What is it with people these days?

[Back to being Cenanuff]

I'm sitting at this restaurant, waiting for my carryout order. Dude comes walking in, goes to the restroom, and sits down next to me after coming out. He then nudges me, producing a note that says "can you please buy me something to eat?". I tell him I'll get him something with my carryout order, because I have no problem getting food for people that are truly hard up. And then I found out why he had the note. He started talking to me, and the first thing I noticed was the worst case of meth mouth I've ever seen. He said he couldn't eat there, and wanted $5.99 for Penn Station. WTF? Seriously, I thought addicts knew that scam didn't work.

[Tapout]

Here's what I want to know: Why don't people just GIVE me their money??

[Grendel]

When my bud worked at a Midas, I'd got there occasionally to get stuff done on my vehicle. For about a 5 month period, there was a homeless guy who would sit on that exit with his "Please help" sign. I sat there in line and watched as people would just hand money out the window to him.

Well, one day I showed up to get my brakes done and asked my bud what he thought about the deal. His boss said that one day he had offered him a job at that place, and the guy said no. Now, I know there are people who really need help, but some of these people have to help themselves.

[Back to being Cenanuff]

I forget where I heard this, but according to some study done somewhere, homeless people that panhandle like that make about $30k a year tax-free, so it's no wonder he didn't take that job.

[darthalexander]

Years ago when I worked for the Y, there was this guy on St. Catherine Street (a big street in Montreal) who was a beggar. He was a "blind Vietnam Vet" (as was stated in big bold letters on a board on his chest). I saw him a lot, almost every day, and one day he came in to exchange some money at the cash. Well, he took a huge wad of rolled up cash - drug dealer style - and changed some of his money. He had a bunch of 50s, 100s, and ton of 20s. He also had the ability to see somehow. Must be a miracle.

[Orange]

Feb 23, 2010 13:40:35 GMT -5 Back to being Cenanuff said:

I forget where I heard this, but according to some study done somewhere, homeless people that panhandle like that make about $30k a year tax-free, so it's no wonder he didn't take that job.

I heard this a while back as well, panhandling may be the best job available ever! ;D

The bad thing is is there may be people out there who truly do need help, but you can never tell the difference between the people who'll just blow any money given to them and the people that need some money to get by.

[jobsquad]

I always give people money, so long as they promise to buy beer with it.

[The Booty Disciple]

Meh. I helped out a homeless vet a couple years back a couple times. He didn't have much to his name, had been sleeping in a park. I wanted a bike, and that was one of the few things he actually had, so we arranged a trade. I bought him and his buddy a burger at the restaurant I was manager at, and I got the bike. He came back in a couple days later asking if we had any openings on the line, and we were ready to hire him to cook, but then he tried to steal the bike back, and got caught by me as I was walking in from work. Since he told me where he had been hanging out (the parK), that's exactly where I sent the police when I called them.

Not sure what happened after that, other than, as a complainant, I had to speak with an officer after the fact to finish his report, but I imagine he's no longer around. The bike, however, was given to my little brother when he got to college here in Laramie.

[Deleted]

Feb 23, 2010 13:40:35 GMT -5 Back to being Cenanuff said:

I forget where I heard this, but according to some study done somewhere, homeless people that panhandle like that make about $30k a year tax-free, so it's no wonder he didn't take that job.

Yeah.

A high school teacher of mine had a friend in Boston who panhandled for a month as an experiment.

She said he made quite a bit more cash in a month panhandling than he did at his real job.

[losthead]

You have him a burger for a bicycle?

That doesn't sound like a fair trade to me.

[casualobserver]

[default]

Feb 23, 2010 13:40:35 GMT -5 Back to being Cenanuff said:

I forget where I heard this, but according to some study done somewhere, homeless people that panhandle like that make about $30k a year tax-free, so it's no wonder he didn't take that job.

Yeah, there was an article a few years ago on them. I think it was in that American Profile magazine that comes in the newspaper or else Reader's Digest. Anyway, it covered a couple in Chicago who I think made like $70k a year doing it. I know the woman made more. I think dude started when he lost his job, then his wife quit hers and started making more than him due to having bewbs.

I don't mind handing out a little if I have it, but I hate when people ask for more. Some dude stopped me between yard sales this past summer and asked for some cash to get bread. All the local store's carry bread my dad makes, so I gave him $1. He said he needed another, so I gave him another since some of it is a little over $1. Then he sees a five in my pocket and asks for that, at which point I left as he already bummed a Pall Mall.

I would've been more miffed, but I got a little paranoid and decided to take a different way home in case he followed me. I ended up stumbling across an unadvertised yard sale and snagged a 27" Sony Trinitron for $15. Karma.

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

Feb 23, 2010 23:45:28 GMT -5 losthead said:

You have him a burger for a bicycle?

That doesn't sound like a fair trade to me.

Seriously. A bike =/= a burger. You'd have to give him at least TWO burgers for a bike. One per tire.

[kickassJP]

Yeah, it really pisses me off when people won't work for a living, and they'd rather take hand outs instead. People out there work their asses off, and some people try to take advantage of that. Nothing pisses me off more than laziness.

[chazraps]

Feb 23, 2010 13:56:40 GMT -5 Orange said:

The bad thing is is there may be people out there who truly do need help, but you can never tell the difference between the people who'll just blow any money given to them and the people that need some money to get by.

I'm in NYC, and the way I tell the difference is in the shoes. If someone's footwear looks like it costs at least one-hundred dollars more than mine, they don't need my help.

Scammers never think about the footwear.

[The Booty Disciple]

Feb 23, 2010 23:45:28 GMT -5 losthead said:

You have him a burger for a bicycle?

That doesn't sound like a fair trade to me.

It was a used bike, in a bit of disrepair because he couldn't afford to get the stuff fixed. If I went to a local pawn shop and bought a bike, it would've cost me roughly the same.

This also wasn't a cheap Wendy's hamburger. It was half a pound, hand pattied, with fries. I think I also gave him a soda that I just bumped because it was late enough that we generally didn't charge for non-alcoholic drinks after 9 in the evening.

The not fair trade part was when a week later I'm walking in from work and after I'd fixed a couple problems for it (spokes and a rusty chain are the ones I recall most directly), he was trying to steal it OUT OF MY FRONT YARD.

[B.B.M]

Feb 24, 2010 1:22:59 GMT -5 kickassJP said:

Yeah, it really pisses me off when people won't work for a living, and they'd rather take hand outs instead. People out there work their asses off, and some people try to take advantage of that. Nothing pisses me off more than laziness.

What about people who can't work? Like the disabled.