Plaidman: Jackass of the year.

[Plaidman]

We get alot of homeless/change beggers in our neighborhood, and most noticbly in front of our store. For the most part, we tell them to scram, and they go elsewhere. Sometimes they argue about their right to try scam our paying customers, but threats of police get them out of here.

So this morning, (Couple hours ago). We see one outside our store. He was minding his own business, til he started to ask for change. He was outside, sitting down, rolling up cigs and asking for change. So we tell him to, scram. He refused. We tell him to scam alittle more harshly.

He then told us a sob story. That he just had a sizure, and he just called an amblance, that they are really busy, but they'll get to him in a minute.

Now I was going off what I have personally experenced about sizures. (Me blacking out, and my mom calling an ambalance which got there real quick with firemen to drag me out of my messy room). So I called BS, that if he had, they be there already, and wouldn't tell him they were busy etc. So after much moaning, he finally gets up to start walking off. But he comes back within seconds. Again, telling him to get going.

Can you guess what was pulling into our parking lot right then. If you said ambalance, your right. He really DID call one.

I'm not sure if he really did have one, they paramedics didn't even talk to us, they just nonchalently helped him in the back, one sat with him in the back, and they just kinda waited a few minutes, before causually driving off. (Anyone know more about sizures to say if this is average?).

But yeah. I feel like a real jackass now.

[blas]

You can't really blame yourself. I may be at risk for being flamed, but it's very hard for me to believe sob stories from panhandlers. We don't have a huge homeless population around here, but in the spring summer and fall, we have lots of people who sit by the main drags and highways with their cardboard signs begging for rides or food or money. It would be a little more believable if they weren't smoking or talking on a cell phone like this one guy always does every Saturday in the summer.

Don't beat yourself up over it.

[marasbaras]

Don't feel bad at all. He may have lied to the ambulance company to get a free ride to the hospital where he'll get a free meal.

[Evil Queen]

I used to have seizures. All the time when I was a kid. But not anymore. Long story, I'd tell you about it but it's really kinda boring.

When I had mine, I never knew I had them. I would just go blank (though I can tell you EXACTLY what my seizures looked it, it was like the opening to StarTrek, all these little white dots flying towards me with a black background) and never know I had them.

But the ambulance was never called for me. Didn't need one.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Dude, I'd not have believed him either.

I used to have seizures. All the time when I was a kid. But not anymore. Long story, I'd tell you about it but it's really kinda boring.

When I had mine, I never knew I had them. I would just go blank (though I can tell you EXACTLY what my seizures looked it, it was like the opening to StarTrek, all these little white dots flying towards me with a black background) and never know I had them.

But the ambulance was never called for me. Didn't need one.

That's because you were Petite. Had you been Grand, then we'd have had an ambulance on beck and call.

[Evil Queen]

That's because you were Petite. Had you been Grand, then we'd have had an ambulance on beck and call.

It's Patit Mal, not Patite. I'm small. You don't have to remind me.

Anyways, I wouldn't have believed the guy.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Isn't it pronounced the same way? If so then you can understand why I wrote it out like that.

[Evil Queen]

Isn't it pronounced the same way? If so then you can understand why I wrote it out like that.

Sorry 'bout that, but, yes, it's pronounced the same way.

Not to be a Spelling Nazi (gourd knows I suck at it) but I had to look it up too. -_-'

[Crazeyal]

Uh..

NO

No guilt should be assumed here. Being homeless sucks. You can't always get out of it so easily. Being from NYC, I'm a bit jaded, but every once in a while I'll bite and hand over what I feel like sparing.

Hate me if you want, but being in need does NOT give you license to hurt, steal or even annoy other people. That includes disrupting a business with begging. If the guy wanted to be left alone to waiit for the ambulance, fine. But he should know the deal, disrupt the flow of customers and get asked to leave. Just because he was truely hurt does NOT give him license to disrupt your business.

If he asked for a spot to sit while waiting for an ambualnce, fine. If you had no dealings with him and he was just SITTING and you tried to make him leave?? Yeah.. perhaps a little cruel on your part, AFTER he explains the situation.

Not having a pot to piss in means you do what you have to do, to get fed, to get a roof over your head. I haven't been homeless, but I've taken jobs that demeaned and scarred me just to keep my family off the street. I know about humiliation.

Being homeless means more humiliation in a day than my entire unemployment, I realize this. Someone on the street has to beg borrow or steal every damn day. Someone NOT on the street can point to a million differant paths out of the situation. It's differant when you have to live it.. I realize this as well.

But THERE ARE RULES. The guy broke them. You owe him NOTHING.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Don't feel bad at all. He may have lied to the ambulance company to get a free ride to the hospital where he'll get a free meal.

s

I've known several paramedics/amulance crew and apparently, homeless people frequently use ambulances as personal taxis.

Yeah, I don't have a clue how they get away with it, either.

[RayvenQ]

Having been homeless myself, I know how hard it is BUT giving homeless people money is the worse way to help them as often homeless people have personal problems (alcoholism etc etc) so you never know if they're going to spend it on something that will help them (hot food, hot drink etc etc)

So how I deal with homless people asking me for change is to ask them what it's for and if it's food or a hot drink I'll ask them is there anything particular they want and then go get it and bring it back to them often if they ask for just a hot drink I'll get them a little something to eat too.

[SilverOrb]

I actually have had Grand seizures... The ambulance gets there quick, and while it isn't a light and sirens situation, they don't sit around and chat once you are in.