What To Do About Homeless People At Stop Light

So we've discussed homless issues here a few times. Generally I don't give out money, since I'm worried that I may just be feeding an addiction. I'll buy somebody food sometimes though, or buy a homeless advocacy newspaper.

When I see someone on the street and they ask me for money, I'll usually just say, "sorry, not today brother". I say something rather than ignore them, since I've heard that a lot of homeless people feel really dehumanized by being ignored.

I think it may just be better to ignore people asking for change at stop lights though. Looking at someone but not giving them money in that situation seems really awkward.

 

You could just not make eye contact and make sure your window is rolled up.

Or keep some cans of soda or something non-perishable on hand in your car, so you have something to offer.

Personally, I don't like to ignore people when they address me on the street. I think it is rude. Although I do have my moments where I am in a rush or a cranky mood, and I WILL walk right by someone who is asking for money.

 

homeless people at stoplight? do you mean people who are homeless in some town named stoplight?
that's somewhere in arazona isn't it?

what do you mean by do? give them a sanwich or beer money if you feel like it or not if you don't.
only think i know about stoplights is the bus i'm riding stops at them.

i don't see what connection that has to do with housing of any kind costing more then some people can afford.

 

i don't think i've ever seen them asking for money at stoplights. i guess i've seen them on the corner with cardboard signs, but not actively going up to people and asking. there was a guy that used to hang out at arby's and catch you as you were leaving the drive through; i guess that's about the same thing. i always gave him some change, just because there was something about the guy that i liked.

 

I normally give them money, even if it's my last bit. Honestly, I don't care if I'm feeding an addiction or what they do with the money. They asked and I think giving them a bit of money that they asked for is the least I can do. Because I don't know what else to do and I want to do something.

A few times I have bought them food, but I have to be careful with doing this because some of them have asked me for sex down the alley or they aggressively hit on me. A few have followed me long distances. Or have asked me if they can come live with me. It's just too much for simply buying them Popeyes.

I do talk to them, if I feel they are safe company. Sometimes I have been wrong, sadly.

I ignore them because they ignore me. I think they ignore me because I don't look like the type to have money. Basically, I need them to aproach me first and if they do, I will do one of the following things above; give them money, buy them food, talk to them, or at least tell them I simply don't have money and apologize, which is often the case.

Sometimes I'm listening to music and flat out ignore them. This makes me feel bad, so I don't do this often.

 

i don't understand what is meant by doing about. people are people. let them live their lives in peace.

as for stop lights, cars don't belong in cities. makes no logical sense for them to be.

 

I give money if I happen to have some change with me. I'm quite poor myself, so sometimes it's just "same situation here" (which is not quite true, but the way I look like it's believable).

I don't care if the money is spend for food (most of the time I think it's not cause you can get food for free), cigs, beer, booze, drugs, whatever. It's their choice how to spend the money.

And I like honesty. "Need money for beer." Or funny signs. "Too honest to steal, too ugly to prostitute" ...

Here I see some punks from time to time with a few coffee cups in front of them labeled "food", "whore", "dog food", "beer", "weed", etc ...

Some people are intentionally on the street, most are not. I like to help them if I can, and if that's only to help them getting a bottle of wine.

 

I was homeless in 2003 and 2013, and right now I am borderline homeless. Even though I am financially not in a good place right now, I will still go out to the dollar tree and buy toothpaste, toilet paper, toothbrushes, plasticware, napkins, cans of soup with pop tops, rolls, and bottled water and I put them into bags, so when I have to go out, and I see a homeless person, I can give them one of these bags.

I am also working on putting together booklets of social service programs, directions to community centers, and food drives that I can hand out with the bags.

It is a person's choice if they want to look down on a homeless person and/or not help them. If you have a heart, you can do what I do. It doesn't take much time or money, and it's a great way to bring a little love and light into this already darkened and hateful world.

 

For the longest time I've wanted to buy groceries for the homeless and poor, as NatureBear cleverly and bravely does, but for some reason I'm scared to do that. I don't know. I wish there was more I can do.

 

What a marvelous idea!! I am going to do that and keep some in my car. When I am stooped at a light ans someone is asking for money, I usually give them a buck or two. I don't ignore, always make eye contact and even physical contact.

 

I know this isn't really logical, but being approached by someone when I'm in my car makes me nervous whereas I never feel nervous being approached on the street. I think it comes from a weird incident I had several years ago when someone obviously on crack walked up to my car and stuck his hand inside and almost touched me...never figured out why he did that but it weirded me out.

I've said in other threads I almost always give money when asked, but when I'm on my car I usually just keep my window up and avoid eye contact.

 

Ever seen this guy?

http://www.tommabe.com/videos-find/video_feeding_homeless.htm

 

i agree someone shouldn't approach someone just because they have no income. soup lines and shelters of some kind exist in some form in most larger communities, and small enough ones you can probably find some undeveloped area within a few miles to camp.

what to do? replace cars with sufficient public transportation and provide plenty of places to camp where people won't be in anyone's way. open a day labour office nearby and allow free access to unoccupied land and scrap construction materials. just because someone is unwilling to support a way of life they don't believe in and have no use for, (or have some mental impediment to doing so) doesn't mean they lack any interest in creatively meeting their own needs.

most homeless didn't get that way, by being the way those who want to keep everyone their slaves, want the rest of us to think they did. those who are that way, mostly got that way FROM having been made homeless, by a the short sighted value system of a dominant culture that tries to make everything have to be about money.

yes, i've been there a time or two myself. for me its a little defferent. i've never begged. its not a matter of pride. its a matter of being repulsed by the idea of having to have that much to do with most people, how they think, or having to be around them that much that often. if i could beg i could sell fuller brush or whatever kind crap there is now. but looking for work is also a kind of begging, and its that part of it i've always had a hard time with. i've never fallen into the alky trap, or the rest of it, because that doesn't appeal to me either.

there need to be more opportunities for people to be able to respectably support themselves without having to be more extroverted then is natural and healthy for themselves personally.

 

I think paying them encourages them that standing around doing nothing all life is okay

Hand out job applications to people at stop lights

 

applications mean jack. if you really want to put your money where your mouth is, hire them, at a living wage.

 

One problem with this is that pretty much no one is going to hire a homeless person, not while there are a couple hundred or so job applicants for every job.

A lot of homeless people also don't really fit into systems well. Many are disabled in one way or another.

Blanket vending and busking can be good occupations for homeless people. Not all have the musical skills or the ability to buy an inventory though.

 

I love this idea!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6fkyf9UGAE

 

There aren't really any homeless people asking for money where I live so I don't deal with it on a daily basis. If I go to the capitol, there are plenty of homeless people there but I'm not really approached all the time. Usually, I'll give them a few bucks. Once in a while, I'll give them a shitload of money (relatively speaking). Why? Because it's worth $50 or $75 to me to get to see the look of surprise and know that I probably just made their whole day. I don't do that all the time though. Just once in a while and they are always very grateful. It makes me feel like a decent human being. Money well-spent.

If I'm in my car at a stop light and I'm not planning on giving them anything, I just leave the window up. They probably can't see if I'm even looking at them because the windows are so dark. Totally illegal tint but I've never been stopped for it.

 

There are plenty of homeless people near where I live. There's one church that does a homeless ministry. They hold a church service in an abandoned gas station. They feed the people and give away, clothes, etc.