Panhandlers and sob stories.

First as someone from a rural area I do not often encounter panhandlers. But on the occasions that I go into town for my late night shopping trips I will sometimes be approached in the parking lot.
Does anyone else besides me try to top their stories about how bad live treats them? Tell them how you are out of work and have cancer or other ailments? How you had to borrow a neighbors car to be able to drive into town for food. I guess it just bothers me when I see folks in better physical shape than I am in telling me that they can't work.

Michael

Now that you mentioned this. I was approached a couple of weeks ago in Wally World parking lot on one of my early morning, after work shopping sprees when I put my cart in the corral. He didn't look too worse for the ware and claimed he spent the night in the woods and was hungry. I seldom make judgements especially spur of the moment, but my sixth sense told me he spent the night in a car in the parking lot and just woke up worse for wear and didn't smell of alcohol. Instead of having a lengthy conversation, I just pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to him then said there's a McDonalds right inside the entrance so get something to eat. After the fact, I thought about the five bucks and what it might get him if he didn't go to get food. Cheapest bottle of wine (yeah...Wally World sells alcohol here) I think would be a Mad House Wife Merlot for $4.97 bottle. Again, I try not to judge others even though my wheels might turn especially when it involves some form of interaction with strangers. It is what it is. The human condition......and our conditioning.
Panhandlers and sob stories.............................you know what? I have my own principles to live by, but I'm constantly aware that my conditions can change dramatically at any time due to circumstances. I do my best to make sure I have a secure spot in society as a working, tax-paying citizen. I'm also aware that nothing in this world is ever totally secure or dependable. If things got real bad, maybe I could live with my parents, but I simply wouldn't become a beggar. Promised myself this a long time ago, and I'm too proud as a person to bother others with my worries or ask for hand outs.
Compassion? It's in the eye of the beholder. The day simple human compassion submits to judgement...we're all done. Sometimes it's difficult dealing with day to day life. Sometimes we think more than we should know. If anything bothers you, weighs on your mind, or diverts you from your every day routine....then you should do something about it. Whatever that may be....I hope it makes a positive impact on your life even if it's just for a few hours. In reality, we're all just minutes away from ceasing to exist. Just like a dollar bill being backed by gold........we can't actually borrow time.
By the way (edit)......panhandlers and sob stories may very well be one step ahead of us in the survival game since they have obviously practiced more. Just wait until your cash can't buy a loaf of bread. I'm just saying.

I lived in San Francisco for about 10 yrs. I was hit by every story possible by panhandlers. After a while, you can start to tell who the scammers were. I got to the point that I ignore all of them which is sad for the ones that are truely in need. There was a guy the walked up and down the street outside my work with a empty gas can telling people he had just ran out of gas and needed "a little help" to get enough gas to get home. Saw him there every day. Didn't really mind, though. I just thought this is the career path the guy took (tax free). Always was curious how much he made in a day.

If you do want to find how if they are truly hungry, offer to take them into the McDs and buy them a meal. Some may but sadly I find most say "No thanks, just give me the money." That's when you have your answer.

hmmm...can't say i have ever "given" out money. i have thrown cash in acoustic guitar cases before, (i'm a musician, so i appreciate street performers), and i have bought the onion from a dude on a street corner a few times. he would take them out of the stand (their free) and charge a quarter 6 blocks away where there wasn't a stand. i guess my thing is, there's always a better angle than just straight up asking for money because life is hard.

When I was working in Seattle many years ago, I was approached by a panhandler "in need of ferry fare" as he "lost his wallet" I was soft, and gave him money for a one way fare (about 5.00)
The very next day, I saw the same guy, in the same location, doing the same thing. He noticed me and starting walking away from me. I yelled "yeah, you'd better keep walkin, you scumbag" boyyyy was I you-know-what, and I never saw him again.
While I was in Vegas a few weeks ago, there's a bridge between Excalubur and New York New York casinos where all the scammers and panhandlers work the crowd. One approached us and I quickly said "MOVE ON AND LEAVE US ALONE" if you keep walking and never make eye contact, you're better off. Just keep your SA on guard around you.

I recall in some other countries, where they discovered that panhandlers with children to show around got better returns, they would 'rent' kids from a local daycare (without the parent's knowledge). For the most part I ignore them, but fortunately I don't run into many in my area.

I used to give to many charities to help with truly needy but now thanks to the current administration thinking I am rich I no longer can afford to give as I once did. In this Country you are rewarded for being unsuccessful & punished for working hard & being Successful.

We have a Homeless Paper here but none of the people selling it seem to be Homeless but they actually make allot of profit selling it for a $1.00 or more after giving $.25 for it. I may need to look into selling it myself since it is so profitable.

All kidding aside I don't trust anyone to be truthful on need now-days in this growing entitled society.


P.S. I was homeless very young after my Mother Died at the old age of 36 & the best decision I made was not to accept help from anyone because it made me work my way out of my situation. There were some that thought I was being dumb by not asking for or accepting offers of help. That was well over 20 yrs ago & I have no regrets for my decisions then.

I think it is a tough decision to either give people a few bucks or walk off and ignore them. There have been times that I have helped someone with a bit of cash and other times I got away from them as quickly as possible because it just didn't "feel" right.

Unfortunately these days the majority of those "will work for..." sign holding people and those with the "sob story" are usually not all that desperate, they are just looking for that quick buck from an unsuspecting mark and it is way too easy to beg instead of work. They make it hard for the really downtrodden to get legitimate help from total strangers. I have begun to place most of these people in the first category of "they really are not that bad off or down on their luck."

Not all of the street people are like that, many have mental problems, are into substance abuse or some other set of circumstances leading up to them being at this point and any one of us are just moments away from being in their place, we apparently have a better grip on life than some of them.

So I choose carefully to help or not to because there is that small chance of them becoming violent and attacking me if I refuse. We must be aware that some folks being so desperate will do whatever it takes to get what they want and that is what makes a good many of us wary of the panhandling stranger.

OKLAHOMA CITY - A man arrested on suspicion of panhandling in Oklahoma City told officers there was no point in getting a job, because he made "$60,000" last year.

According to the police report, an officer spotted Shane Speegle, 45, panhandling near Interstate 40 and Macarthur Boulevard earlier this month.

When the officer approached Speegle and told him it was illegal to panhandle without a permit, Speegle asked if he could get a permit that day and implied the $200 fee was not a bad price.

According to the report, the officer asked Speegle why he didn't just get a job and Speegle replied, "I'm lazy, and I made $60,000 doing this last year. Why would I go get a job?"

The officer told Speegle without a permit and an insurance policy he could not panhandle and gave him a warning to leave, but 20 minutes later the officer reported again seeing Speegle panhandle in the same spot.

Speegle was arrested on a complaint of soliciting from the street and taken to the Oklahoma County jail.



Read more: Panhandler arrested, claims to have made $60,000 last year | OKC - KOCO Home

You can call me a soft touch, but if you tell me a good enough story, I'll help you out. Don't just walk up and ask for money. Get creative. I love a good story told well, even when I know it's a con.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TailRunner

OKLAHOMA CITY - A man arrested on suspicion of panhandling in Oklahoma City told officers there was no point in getting a job, because he made "$60,000" last year.

According to the police report, an officer spotted Shane Speegle, 45, panhandling near Interstate 40 and Macarthur Boulevard earlier this month.

When the officer approached Speegle and told him it was illegal to panhandle without a permit, Speegle asked if he could get a permit that day and implied the $200 fee was not a bad price.

According to the report, the officer asked Speegle why he didn't just get a job and Speegle replied, "I'm lazy, and I made $60,000 doing this last year. Why would I go get a job?"

The officer told Speegle without a permit and an insurance policy he could not panhandle and gave him a warning to leave, but 20 minutes later the officer reported again seeing Speegle panhandle in the same spot.

Speegle was arrested on a complaint of soliciting from the street and taken to the Oklahoma County jail.



Read more: Panhandler arrested, claims to have made $60,000 last year | OKC - KOCO Home

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He probably paid no taxes either so I would call him the rich person.

I will buy a meal or put gas in the tank.
I will not pay cash.

I have seen so much of it, and the vast majority of it is scamming.
I won't buy them drugs, booze, or cigarettes.

Completely agree.

I will put $5 of gas in a tank, or buy a subway sandwich (and a small, $4-5 bag of dogfood if they have a dog). Aside from that, tough luck!

At college there was tons of people outside the clubs and walmart parking lots and my friends usually gave them spare change or the such, but I just don't have it in me to believe them or even care. I will bust my butt helping a friend do anything they want, but when it comes to strangers I have no problem telling them to piss off. All it took was one scam artist selling fake cds in NYC when I was 11 and realizing I'd been duped.