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It seems to happen in rest areas.. once when I was with my sister in Texas (she gave the woman 5 bucks) and to me at a rest area in Maryland on our way back to NY.
Once I saw two young guys sharing a bowl of soup in a restaurant. They had bicycled from Portland, OR to Minneapolis and ran out of money. We gave them $20.00 apiece.
My wife sent to a conference in a small college town in Ohio. She walked about 6 blocks from her hotel to the conference center. At about 6 pm, Sunday evening, walking back to the hotel, she twisted her ankle real bad and couldn't walk. She asked somebody about a taxi, and was told there are no taxis in that town. She tried to beg people to give her a ride, and said she would pay them, and they ignored her. She finally limped out in the street and stood in front of a pickup truck and begged the guy to let her climb into the back of the truck, and be let off at the motel. Things like this really do happen to people.
My wife sent to a conference in a small college town in Ohio. She walked about 6 blocks from her hotel to the conference center. At about 6 pm, Sunday evening, walking back to the hotel, she twisted her ankle real bad and couldn't walk. She asked somebody about a taxi, and was told there are no taxis in that town. She tried to beg people to give her a ride, and said she would pay them, and they ignored her. She finally limped out in the street and stood in front of a pickup truck and begged the guy to let her climb into the back of the truck, and be let off at the motel. Things like this really do happen to people.
how horrible. I dont care who the person is, but if they need help people need to drop the "me me me" crap and help.
Probably 90 to 95% of the time its a scam. I'll keep a quarter or two in a pocket to give them just to get rid of them. Some flip out on you if they don't get it.
If they REALLY look bad, maybe a dollar. It'll go to drugs or booze but maybe they'll buy food with it and it won't be wasted. You know a good panhandler can make a couple of hundred dollars a day in a city?
Years ago, when I was just out of college, I took a train from California home to NY, and found out that my money had been stolen in the Sacramento train station. I had only $5, so not much money for food on the train for 3 days, not to mention getting home from NYC. This nice young couple gave me money to "babysit" their kids, who sat with me. I really didn't have to do much.
I give to the "regular" homeless people I see everyday, and talk to them. I feel sad because many are old and should not have to live outside. They talk to me about the clothes they found in the trash, or about their families who are no longer around, etc. I don't usually give to kids in the train station who say they just want to get home, but sometimes, a buck.
(I don't know what forum this belongs on so I put it here)
They have approached me with this numerous times. My opinion is that 100% of these people are liars. How many people go out of the house without wallet and get stranded and need to bum money? Who the hell is that inept?
I always suspect they're drug addicts looking for their next fix and never give them money.
how horrible. I dont care who the person is, but if they need help people need to drop the "me me me" crap and help.
If it's genuine, I agree. But I don't like to be taken advantage of. Also, if you lived in a place like NYC where this happens every hour on the hour or more, your pockets would be empty. It's also different if they come up to you, rather than you seeing someone who needs help and offering. And those wanting money in big cities can spy a tourist a mile away. Someone studied me reading a map, came up to me, but I knew better.
If some bum is pissing and moaning about how hungry he is I just take him to McDonalds and buy him a coffee or something off the dollar menu. Or the best is the guys with the signs "Will work for Food", at my old job they have a little army of these bums doing slave labor at minimum wage. We would just pick them up off the side of the road and then work them to death, surprisingly their retention rate is pretty high and they don't mind being chastised all day... They get fed often, clothed and are allowed to sleep under the trailers on the property. Most bums around here are crackheads, pharmeheads, drunks, convicts, debtors... they all have interesting stories which they are actually honest about. Bums are whole different type of human that most normal humans no nothing about.
I notice some people on this thread have sympathy for these people... unless you really know their situation don't fret too much. Most of them genuinely got themselves in that situation and the difference between them and someone else who has been in the same situation is that these bums were too lazy to try hard enough to climb out of the hole they got in. None of them really need anything from anybody, what you give to them is just a bonus. There is plenty of food and all sorts of stuff out there... I had an employed friend who dumpster dived for all of his food and stuff he had in his apartment. Bums are a clever bunch, don't let them fool you.
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