Re: Men Begging For Money at Highway Off Ramps

GraceLady · ‎01-03-2013

@blackhole99 I wonder if you would still feel so comfortable with your decision to finance panhandlers if you found out that you were in fact enabling a drug or alcohol addiction. In my opinion, even cigarettes are not acceptable to support. You have absolutely no guarantee that the people you are throwing money at are are down and out. You do have a guarantee that your money is going for a good cause if you donate to a trusted charity/non-profit that aids the homeless. Do some research. Stories about this are done over and over again by various news outlets. Panhandlers make good money by scamming people. Literally hundreds of dollars a day. You can find videos on YouTube of fake pandhandlers. They will make you angry.

In my own area, there was a group of 3 using a wheel chair that worked in shifts. I watched the perfectly abled people switch off. They only lasted a few weeks before they were run out of town. I live where it is not tolerated. I saw another guy on my way home from work every day. He wore a patch over his eye for effect, and wrapped himself in filthy blankets. The thing is, the pirate patch would switch eyes. None of these people are even careful. Too many naive people give them money.

You may not be able to live with yourself if you didn't give them money, but I would not be able to live with myself if I handed money to an addict and they overdosed on my dime. That death would be on me. In case you don't know this, an addict doesn't care about food. They only care about their next fix or drink. I will always be able to sleep at night knowing I gave to the local soup kitchen.

panda1234 · ‎04-27-2015

@Kachina624 wrote:
@NicksmomESQ wrote:
DH & I nearly always roll down the car window & hand the person,man or woman, a few bucks.We don’t know their stories or their backgrounds.But if they’re in a position where they need to hang out on the side of the road & ask for money we feel that’s the least we can do.
They have always appeared grateful thanking us for the help.”There but for the grace of god go I”.
@NicksmomESQ You realize, I hope, that although you consider your action a kindness, you are probably subsidizing a drug habit?

@NicksmomESQ In my area this is a well run business. The beggars are dropped off at the location where they beg. When their shift is over they get picked up and taken home. They usually live together in a home in a nice development. They get NO money from me.

1000Glosses · ‎09-23-2010

@catwhisperer wrote:
@blackhole99 wrote:
@catwhisperer who are the honest ones done on their luck?
I truly believe that there are people who are just down on their luck and need a break. They are not out to scam anyone. I am on that list

Unfortunately, it looks like you wouldn't receive much help from the people answering this post.

Why is it so easy to believe the person asking for money is a scammer? It's like the story of the "welfare mom" using food stamps who then drives away in a cadillac. Why is it so easy to believe the worst when we know over 500,000 people are homeless in this country?

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

IDK - I try to help if I can.

I've heard all of the stories. I cross a bridge once in a while, which seems to be a popular place for people who do this. DD tells me to look at their shoes. If I'm stopped right next to someone, with traffic waiting to get onto the bridge, I will probably help if I can. My friend hands out McDonald's gift cards.

Not far from there is an overpass. DH and I were stopped in traffic on the other side of the highway and saw a young man with a sign. It said "Gulf War vet - I"m hungry." Next to him was a large dog wearing a sign around his neck saying "Me Too." It broke my heart and I wanted to help. Our local paper interviewed him later on and he was legitimate. He resorted to that because he didn't want to have to give up his dog, which of course would happen if he went into a shelter. After that people started reaching out to him. I hope he got help and got to keep his dog. He is not there any longer.

I help with two programs for those who are homeless. I understand there are many scammers, but some people are real.

panda1234 · ‎04-27-2015

@ECBG wrote:
I do not give them money.
In most places these are an organized group that also shop lifts. They stay on ramps because the lights hold you there. In our town and others, a van drops them off in the morning and picks them up.
I know many store owners and people that work in other stores. They shoplift. They also are directed which people to walk up to in large parking lots. The signs are always written with a fresh marker!

I give large donations to the agencies that help get these people back on their feet.

@ECBG We have the same thing, they get dropped off and picked up. This is a very organized business......they even have cell phones. Where do they charge them if they are homeless?

linda 2 · ‎08-15-2012

always give everyone is one paycheck away from the street

NicksmomESQ · ‎08-19-2014

@panda1234 wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
@NicksmomESQ wrote:
DH & I nearly always roll down the car window & hand the person,man or woman, a few bucks.We don’t know their stories or their backgrounds.But if they’re in a position where they need to hang out on the side of the road & ask for money we feel that’s the least we can do.
They have always appeared grateful thanking us for the help.”There but for the grace of god go I”.
@NicksmomESQ You realize, I hope, that although you consider your action a kindness, you are probably subsidizing a drug habit?
@NicksmomESQ In my area this is a well run business. The beggars are dropped off at the location where they beg. When their shift is over they get picked up and taken home. They usually live together in a home in a nice development. They get NO money from me.

@panda1234 I totally get what you are saying.I have no doubt that those type of people exist.However, based on my own experiences in my area I see the other side.

Everyone has to choose what they are most comfortable with.In my case I feel that I have a blessed life.For my own peace of mind, so that I can sleep at night, I choose to take a chance on those less fortunate than myself.I would rather be taken by a few than pass up the opportunity to help someone in need.

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

@catwhisperer wrote:
@on the bay wrote:
For me it depends. sometimes you can tell the ones who are scamming. We have a lot on the street.
Other times I think that person is homeless andyes does this everyday.
What I always wonder, how do we expect them to get to these services, charities, food banks, etc with no transportation.
Or even to navigate all the things they need to do to get aid. I think they must think how and where do I go? So they hit the streets.
Every city is different, but the police in my area offer to transport people to shelter and help if they need it.

Social Services does that here. Also, in the bitter cold winter months, around here the churches take turns being a shelter to get warm. They also travel around in vans to bring ppl in out of the cold to wherever the church/shelter is that night.

In the last place I lived there was this whole homeless encampment - they pitched tents deeply into the woods. They'd come out to beg and walk back. They made homemade "shelters" out of cardboard/plastic found and had their own "tent city". They were interviewed by the county and most said they preferred to live there due to their "possessions" - didn't want to have to give those up.

scatcat · ‎03-15-2010

@linda 2 wrote:
always give everyone is one paycheck away from the street

???

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

@linda 2 wrote:
always give everyone is one paycheck away from the street

I think about that too. I've read numerous articles that say most of are 2-3 paychecks away from homelessness. It's true for almost all working people because. We all know the job situation for people who don't have a good education and always worked jobs that didn't require today's skills. When they lose their jobs, there's no new job for them. A 50 year old who did basic labor somewhere, is unemployable. That's what I see when I see a panhandler. If he or she can get enough during the day to eat and buy bottled water and get a bed in shelter at night; that's a good thing. I do NOT automatically assume that a person is on drugs or is an alcoholic. But if that is the case, ok. That person is still a human being.