Do you ever give money to street people?

A lot of the people that do that in my area aren't even homeless. Like in the nearby city, at this specific intersection I used to drive through everyday, there was a guy with a sign asking for money...well I found out later that the guy started doing that as a college experiment and ended up dropping out of college because he was making a few hundred a day...definitely bullshit if you ask me...

 

Food, money,clothes... yeah,everyone needs somebody sometimes. I'll give to someone who needs it. I refuse to put my hand on the television set and give to a megechurch. I honestly think those type of preachers are laughing at everyone who made their lavish lifestyles possible

 

I found the above to be true much too often. Here in WV a reporter did an interview with several of the card holding beggers and they said it was their scam, made a decent living doing it and laughed at all the saps that freely gave up hard earned cash while they stood by the road for a few hours and then could head to the liquor store for booze and get smashed... I stopped giving after that....

 

I think that if I were in the same circumstances, I might want to turn to drugs and alcohol too. But I think that's the point, that if you give an addict money, you are basically giving them drugs or alcohol. and that may be exactly what they want, but in the long run it's going to make them worse rather than better off.

That's why I would say it would be better to give to a charity supporting the homeless.

 

even one of those creepy god-botherer charities?

 

Yea there are so MANY people who give money to panhandlers. This is one of those 'rumors' out there. You really think there are that many people who give money to homeless people.

Yes many of them go right out and get drugs or booze. Right or wrong that's your call to give them money (which is why I give them fruit). And some of them need that booze or drugs more than they need food (not really but they're hurting and they need it).

I have friends who have panhandled. No one is making hundreds in a day. Yea every now and them someone gives them a $10 or a $20-but that happens very infrequently. If you really care sit there and watch some day. They're not getting that much. And most of the times money is VERY slow in coming.

 

Sure, fair enough. The problem in my city is that all of the shelters are completely full almost every night. They are underfunded, don't have enough to go around, let alone space, etc.

As well, I've talked to many homeless people, sometimes I hang out and have a beer with them, given the size of my city I end up seeing the same ones all the time. A lot of them don't want to stay at the shelters due to the lack of space, they have to abide by certain rules, and on top of that, there can be a lot of shady people at shelters. Not every criminal will fit in in prison, not every homeless person wants to hang around strange, unpredictable people in a shelter.

On top of that, a lot of those charities will do things like collect used clothing, blankets, etc. which is great, but it hardly improves their quality of life.

The problem is that there's just not enough space for homeless people to live comfortably indoors, and not enough means for them to get back on their feet. A drug/drinking habit certainly won't help them either, but essentially they are homeless, and that isn't going to change any time soon.

Given the option of a free blanket and sleeping next to strangers who freak me out, or sleeping drunk outdoors, 10 times out of 10 I'd choose the latter.

 

i think you have to be careful with any charity that you give to. some just suck.

there is a pretty wide range in the quality of charities

 

no. i used to occasionally until one of them watched me go into my ashtray for change and then broke into my car and robbed it as soon as i left it. besides, i hate liars and i've literally never heard a homeless person tell the truth about why they need money. they ALWAYS just broke down on their way to another city and just need money for a sandwich. bullshit. if one asked for a couple bucks for a beer, i would have been much more likely to consider it, before that one piece of shit robbed me and ruined it for everyone else.

 

Have you ever had a girlfriend break up with you in a bad way? Would that turn you off women?

 

kind of and kind of. i'm sure there's some reason that i haven't had a girlfriend in about 13 years, and i don't think it's because i eventually get sick of having my good nature taken advantage of and stop helping shitheads.

anyway, the asshole that robbed me was the straw that broke the camel's back, but i've had almost categorically bad experiences with the homeless, and with bums in general.


i do tend to hold grudges for longer than necessary.

 

The shittiest part about the homeless is that the fifty percent that are simply lazy or addicted ruin peoples' compassion for the fifty percent that are mentally ill or down-on-their-luck.

I only give out change if a person has an obvious mental illness. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for somebody to buy a point of meth.

 

I'm not sure what the percentage break down is, but I think few people fall into exclusive categories. I think it's often a combination of addiction, mental illness, down on luck.

I don't think that anyone is homeless as a product of sheer laziness, as being homeless seems harder than having a job.

 

Sitting around all day begging for change to buy liquor is lazy.

Harder and more work are not synonymous.

 

yes, but if working is easier, why wouldn't they work?

I think there are usually other issues involved

 

no..I dont give anything to beggars.

except for kids who are fund raising for school trips/hockey teams/gymnastics etc...and of course the legion people in november.

 

I dont pick up hitch hikers either unless I recognize them or know who they are

 

I don't think anyone does that anymore.

 

I pick up hitchhikers.

 

B.C. doesn't seem like the best place to be picking people up. To each there own though.