This is why I avoid panhandlers and many of the "homeless" in Chicago (Lincoln: for sale, real estate)

[Lookout Kid]

My rule is to NEVER GIVE ANYTHING to a homeless person on the street. In addition to the risk of interacting with a stranger on the street, many social workers argue that just giving food or money to homeless people just enables them to continute their destructive lifestyle, and prevents them from getting the assistance they really need to turn their lives around. Food and shelter is readily available to the homeless in Chicago, but often times it requires that they act like civil people, take their meds, or get counciling for drug or alcohol abuse.

If you really do want to help, volunteer for an organization that is doing something to help homeless people or working to end homelessness. And make sure they are well-run and are good neighbors to their surrounding community! As an Uptown resident, I am well aware that some shelters and "charities" are poorly managed hell-holes that are a scourge on the city.

[kimberland]

We all have to remember that addiction and mental illness play a huge part in a person choosing to be homeless. Homeless people don't want food or a job, they want money. I hate when they have dogs with them. I hate to admit it, but I will usually roll my window down for the dog's sake.
A few years ago in Dallas, I took my young daughters into a Walgreens bathroom. While we were in there, a girl came out of the stall and fell to the ground. She had a syringe in her arm. I had just seen this girl on the streetcorner with a homeless sign no less than 20 minutes before this incident. This was not a bad neighborhood.
Very scary experience.

[Lookout Kid]

Recently I was leaving work downtown, and a homeless man was sitting in the doorway of my building. A piece of paper that I didn't really need fell from a pocket in my bag, and the homeless guy picked it up and handed it to me. I said "Thank You", and turned to walk away. It enraged this guy that I didn't give him money for his "favor", and he began to threaten me. I walked away without further incident, but it really angers me that some homeless people expect to be paid for what was once thought of as basic human courtesy. To hell with people like this!

[Rusty_Shackleford]

If they have a real disability, then they probably receive at least $500 a month from social security. Which is plenty to buy food if you're not paying for shelter. The others are probably either professional panhandlers or drug addicts.

Most homeless people, you won't find on the street day after day begging. The ones that really might be "down on their luck" are less likely to be so visible on the street like that. They're probably living temporarily at a friends/family or in their car maybe, while they get back on their feet. The ones on the streets like that are more often the chronically homeless, or are not even homeless. And for the most part, any cash you give them probably isn't going to keep them from starving, or give them shelter.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Recently I was leaving work downtown, and a homeless man was sitting in the doorway of my building. A piece of paper that I didn't really need fell from a pocket in my bag, and the homeless guy picked it up and handed it to me. I said "Thank You", and turned to walk away. It enraged this guy that I didn't give him money for his "favor", and he began to threaten me. I walked away without further incident, but it really angers me that some homeless people expect to be paid for what was once thought of as basic human courtesy. To hell with people like this!

You should'a popped him. The bums gave me a wide berth when I lived up there.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

You should'a popped him. The bums gave me a wide berth when I lived up there.

I've had to deal with this decision before, whether it was a homeless person or a smartass teenager. I'm a relatively big guy, and could probably take on some stoned or drunk homeless dude withoug a lot of trouble. But in this town, you never really know who or what you're dealing with on the street. Say a teenager who looks like a gang-banger calls me a cracker or honky or makes a comment about my wife (all have happened before)... I may be able to take him in a fair fight, but these kids carry guns sometimes, or have gangster friends who are into retribution. Or as Avengerfire said, some homeless guys are armed with knives or schivs or whatever. If I don't know the whole situation, I'll walk away from a fight any day.

[Costa Rica Chica]

Posting examples of homeless charity gone awry or this tragic story about the beating does not make all or even most homeless people as rude and pushy as you guys are making them out to be. Not that the woman in that news story deserved to have 14 teeth knocked out for what she said, but what she said was pretty obnoxious. (Those 2 particular homeless people also had extensive police records for violent crimes, definitely not exemplary of the vast majority of homeless.)

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Costa Rica Chica

Posting examples of homeless charity gone awry or this tragic story about the beating does not make all or even most homeless people as rude and pushy as you guys are making them out to be. Not that the woman in that news story deserved to have 14 teeth knocked out for what she said, but what she said was pretty obnoxious. (Those 2 particular homeless people also had extensive police records for violent crimes, definitely not exemplary of the vast majority of homeless.)

Well, not all homeless people are panhandlers. But most panhandlers are rude and pushy. At least in Chicago.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I've had to deal with this decision before, whether it was a homeless person or a smartass teenager. I'm a relatively big guy, and could probably take on some stoned or drunk homeless dude withoug a lot of trouble. But in this town, you never really know who or what you're dealing with on the street. Say a teenager who looks like a gang-banger calls me a cracker or honky or makes a comment about my wife (all have happened before)... I may be able to take him in a fair fight, but these kids carry guns sometimes, or have gangster friends who are into retribution. Or as Avengerfire said, some homeless guys are armed with knives or schivs or whatever. If I don't know the whole situation, I'll walk away from a fight any day.

Smart man. I've had some similar run ins and no way was I going to mix it up with some random idiot who has nothing to lose. Besides, so I beat up some punk....nice way to catch HIV, HEP C etc. from getting some bloody knuckles off his face.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by Costa Rica Chica

Posting examples of homeless charity gone awry or this tragic story about the beating does not make all or even most homeless people as rude and pushy as you guys are making them out to be. Not that the woman in that news story deserved to have 14 teeth knocked out for what she said, but what she said was pretty obnoxious. (Those 2 particular homeless people also had extensive police records for violent crimes, definitely not exemplary of the vast majority of homeless.)

The vast majority of panhandling homeless that I have seen in Chicago have OBVIOUS signs of mental illness and drug abuse. Let's not confuse those people with "regular homeless" that are living out of a car, in a transitional shelter etc. I don't think anyone here is confusing the two that I have seen.

My roomie and I let a *homeless* friend crash with us rent free for about 3 months while he got back on his feet. Not a big deal.