Panhandlers...

[KIR]

When panhandlers have come up to me in the parking lot with my hands full of groceries and ask me for any change.
1. Nobody carries cash anymore, it's all digital.
2. Money is the root of all evil, even churches ask for it!

When the same beautiful young girl in her cut off jeans and open blouse, asking me for some change for gas, two days in a row in a parking lot, I asked her how much she made in say a day's time. I was shocked. She made more than me before I retired. Maybe I need to carry a sign around my neck that says, 'RETIRED"!

 

[3manfan]

I retired Dec 2013 but am still hyper aware so I always see them coming. When they get close enough, I tell them "NO" before they can even ask. About 95% of them don't bother to & scurry off in another direction.
I've yet to be confronted by your beautiful young girl with rhe open blouse & cut off jean shorts, pls send her my way & I'll likely make an exception.

 

[blume357]

Back in 2008 when my wife and I were doing our 3 week European excursion... the beggars over there don't come up to you but they sit on the side walk bent over with a cup in front of them. Wife and I were in Krakow and walked up the long wide ramp to the once Kings castle and there was an old woman in rags in this position... on the way down I for some reason decided to look closer... it was a young woman probably 20 made up to look like an old raggedy woman.

 

[gramps]

When panhandlers have come up to me in the parking lot with my hands full of groceries and ask me for any change.
1. Nobody carries cash anymore, it's all digital.
2. Money is the root of all evil, even churches ask for it!

When the same beautiful young girl in her cut off jeans and open blouse, asking me for some change for gas, two days in a row in a parking lot, I asked her how much she made in say a day's time. I was shocked. She made more than me before I retired.

The love of money is the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10
gramps

 

[Watertender]

If asked for money by a panhandler I refuse. If they are outside of a store I will offer them a sandwich or other food. Most refuse that particular offer. I have had some who accept and thank me. There is a notorious panhandler in my area who has accosted my wife and several other women. He made the mistake of bothering a woman outside of the store where my niece used to work. She saw him getting physical with the woman and went out with a broom and beat the crap out of the moron....

 

[Mobuck]

Not a big problem here but I have told a beggar or two if they can't support themselves maybe it's better to just go take a nap on the RxR tracks.
The last time in recent memory that I 'helped' an obviously down on his luck guy was offering to upgrade his food order at BK. The construction crew behind me did more than that and the guy thanked me as I left after my meal. I wouldn't have given him a dime if he'd asked for it and he didn't ask for my offering either.

 

[Kevin]

Around Dallas there are signs put up by the city that say don't support solicitation.

I don't usually except when it's extremely hot or very cold and they are still there. One those days I figure they aren't there trying to scam people.

It's basic human dignity. Everyone needs food and shelter.

 

[gunzo]

Have had 1 or 2 hit on me before entering the grocery. I ask them if the they take plastic & show them the card.


Their expression is kind of sad but funny. I haven't quit prepared for the day when one whips out a card reader, but I probably won't react well.

 

[GypsmJim]

I used to fly into LAX often. Usually a later flight. There was a restaurant a block away that was a convenient stop for dinner before heading to the hotel. There was a huge gas station / service shop across the street.

EVERY time I would be accosted by a man who said he was out of town and his car broke down and he was with his family and needed money to have the car fixed. (yeah right) The last time as I was heading into the restaurant, a guy came up but I was proactive....."MY car broke down and it was across the street and I was going into the restaurant to see if i could get a free meal".

Funny, I never heard such bad language from anyone before. Could I have stolen his line?

 

[NC FNS]

If asked for money by a panhandler I refuse. If they are outside of a store I will offer them a sandwich or other food. Most refuse that particular offer. I have had some who accept and thank me. There is a notorious panhandler in my area who has accosted my wife and several other women. He made the mistake of bothering a woman outside of the store where my niece used to work. She saw him getting physical with the woman and went out with a broom and beat the crap out of the moron....

When I lived up your way, I never got a taker on the food offer. Down here, I've bought a couple meals….

 

[Watertender]

When I lived up your way, I never got a taker on the food offer. Down here, I've bought a couple meals….

One that really comes to mind happened about 15 years ago. The guy had a red raw stump where his leg used to be and was panhandling outside of a convenience store. I told him that I would not give him money but if he was hungry I would feed him. He said OK and asked what he could have. I told him anything that he wanted to eat. He asked for a couple of breakfast sandwiches and if he could have a coffee. I said sure. He asked what size coffee and I told him what ever size he wanted. He got a large coffee with the 2 sandwiches and started crying. He thanked me and said that he didn't expect anyone to be that kind to him. I felt bad for him but giving money for alcohol or drugs was not something I would do. I said if he was there again and hungry that I would feed him again. He was there a couple more times and then I never saw him again.

 

[contender]

Due to the mental attitude of Trashville,, eerr,, Asheville,, panhandlers get away with a lot. Some have been "outed" as not in "need" but actually pretty well off. But many are part of the druggie, homeless, & such types. I never give to them,, but I have been in a few places when a person was struggling trying to decide what to buy to eat with what little money they had. I have stepped in & bought food. Never had a person like that refuse the food,, but instead,, thank me.

 

[The A Team]

Ever since Covid there are beggars at every busy streetlight and highway off ramp. I have seen a pretty young woman begging and a woman with a sign saying she's a single mom with 4 kids who can't make the rent this month. The majority have a sign claiming to be a homeless vet and are wearing worn out clothes. Sometimes they double team an intersection.

It's a trashy look that we never had here before Covid, you had to go to Philly or Baltimore to see panhandlers in the past.

Thankfully we have full time cops in my town so they don't come here.

 

[JackBull]

A local morning radio host would pass by a panhandler everyday driving into work. The guy is there everyday, ran or shine. Well one day the guy was missing, it was July 4. The next morning the radio host stopped and asked him where he was on the 4th and the guy replied it was a holiday, he doesnt work.

 

[vito]

Back in the early 1950's, when I was a kid, we had what were called "hobos". Apparently word got out in the hobo community that my Mom would give food to anyone who said that they needed it. They would ring the bell at the front door and my Mom would come out on the 2nd floor porch and offer to drop a paper bag with a sandwich and such. Some of the hobos would say "how about just some change?" and my Mom would answer that she was not going to support money for booze. Some would just walk off, some waited for the free food. In the summer we might get 3 or 4 of these folks each day, and despite things being pretty tough for us financially, my Mom always gave food to anyone who said they were hungry.

I've given a few bucks to panhandlers who claim to be veterans down on their luck, but I always ask a few questions to try to determine if in fact they are veterans. Sometimes the answers are so ignorant that it is clear that they are fake, but sometimes they seem legit and I try to help them out a bit.

 

[Jeepnik]

There's one particular type of panhandler that seems to hang around grocery stores. I must admit they get me every time. In fact, they've been known to get me twice some days.

But darned those Thin Mints are good. . Seriously, we have a bigger problem with aggressive political panhandlers locally.

Seriously,

 

[MHtractorguy]

A rather rough looking young lady stopped me in a grocery store one evening, asked me to buy emergency feminine products for her, as her man was buying beer. They were riding double on a moped. I told her to take a buggy, get whatever she needs and meet me at the register. Get some food, too.
She said he would not let her carry it, as she had to hold his case of beer.
I paid close to a hundred for what she needed and I gave her a ride home. I hope Prince Charming was happy, not jealous.

 

[3manfan]

Have had 1 or 2 hit on me before entering the grocery. I ask them if the they take plastic & show them the card.


Their expression is kind of sad but funny. I haven't quit prepared for the day when one whips out a card reader, but I probably won't react well.

Oh, it's coming. It'll be a $1,200 iPhone with a mini card reader dongle.

 

[BearBiologist]

Panhandling used to be a semi-profession. My first wife and I were on our honeymoon in Santa Barbara, CA and a panhandler came up to us and engaged us in conversation. She was upset when I gave him a fiver. I said he spent enough time talking to us before he asked that I felt he earned it!.

Been to Portland, OR lately?? Went a year ago to get my photos and prints taken for my non-resident OR CCW. All the panhandlers were dirty, track marks, etc. Streets were trashy=NOT like Portland had been 15 years ago (There had been panhandlers but not like this)

 

[BearBiologist]

We collect the "free" toiletries in motels and give those to the battered women's shelter. When I worked for Fish and Wildlife, I might be in a different motel each night for 2 weeks. Any Yard Sale extras are donated to the Veterans Thrift Store. We asked our dentist for flossing sticks/wands for a donation and got about 500 from him went to the battered women's shelter! We'll buy a couple cases of canned soup or Ramen to donate to the various shelters.