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  • Panhandling SC's looking for handouts!

    I remembered this one a few years back as well. This actually happened with my parents at a local ABC liquor store, and they told me about it when they got home.

    This man, drunk as a cowboy on his high horse, came into the store and wanted to have a drink (or two), but was trying to bum money off of the patrons already there. Nobody wanted to "help" this guy, mainly because of his disheveled appearance, let alone his "Will work for food" sign. (It should say "Will work for booze", but that's another discussion altogether). He kept going from patron to patron for either money or for someone to buy him a drink. Finally, the manager came along and told this man to leave being he had already been there and had way too much, plus he did not appreciate this man harassing his customers. The man's response was "Fine! I can always go across the street where they appreciate my business!" (Not sure how the term "business" fits in here, but I digress).

    Right after this man left the ABC store, the manager phoned the bar across the street and warned the bar's manager that this man was heading over for a visit! Now, my parents were not sure of what words were said, but it seemed like a very friendly conversation, let alone they had dealt with this guy before. Just as my parents were leaving the ABC, they saw someone grabbing this guy at the bar across the street and literally throwing him into the parking lot! What was even worse, at least for this bum, was there were no other bars within a mile of this place!

    A word of advice out there for those that give their hard earned money to people like this. They may be down on their luck and like to "God bless you!", but all they want is to not have to find themselves a job, letting the good givers sustain the habits of bums like this.

  • #2
    I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter near my college and it completely burns me up to hear stories like this. There were guys there that had nothing but the clothes on their backs. And those clothes they had just rummaged from the donation bins. Teenaged mothers that had nowhere to go because their parents kicked them out for being pregnant. The people at this shelter had lost everything due to debt, disability and Acts of God (fire, tornadoes, floods). These people had nothing and were just greatful to have a hot meal and a roof over their heads for a while.

    It's people like the idiot in the OP that give those truly down on their luck a bad rap.
    A smile is just a grimace that's been edited for public consumption. -- Tony Cochran

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    • #3
      I like to give people with signs actual food. Like if I see one up the street and I'm hitting a fast food place, I'll by an extra 99c burger or something. I figure if I can afford to eat out, I can afford to throw a buck's worth of food to someone. I've also given out partial tubes of Ritz crackers (that's what I had with me) and contest prize tickets for free food.

      I don't give money out to anyone that is drunk or is looking to get drunk. Also, I tend to be a bit stingy towards those who are begging who have really good shoes. Professional panhandlers (who make way more than I do in a day) usually have shoes with good soles on them.

      ^-.-^
      Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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      • #4
        A friend of mine gave a burger to a panhandler once and instead of being thankful or eating it or anything he chucks it out into traffic and starts cursing out my friend about how he doesn't want f-ing food he wants f-ing money! We walked away very quickly.
        Don't wanna; not gonna.

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        • #5
          Quoth 42_42_42 View Post
          A friend of mine gave a burger to a panhandler once and instead of being thankful or eating it or anything he chucks it out into traffic and starts cursing out my friend about how he doesn't want f-ing food he wants f-ing money! We walked away very quickly.
          It's happened to me too. That's the last time I ever tried to be nice to the panhandlers around here. Especially after working in the movie theatre. Let me tell you, if they can stand on a street corner for 8-10 hours a day begging for change, they can go get a job taking tickets in a movie theatre. I did it and so can they. Not to mention the articles I have read about panhandlers making upwards of $50k a year all untaxable.

          Nope, I give money to the animals. They have much much more common decency than 90% of the people I run across, and they really can't do anything to change their situation.
          The only words you said that I understood were "His", "Phone" and "Ya'll". The other 2 paragraphs worth was about as intelligible as a drunken Teletubby barkin' come on's at a Hooter's waitress.

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          • #6
            Like everything else where money is involved, panhandling has its scammers. I don't have a whole lot of experience with panhandlers, but from what I know there are two varieties: The ones who are well and truly down on their luck, and literally have nothing else, and the ones who are adept at LOOKING like the first, and who have more money than me.

            Basically, my policy is to not give out money to panhandlers period. Shelters, yes, donation bins, yes, but no money directly to panhandlers. I figure my money has a better chance of getting to those who really need it, and who will use it appropriately. Because to be perfectly fair, I DON'T see the pregnant teenage mothers or crippled vets or disenfranchised minorities or whatever panhandling. I assume they're at the shelters or Social Assistance centers, trying their best to cope with the social safety net, such as it is.

            The panhandlers I see? 20-30 year old caucasian males in good health, wearing warm, relatively new clothes and often with pets. Yah-huh... no money for you. Job center is that way.
            Check out my webcomic!

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            • #7
              Yeah. The ones I usually give stuff to are all older (at least in their 50's) are notably unwashed, have 3 or 4 layers of clothes because they have no where to keep the spares, and look like they need to eat more.

              They've always been very happy to get food. One got a soda once, 'cause I didn't have food and wasn't interested in drinking the soda myself. It was a hot day and he looked thrilled to have something to drink.

              My mother had one guy (40-ish) cuss her out for giving him a burger. I figure he was one of the pros who do it for a living.

              ^-.-^
              Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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              • #8
                yeah, I've had them panhandle when I'm on my way home with groceries, I've offered them buns, fruit, and cartons of milk and been refused. Most of these people are not hungry.

                In this city, it's actually pretty hard to starve, there are many, many soup kitchens and other drop-in places.
                You can get updated addresses and schedules of free meals and snacks that various churches and agencies serve, some government-supported, some not. You can easily obtain 3-4 meals every day, no questions asked. So panhandlers here don't need food, they want cash.

                Re: panhandler's pets: considering that I don't have the space or money to keep a big dog, even though I love dogs, no way will I give my money to support someone else's dog.

                My biggest peeve is being panhandled by young kids who ask for money while wearing expensive leather jackets and boots, and a faceful of expensive piercings.

                I worked for the provincial welfare office for several years; my observation is that people who are truly poor, who are truly in a bad spot and being screwed over by life, are not hanging around the street harassing others, they are usually shuttling between agencies, clinics, offices, landlords, etc, trying to get things together and improve their situations, or at least gain some stability and deal with their problems.

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                • #9
                  Quoth Andara Bledin View Post
                  I like to give people with signs actual food. Like if I see one up the street and I'm hitting a fast food place, I'll by an extra 99c burger or something. I figure if I can afford to eat out, I can afford to throw a buck's worth of food to someone. I've also given out partial tubes of Ritz crackers (that's what I had with me) and contest prize tickets for free food.
                  People used to come in and buy food for the tramp what took up residence near my restaurant. About three or four times a day.
                  You're not doing me a favor by eating here. I'm doing you a favor by feeding you.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Quoth Tigress View Post
                    I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter near my college and it completely burns me up to hear stories like this. There were guys there that had nothing but the clothes on their backs. And those clothes they had just rummaged from the donation bins. Teenaged mothers that had nowhere to go because their parents kicked them out for being pregnant. The people at this shelter had lost everything due to debt, disability and Acts of God (fire, tornadoes, floods). These people had nothing and were just greatful to have a hot meal and a roof over their heads for a while.

                    It's people like the idiot in the OP that give those truly down on their luck a bad rap.
                    Good point here. I did not intend to offend anyone as yes, there are those out there down on their luck with nothing but perhaps a shopping cart with all of their belongings and the clothes on their backs. I guess my point of this was all this guy did was prowl these two liquor stores instead of trying to find something to sustain himself. I can pretty much tell a genuine homeless down on their luck person from one that just doesn't want to pull his weight and have one hand them their hard earned money. Those are the ones who are clean shaven, are wearing somewhat decent clothes, have a nice looking pet with them, etc. I remember a guy like that in downtown Jacksonville every day who would approach anyone with the story of "My car ran out of gas and I need some money to fill it up." This guy did this every day with the same beat up looking gas can, and it got to where one day someone asked him to show him his car. He never showed up again after that.

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                    • #11
                      In my resturant, since its near a bus stop, we often have a few homeless people in it. I always give them a drink cause at least then they can get some water. Ive give some free food, mostly tacos or maybe a burger and most of them are happy for it. The only panhandlers ive given money to are noticably dirty and dressed in unseasonable clothing and i never give them more than whats in my pocket, sometimes maybe a dollar, i dont keep change for long. The other person ive given food to was a pregnant woman who looked about my age who was trying to scrape together some money for food in front of the dollar store. I bought her some juice and some honey buns and gave her 3 dollars. I also pulled out a woman shelter card i had (long story as to why i had it) and told her they might help her find someplace to stay. She almost cried.

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                      • #12
                        I jaded towards pandhandlers & homeless. I've given food and spare change to them, my husband has as well - mostly because my heart went out to them and if I were in the same situation, other people would do the same for me.

                        Plus, here in town, we don't have any soup kitchens and only one community house that was always full and regularly turned away people (I used to volunteer there) - so I know what it's like there.

                        But the guy who hung out at the end of the parking lot at Wal-Mart . . . he literally made a career of it. It was one very hot August day when my husband and I went home (after being at Wal-Mart) and made him a lunch (this was at the beginning of his career), we even threw in a little alcohol (that we didn't like and wouldn't drink it anyway). Drove all the way back down to him and gave him the lunch. He accepted it, didn't throw a hissy fit or anything.

                        Then, everytime we went to Wal-Mart, we saw him, I think he took up that spot every day for a couple of years. He recently left and someone new, and younger got his spot. Friends tell us, the new guy even drives to Wal-Mart . . . in his van. . . So, with Mr. Career as well as a couple of other ungrateful panhandlers (the "pregnant" girl who needed food and her car "broke" down and she lives "outside of town), I give them nothing.

                        I may not like my job, but I do it, as well as the other hard working people in this community. It's not fair for complete able-bodied people to leech off the rest of us like that.
                        This area is left blank for a reason.

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                        • #13
                          I used to live in NYC. Now I WASN'T in Brooklyn or even Queens, but Long Island. Long Island has it's rough spots, but it's generally too expensive for the REAL problem people. (unfortunately you get idiots amongst the "working people" neighborhoods and BAM.. lowered property values..)

                          Going out to Manhattan was NOT my idea of a regular weekend outing. Truth to tell, I HATED the crowds and prices, so I avoided Manhattan while growing up and as a young man. Every once in a while I got the "itch" to visit the city, though.

                          I spent the night walking around 42nd and Broadway. Being a child of the 70's (shaddap!!!) I remember when it was a truly SCARY place, so it's a bit fun to just play tourist. Gulianni really turned the place around by selling half of NY to Corporate entities. But it's STILL NYC!!! I watch the gang members pick their targets, the trannies wobble into bars, the "happy family" who don't know how close to "Bruce Wayne syndrome" they are...

                          Of course, there are the beggers. Homeless guy with a sign, working the Lincoln tunnel until the PA chases him away... Scary looking BIG guy in Vietnam era army jacket, bumming for change.. and a legless vet with a sign that says "Have a nice walk!!"

                          I drink it all in...

                          I have a BLAST!

                          I pay $2 for a 30 second video game (but it was in a life sized MECH!!!) I pay $8 for a watered down beer... I watch a girl and a Donk.. uh.. watch some foreign films... It's 4 am...

                          HOMELESS VET'S WIFE DRIVES UP IN A CADILAC... HE PUTS HIS LEGS ON AND THEY LEAVE!!!!

                          I sat there for about ten minutes, trying to figure out if I should laugh or bitch...

                          Anyone figures that one out.. PM me...
                          Last edited by Crazeyal; 06-08-2007, 11:20 PM.

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                          • #14
                            My friend J told me about the guy we had at our freeway offramp holding a sign that said, "My spaceship broke down and I need money for parts." Definitely original, I had seen him, too. Friendly, didn't look like the usual scammer. J hates just giving a begger money, so he went down the the store and got a bag of apples, he figured they'd keep for a bit, and the guy could eat em as he had to. So he heads down the the corner to present this guy with his apples, he couldn't have expected anything close to the response he got:

                            "Apples! Man, this is great! I can eat the apples, and then use the cores for fuel for my ship! Man, you're an awesome human! I almost have all the parts together, and now I don't have to worry about fuel! You have no idea how much you've helped out this intergalactic explorer."

                            We haven't seen him since that day. /plays twilight zone music
                            ...how do used tampons attract thieves? ---Sleepwalker

                            Chickens are Asexual!

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                            • #15

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