Begging for Money

[kimber62372]

I try to give when I can because you don't know the real true story beneath them asking for money. I don't think about it because what if I was in their shoes? I would want someone to help me but it takes  A LOT for me to ask for hand outs or borrow money for that matter. So I call it pay it forward no matter the circumstances. Don't analyze it just do it, as I always say. Good will always come back to you 10 fold when you do good deeds.

[teresa3200]

I know what you are saying. It really bothers me too. I bust my butt about 60 hours a week plus get on the pc and get on numerous sites to earn more to try to put some away. I have a family too but I will do what ever it takes to earn the money to support my household. I think I will make up business cards with my referral links on them, the next time someone is desperate for money and asks for a handout they can get online and earn it like I earn some of mine.

[camellia0]

I don't give money. Once I heard of this man who stands on the corner asking for money and someone saw him getting in a Benz! So you never know. Plus I think that if I were in a situation where I needed money, I'd go to a fast food place. So no, I don't give money to those people.

[renee10]

I do occasionally if the people really looks in need and if I have any change on me. Most of the time I don't because I usually don't carry much money for safety reasons. It is really a bad problem where I live. You just can't get away from it. I know unemployment is high here but there are churches that can help with food and other items for people in need.

[loulizlee]

One of the last times I was approached for money, a very large woman with her very large son told me they were hungry.  I took them to a nearby hamburger place and bought them something to eat.  They accepted it but didn't seem overly excited or grateful.  She looked like she wanted the money.

[tfw6693]

  I used to give money but have now quit because I was taken advantage of. Here in Kansas, you can find a job doing something.

[sdenimandlace1]

They are on every corner here, asking for money.

[sgluckadoo]

I am involved in charity, but this always gets me... you hear so much about people just scamming for money. I saw a show (dateline?) that explored this topic and found a woman in a wheelchair begging only to follow her later and she was walking around all dressed up leaving her apartment. Nice.

That being said, I try not to judge because if i give it is usually only a few dollars or my lunch.

[autumnsparklemom]

How scary - especially if you were alone.

[countrygirl12]

ITS HARD to get a job if you have no adress

First off, I doubt he was really homeless.  Second of all you can use a friend or family member's address.

 

I feel bad, but I don't give money to anyone I don't know personally. I don't mind people holding signs by the road, but I really hate getting approached by someone asking for money. That infuriates me.

I agree.  I don't have any money myself and I work hard for what I do have.  And it makes me mad for people to approach me and give me a sob story that is most likely a lie.  And there have been a lot of people hurt in situations like this as well.  You don't know what they might do when you tell them no.

 

I was concerned for your safety when I first started reading your post- people are unpredictable these days! 

Thank you.  My mom and my cousin both told me I should have went back inside the store and not opened my car door.  He could have shoved me in the car and took me and the car.  People are crazy.  And stuff like that DOES happen.  We are living in scary times.

And there are programs out there, homeless shelters, and other things for people who are truly in need.  Most people who beg for money in parking lots are looking for drug money.  IT is sad but it is the truth.

 

I agree, and I don't look down on homeless people because I'm pretty sure that being homeless was the last alternative to all other things they could've done to prevent those circumstances.  Plus, everyone has some kind of ailment that could land you in a position that others would look down on you for.

ITS HARD to get a job if you have no adress

I don't look down on any one either.  I feel sure he was lying.  We have people at our walmart that hold signs and you see them park their nice cars in the parking lot near by and walk to the corner to hold their homeless sign.  I saw one guy holding a sign and he had a job and made really good money.  He done this on his days off.  Extra cash in his pockets. 

[countrygirl12]

I try to give whenever I can and whenever I have a few extra dollars in my pocket. It is rare that I am in public because I am forever working but when I do I will give. I generally don't carry cash because we are in a plastic society but if I have it I will give. If the people are using it for illicit reasons or lying about the reason for their need they will have a higher power to answer too. Kharma goes a long way and for every dollar I give it seems to come back to me ten-fold. The one person said it right...you can't get a job if you have no home address-should sink in a little deeper. I think that it is wrong for cities to lay ordinances on homeless people asking for money ( who really need it and use 100% of it to survive) but then allow other charitable organizations like firemen to panhandle for MDMA or girl scouts to sell overpriced cookies and over forty percent of it goes into corporate pockets under the pretense of administration.

The fireman and girl scouts have a stand and you go to them.  They do not follow you to your vehicle and ask you for money.  In this day and age a MAN should not follow a WOMAN to her car and ask her for money. 

[countrygirl12]

 

I used to give money but have now quit because I was taken advantage of. Here in Kansas, you can find a job doing something.

You can find a job doing something most any where.  Like I already said, it may not be what you WANT to do.  I remember when min wage was $5.25 and a woman put in an application to work at Dollar General and ask for $10 an hour to be a cashier.  The pay was $5.35.  She snarled her face and said I am not working for that.  Uh well b*tch live in your car!

 

I am involved in charity, but this always gets me... you hear so much about people just scamming for money. I saw a show (dateline?) that explored this topic and found a woman in a wheelchair begging only to follow her later and she was walking around all dressed up leaving her apartment. Nice.

That being said, I try not to judge because if i give it is usually only a few dollars or my lunch.

Again, I am not judging anyone.  I just don't give them my money.  I also saw something like that.  Two men pushed a wheel chair down the street after they got out of their car and one of them sat down in the wheel chair and started looking sad.  I swear that made me so mad.  There was nothing wrong with his fat lazy butt.

Okay, I guess I have said enough. lol.  I have responded to everyone.    This is an interesting discussion.  And I am glad that no one has been putting anyone on here down.  It's what every person wants to do.  If you have the money and want to give it then that is fine.  I don't have it.  But even if I did I would not hand it to random people in parking lots.  My take is if you do not know me then don't get in my space in a parking lot.  It didn't scare me at the time but did later when I thought about it.  I did tell a co-worker as I was leaving the PL that a man was out there asking people for money.  The guy did not know I worked there.  Or I hope he didn't because if he did then he had to have been watching me. 

[lvstephanie]

I give to charity, but not directly to people... When I give to a charity, I know what the money is being used for, but when giving money to a person, they may spend it on alcohol or drugs. We have several services in town that will help out those that are homeless or without food, so there is no reason for people to be panhandling in our city. Yet we have a group of "professional" panhandlers that will go to certain areas, park their SUV somewhere nearby, and start begging for money. And what really irks me is that sometimes others that see me not giving to a panhandler think that I am being selfish whereas in reality, it is the panhandler that is using the fruits of my labor for their wants and desires.

[braggin]

My son in law does a smart thing. If a person comes up to him on the street and says he needs money for food, my son-in-law takes the person to a fast food place and buys him the food. That way, he knows the money is really going for food and not for drugs or alchohol. I think my son in law has a lot of guts to do that because you never know what kind of a person you are dealing with and whether that person will try to steal money off of you or harm you in some way.

[countrygirl12]

I give to charity, but not directly to people... When I give to a charity, I know what the money is being used for, but when giving money to a person, they may spend it on alcohol or drugs. We have several services in town that will help out those that are homeless or without food, so there is no reason for people to be panhandling in our city. Yet we have a group of "professional" panhandlers that will go to certain areas, park their SUV somewhere nearby, and start begging for money. And what really irks me is that sometimes others that see me not giving to a panhandler think that I am being selfish whereas in reality, it is the panhandler that is using the fruits of my labor for their wants and desires.

That's how it is here.  Probably the same every where.  I don't know of any towns that don't have some sort of charity available.  You have professional bums that use that as well.  I don't worry too much about what somebody else thinks about what they "think" they see.  I could probably tell somebody off pretty quick if they said something about it.  If I am going to work for my money then they need to work for their money as well.  Not just expect me to hand it to them.

My son in law does a smart thing. If a person comes up to him on the street and says he needs money for food, my son-in-law takes the person to a fast food place and buys him the food. That way, he knows the money is really going for food and not for drugs or alchohol. I think my son in law has a lot of guts to do that because you never know what kind of a person you are dealing with and whether that person will try to steal money off of you or harm you in some way.

He gets them in the car with him?  Yikes!  That's crazy.  I have a friend who saw a man and woman holding a sign saying they were hungry and needed money for food.  He went to McDonald's (was headed there anyway) and got something for them as well.  Took it to them.  They didn't even thank him.  They took the food and after he walked away shoved it back behind them and got the sign back out and went back to looking sad.  I think this broke him from helping people.  We use to have a couple of people that would come up to you in Walmart or the like and hand you a card with sign language on it and it said they were deaf and could you buy a card for $1.  I fell for that and then found out the person was NOT deaf and WAS a scam artist.  So when people come up to me in parking lots or stores and ask me for money it just makes me mad.  I also know of a situation a couple years ago where this woman would dirty up her kid (about a year old) and take him to Walmart and ask people to buy her a gallon of milk and if they did after they left the register she took the milk to customer service and got cash back.  Walmart should have banned the B**ch from being in the store especially since they knew what she was doing.

The way I see it people who really need help don't ask for it.  They don't want anybody to know.  The ones who are open and loud and asking everyone for money are the ones that don't deserve help.  ONE more example, a couple years ago they were taking up money for a co-worker in need for Christmas.  NO I didn't donate to the cause.  And I am glad I didn't.  When she got the cash she looked at it and said "well it's not enough but I guess it will help."  I saw this same wench after work buying huge packs of paper plates and napkins.  Really?  You asked for help for Christmas and THIS is what you bought with the money?  Because you are too lazy to wash dishes?  Wow!

As another poster said, people are quick to judge when they see you not helping when someone is asking for a hand out.  But they don't take into consideration that there could be reasons you don't hand cash to random people.  And it doesn't mean you don't donate to organizations.  I would also say that even if a person doesn't do that - nobody has a right to judge them because YOU do not know their situation.  Maybe THEY are struggling as well but just didn't advertise it.