Panhandlers piss me off!

Nosferatu

Yesterday, my brother and his son were in town visiting. Me and the wife decided to go out and get some pizza to bring back for supper.

When we pulled up to the pizza shop, a guy came up to the car window and gave us his sob story about how he had cancer removed, how he refused to stay in the homeless shelter, and presented a stack of papers stapled together along with his MB health card. He asked for any change that we may have. We told him we were financially strapped ourselves. After we said that, he just turned and walked away.

I call bullshit.

When we walked out of the pizza shop, therer was a smelly bum with a pizza box under his arms asking us for spare change. We just ignored him, got in the car, and drove home.

We pulled up into our driveway, and got approached AGAIN by a goddam teenager who claimed to need formula for his child, and wanted empty beer bottles or anything that would help him out. I was fvvving mad at this point, said NO and walked in the house.

This all happened within 15 minutes, and it's not like we live in the shit part of the city!!!! I swear I'm gonna start keeping a pocket full of rocks to throw at these people.

anewme

I dont know what to say. But being a year on JWD has given me a voice and Id say you are just plain pissed off period.

Why would someone asking you for help piss you off????

What is a person in need supposed to do???? Just lay down in front of a car????

The logical thing to do is to ask your fellow man for a handout to keep going another day until maybe something changes for you or the check arrives etc.

God! This heat must be getting to us all!

anewme

Do you realize that is the first time I have ever spoken back to anyone?

Thankyou Nosferatu for allowing me to exercise my opinion.

Wow!

That being said I know how you feel. My husband bought a beggar a hamburger and the ingrate threw it to the ground!!! Now he was an alcoholic and it was pretty obvious.

Nowadays we look in their eyes and check for drugs or alcohol before being too generous.

undercover

It's a fine line between "helping" someone and "enabling" someone.

Someone who wants help, can find help without begging on the streets. The vast majority of the people on the streets asking for handouts are bums and whinos. I'll be damned if I'm gonna enable them to continue to be worthless pieces of shit dragging down the neighborhood with their infestation of nastiness.

If people would just realize that you aren't helping these people be giving them a burger or a buck; you're just encouraging them.

I've offered a days work and a meal to these so-called "homeless" people who had their signs that said, "will work for food" and been turned down...why? because they knew some poor sap was gonna come along and "give" them food for doing nuthin.

There used to be vagrancy laws. What the hell happened to arresting derelicts who panhandle and harrass people?

Warlock

For me, it sometimes depends on the panhandler and my mood. I would really rather give an extra tip to someone who works for a living than a panhandler, but you know, I just can't help it most of the time.

I don't know if these people are lying to me or not, but it's on them, not me. If they lie about what they are going to do with the money, there is no way for me to know. They are still human beings.

Warlock

anewme

Yes, there is a difference in seeing someone in need and feeling the desire to help

and being accosted by a vagrant demanding something from you.

XJW4EVR

Why would someone asking you for help piss you off????

I don't have a problem with panhandlers per say. I just ignore them. However, I have on occasion offered to buy them food. I won't give money to them, since that is simply enabling their addiction. What does "piss me off" about some panhandlers is their entitlement mentality to my money.

I don't know, maybe go on General Relief? Maybe get treatment for their addiction(s)? Here's a novel idea. Get a job?

If someone is asking for bottles or cans, I would help them out. I don't have the time to recycle in that fashion, so if someone shows a little bit of initiative I will help them out. Case in point, there is a guy that washes windows at a gas station near my home. Unlike panhanders, this guy asks to wash your windows first, then goes a bang up job. I specifically get gas there, and allow him to wash my windows because at least he is working for the money.

There used to be vagrancy laws. What the hell happened to arresting derelicts who panhandle and harrass people?

Four little letters. A-C-L-U.

Warlock

xjw

Going to that gas station so the guy can get some money by washing your windows, is very kind of you.

Warlock

XJW4EVR

xjw
Going to that gas station so the guy can get some money by washing your windows, is very kind of you.
Warlock

One other thing. The guy "lives" in the area. I have see him at the grocery store quite often, and never once have I seen him buying booze. That is the reason why I "patronize" his business.

simplesally

I like the Wharf area and Pier 39 in San Francisco. You are encouraged to NOT donate to the panhandlers. They have big metal donation boxes (one is shaped like a dolphin .. looks like a statue) and you are asked to put your donations in the designated boxes. All monies go to Food Banks and Shelters. The homeless people should go there to get their handouts. Although, I know, it must be tough to have to stand in a long line and get there by a certain time to get the handout .. especially if you are looking for work or have a part time job that just doesn't cut it.

Panhandlers piss me off!

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