is it selfish to not give money to panhandlers?

I lolled

 

A couple of weeks ago I told a panhandler to get a job and he retorted “I've never had a job in my life” he was probably lying but I'm guessing he hasn't had a JOB in years - and doesn't want one


Hotwater

 

Why would he lie about that (except when showing off to fellow bums)?

 

Probably isn't telling a lie.

I told one guy to get a job too once, he didn't like it, snapped back at me.

 

I don't really appreciate that being told by a stranger neither so I can understand them there.

 

I wouldn't ever tell someone to get a job. I think that's kinda rude. Jobs aren't that easy to come by. But seriously, the panhandlers I've met would make excellent sales people... why isn't anyone hiring them on??

 

Because they have no shoes!

 

haha
the panhandlers I've met have great shoes...
I'm actually now convinced that all of the aggressive ones are con artists..

 

To answer the OP original question...NO, I do not think it is selfish not to give when one is doing the best that they can to make ends meet for themselves...Not at all....

If you were a millionaire, asking the same question, I would throw eggs. LOL

Also, not all homeless are lazy, good for nothing, alcohlic, drug addicted jerks....A few years ago.bad times fell upon some in NYC, and there was a husband and wife team sleeping in the streets and reading the New York Times......

Saw it and talked to them myself...They were anything but creeps...They just fell upon hard times, but were going to do everything they could to get back on their feet, too.

 

Nah I don't feel bad for it. I give when I want to who I want, I don't feel obligated to give to beggars or people who ask/demand for it or just because they are poor. I have to feel compelled for some personal reason, otherwise no.

 

This could very well be true. I used to live in a pretty nice gated condo complex, all privately owned with either high rent or high community dues / mortgage etc. I noticed the lady above me was panhandling on the corner. Its amazing how she looked too, because it was night and day compared to her regular getup. I actually yelled at her while she was out there, like "how dare you? get a job" she told me to fuck off and that I had no right to tell her what she should or shouldn't do. I replied by telling her she was a con artist and that as long as she was asking me for money, I had every right to give my advice and then drove off.

There was also a woman who sat outside the industrial complex my parents used to work at. Its full of really nice office buildings, so pretty much everyone who worked there had extra money to spare. Anyway this lady would sit outside with her kid and beg, claiming she couldn't feed her son etc. One person felt concern for the child, so they secretly followed the woman one day…..back to her brand new Cadillac. The local news covered it, and she bragged about making 5k a month (tax free) that way.

Anyone who takes anybody at face value is a naive fool. Not saying charity is bad or bad people aren't needy… but its just wrong to trick people under false pretenses when there are those who actually NEED the help. This is why I investigate and really survey the situation before giving over my precious cash. And even then, I might still refuse because I hate to enable and tough love actually works/ is needed sometimes.

 

Best way to give to panhandlers and homeless alike, donate to your local food bank, donate to "coats for a cause" what it's called here, donate blood, donate to your local charity and churches that offer food, clothing, furniture and toys to those needing them. Tell the panhandler who you donated to and give him the addresses.
Panhandlers and homeless often can look different, homeless looking homeless where panhandlers look like European tourists in a funny way. I have given to those looking homeless and down and out on their luck.
Funny thing I saw one day,,, Tim Hortons hiring with a big freakin sign on their property and half a block away a kid with a sign saying, "I am 17 and hungry" on the center island of the intersection. I had to stop for the red light so I took the time to point out the sign behind his back,,, always be looking around you,,,

 

Obviously I knew in advance he wasn't going to like it, but at 6’2” 190 lbs. I’m imposing enough that he’d better think twice before considering his next actions/words


Hotwater

 

I wouldn't like it either,,, truth hurts.

 

I will almost always give a homeless person at least a dollar or two if I have it but I never give when they're aggressive about it and I never give if they have some long winded story to go along with it because its obviously a scam.

I would say the majority of people who approach me look very down on their luck and ask for money very respectfully so I usually don't mind sparing a couple of bucks.

 

the difference between 'gentile poor' and white trash is the gentile poor 'do poor' with class.



Last year I came across a man in Chinatown. I had just walked up the flight of stairs from the subway to find it was snowing outside, and the first person I laid eyes on was him. He sat on a stoop to shelter himself from the falling snow. He had decent winter gear, but clearly not enough to withstand low temperatures overnight or all day. He also wasn't wearing gloves, which made me sad. This longing look, the three mile stare made me think he was lonely. So I walked up to him, clutching the stash of cash in my pocket, and put it under his face (he was looking at his lap at that point). He just looked up at me, like he was going to cry. It made me so happy and sad at the same time. I hope he's ok.

He wasn't a panhandler though. He just looked like he needed something.

 

If I gave money to every panhandler I encountered, I would be broke. You would be surprised how much money some of these con artists make. They practically make a living out of conning people.

It really depends on how generous I am feeling at any given time. Usually I will just say I don't have any money and keep walking.

 

Not at all. I am not giving them money to (likely) fuel their addiction. You ask for money because you are "homeless", I offer food, you reject..not buying it. No sympathy from me.

 

I just don't really question or care where the money goes. Either I give them a couple of dollars and they put it with their other few dollars and buy a bottle of liquor or they die of the DTs under a bridge somewhere. Either way its a sad life.

I don't think its anyone's responsibility to fuel an addiction but I've just personally never given a shit if that is what someone spends their money on.

The exception being a crackhead. I won't go within 50 feet of someone obviously strung out on crack. Crackheads remind me of zombies