up around six in the morning with a cup of tea and some pies/ pasties etc and send him on his way
He never caused any trouble I think he might have a route and little stop offs here and there

 

[StandbySetting]

People that give money out to 'homeless' people in the streets are idiots in my opinion, most of them pose as beggars to 'earn' a living, there are hundreds each year alone that are revealed by police in my area as local beggars, some make up to £200 a day.

 

[Baccus]

Where I live (which is not a huge ctiy) we have a large and still growing homeless, unemployable substance abusers population. Usually thier substance of choice is beer/ wine/ spirits (when desperate metho), but they also sniff glue and paint and smoke dope. These people are almost always putting thier hand out for Money (they already get government assistance- a little thing called colour and governments not wanting to be called raciest), or demanding food or smokes. I never give to them, because A I have to work in the area (literally right beside where these people are hanging out, and no office walls etc to seperate us), and once you give one of them a smoke or some cash they all start asking/ demanding every single day. And when they do turn violent (which is frequently) the cops take for ever to show up becasue they know who the problem party is and they know all that will happen is a fine (that wont get paid), a slap on the wrist and the aggressor will be back out in th esame area within at most 24hrs.
I give to certain organisations , especailly the ones that have not hounded me and made the begging guilt you phone calls. But I am cynical of many foundations or charities especailly when you start reading into them and find out how much of the hard earned begged for money goes in pay packets for managers etc, rather than where you as a person who donated thought the money would be going. I know Managers need paying but surely thier should be some open honesty and maybe the organisations need to tap into another money fountian in order to pay thier staff while the donated funds go to where the givers intended it to go.