Beggers

[Dave]

Has anyone else notice a huge upswing of people begging on street corners. When I go out to lunch it is about 2 miles from the office to the area with places to eat. I pass by freeway off ramps, major intersections, and the major mall. It is normal anymore to see 5 or 6 people standing on a street corner with a sign begging for money. Today I saw 5. All of them looked to be men in their 30's or 40's. All of them look healthy enough to work. It use to be rare to see someone doing this. Now there are some corners where it is rare to see them empty. In the past if you saw someone doing this their sign read will work for food or something like that. Now their signs just say give me money.

 

[Hook]

People here are making good money doing it. Upwards of 5-600 a day. Lately they've been grouping up and taking corners in shifts. 4,5,6 people. One or 2 begging and the others sitting down under a tree in the shade. Messed up

 

[skyhightree1]

People here are making good money doing it. Upwards of 5-600 a day. Lately they've been grouping up and taking corners in shifts. 4,5,6 people. One or 2 begging and the others sitting down under a tree in the shade. Messed up

same here I had a girl bout mid 20's clean looking came up to me and my wife when we were going to walmart . She said excuse me can you give me some $ my car is out of gas and I need to get home 2 hours away.. I said ma'am if you get some money lets split it cause I need some gas too...

 

[Dave]

A few years back my daughter was working at a factory outlet store right by the freeway. A couple would park a nice late model car in their parking lot. They would be wearing grubby cloths. They would each take an off ramp and stand there with a sign declaring themselves homeless and in need of money. Daughter put a note on their car telling them that they couldn't park there. They moved on to some other freeway exit.

 

[backhoeboogie]

There are kids and people who need help. These heartless frauds interfere with people in real need getting help.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

People here are making good money doing it. Upwards of 5-600 a day. Lately they've been grouping up and taking corners in shifts. 4,5,6 people. One or 2 begging and the others sitting down under a tree in the shade. Messed up

:nod: :nod: :nod:

Same here.

A few of these folks, at different locations, have been offered food (they were holding signs that they were hungry) and declined the bag of food (bag of boxed and canned goods).

A couple of the others were offered a job for the day, as a day laboror of sorts.....declined the offer (they were holding signs saying they would "work for food".)

I used to feel badly for folks on the occasional corner, sometimes even a little bit guilty for not giving some change. Not now......now they just pi$$ me off!!

Katherine

 

[skyhightree1]

There are kids and people who need help. These heartless frauds interfere with people in real need getting help.

true and the saying one bad apple spoils the bunch comes to mind. If I see anyone has a LEGITIMATE need not want I will help anyone cause its the right thing to do.

 

[Ryder]

I agree with both Katherine and Sky. I am the world's classic "soft touch". But everything has it's limits.
One street corner I go by has a man holding up T-shirts with messages written on them--I guess to sell??
One said, "I am so hungry I could eat a ..."
Can't complete it--really gross. I don't know how the cops don't catch him.

 

[boondocks]

There are kids and people who need help. These heartless frauds interfere with people in real need getting help.

I agree! Funny, I'm reading this thread right now on a subway train when a guy comes walking thru the train begging, swearing he's an Iraq war vet now homeless and hungry. Swore he could prove it.
No one bit. He may have been, for all I know....but if he's lying what a terrible thing to do.
Wish there was a way to figure out who's legitimately in need...

 

[Shanghai]

I was inline behind this young lady with a little boy at whataburger and he was tell her he wanted something and she told him she didn't have enough money
They were poorly dressed and unkept and looked hungry, so I told her here you go and handed her the cash I planned to use to buy dinner. She turned smiled and said thank you and she had meth mouth bad and looked terrible.
I wanted to help and to look at that little boy and see the life he has and going to have, I felt helpless and just left.
I've thought about that a lot and what I could do to help and have no ideas

 

[A.J.]

It's amazing to me how many times those people will be right outside of a store with a sign that says they are hiring, but for some reason those people aren't interested in trying to get a job. If you can stand outside for 10 hours holding a sign, I believe you could be working somewhere. I will gladly help someone that has fallen on hard times and is genuinely trying to help themselves, but have little patience with someone that won't try to help themselves. If someone is asking for gas money or money for food I might tell them to meet me at the gas pump and I'll pay for their gas or get some food for them, but I'm not just giving out cash. It's hard to tell who is really in need from someone that is just lazy or suffering from an addiction and taking advantage many times. I try to use common sense and my best judgement, but I have been burned trying to help people like that before. the way I look at it is The Lord knows my heart, and if someone I try to help is lying or taking advantage, they are the ones that will have to answer for it one day.

 

[Nesikep]

I loathe beggars, and it's because of the leeches in the bunch, and because I like helping people, but be darned if I work 65 hours a week and give it to a dope fiend! I particularly hate the ones that stand there and do NOTHING but beg for money... I have more respect for those squeegeeing windows, because at least they try and do something (I hear that's good money too). Being a smoker, I'll give a fellow a cigarette, but not cash anymore. I've been burned enough by giving money to help friends I don't need to give it to strangers...

Then there's the opposite, I have several friends who will give me anything I need, and I feel bad for taking it, and they won't accept any payment... but I don't like owing either!

 

[TexasBred]

Everytime we go to Waco seems I see a couple sitting on corners, wearing old army jackets, a dog sitting beside him on a leash and holding a sign saying "Viet Nam or Iraq War Vet"...will work for food or money. The day I see one with a dog thats grossly underweight I might give them something. Most seem to be very well fed as does the man doing the begging.

 

[Dave]

One thing I look at is their shoes. In this wet muddy climate you don't have nice clean shoes if you are homeless. I see a lot of them begging with dirt old ragged cloths on but nice clean comfortable shoes.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

One thing I look at is their shoes. In this wet muddy climate you don't have nice clean shoes if you are homeless. I see a lot of them begging with dirt old ragged cloths on but nice clean comfortable shoes.

Lots of the ones I see are fairly young, appear to be in their 20's. My favorite???? They are standing there with REI back-packs, wearing Merril or NorthFace shoes with a Starbucks coffee cup in their hand.....alot of people don't seem to notice those minor little details!

I donate to the local foodbank and 1 or2 other charities that I feel good about, but not to these schlepps on the corners. They've burned bridges.

Katherine

 

[Hook]

Saw a lady today on our very rural corner. There 2 gas stations there as that's it. She was sitting down on one of those rolling walkers with a sign that said "can't work 5 kids to feed". Only thing is I bet she was 50-60 years old. And I've seen her before. Dang near anyone can get a job telemarketing if nothing else. Doesn't require anything but sitting on your azz. Comes down to pure laziness.

 

[HDRider]

I was driving thru Dallas a few years ago and a good looking lady standing on the feeder road held a sign asking for money. The sign said, "I am on my last leg." She was too. She only had one leg.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I was driving thru Dallas a few years ago and a good looking lady standing on the feeder road held a sign asking for money. The sign said, "I am on my last leg." She was too. She only had one leg.

Got to appreciate her sense of humor at least.

 

[cowgirl8]

I was approached yesterday at walmart. A scraggly man came up to me and said, "Excuse me, can you give me directions to Greenville?" I can understand asking directions to Main street or Home Depot, but not a city 70 miles away. I was putting groceries in the back of the truck and there is a topper on the truck so the guy could not see into the truck. I looked at him and said, " I cant remember the numbers of the highways you'll need to take, but i bet my husband will." He was sitting in the truck waiting for me...lol...The look in that fellas eyes. He went through the motions of asking because he saw my husband getting out of the truck. After a he gave him directions, the guy disappeared. I had hoped to see what the guy was driving, but when i say he vamoosed, he vamoosed.
What i think he was going to do is tell me he was on his way to see so and so and doesnt have enough gas money to make it all the way to Greenville while holding his hand out..

 

[wv mud river]

seen a guy holding a sign that said, why lie a want a beer