Not usually. I get hit upi 3-4 times a day so a dollar or two would end up being quite a bit of money. Besides I am poor!

Generally no, because I don't want to fund someone's drug or alcohol addiction.

Some encounters with panhandlers... the first one happened in Boston, and the others happened here in Indy:

1) A Virgin Cola truck set up at one end of an alley to give away free cans of soda. A panhandler convinced the Virgin people to give him a few cases, and he set up at the other end of the alley to sell the cans for a dollar each.

2) A panhandler asked me for money so he could buy a meal at a fast-food restaurant. I gave him a $2 bill, and he complained that it wasn't enough, and he wanted me to give him at least $5! How ungrateful.

3) A panhandler asked me for money in Spanish. At least, I think that's what he was saying. I just smiled and said "No habla espanol" over and over again. (Tip: If you're going to ask people for money, it's best to learn the appropriate words in the local language.)

4) A man dressed in bicycling clothes and holding a bicycle with a flat tire asked me for change so he could take a bus back to his home in the suburbs. I figured that if it was just a scam, he deserved 50 cents for his excellent acting job.

5) Two nights ago, while walking to my car after the Indianapolis Prince concert and afterparty, I turned down a panhandler. Without my knowledge, he followed me all the way to my car. He grabbed the door as I was getting inside and kept repeating his request aggressively, despite the fact that I was on my cell phone at the time. Initially he refused my request to get his hands off my door, but fortunately he let go just as I was about to start the car and drop the clutch (which could have caused him severe bodily injury).

matt said:

He was on the phone with ME, and I thought I was gonna have a heart attack listening to him trying to convince this guy to back off. . .geezus. . . I don't think I would have been as polite as Matt was. . .just out of fear.

SpcMs said:

sorry dude, but there is a large difference between a beggar on the street, expecting a handout for nothing, and the person performing a job duty by bringing your food to you. but whatever...

Yes, I do.

No way, I only carry 100s u filthy bums!! (dice ) ya f@#$%n dunce...
hmm let me see, u want me to give u my hard earned dollar? my dad had to work 8 hours 2 earn this nickel!! heres a thought, go get a job!!! (hicks )

street entertainers yes, charities yes, bums NO!

DarkWalker said:

No, because I kinda think that if they CHOOSE to live like that on the streets (and it IS very much thier choice to do that - in this day and age there's heaps of places they could go and people they can count on) then they live with it....

I've worked hard for my money....

Usually no, but once in a while a good story or something will get me. Just the other day a man came up to me with his two children looking for money for food. The children just broke my heart.

It is a real test of one's generosity. Oddly, I feel more inclined to help people when I'm unemployed.. I'm like "I feel for you!".. but once I'm a working stiff I be feelin' like "Get out my face, I EARNED my wage" - my idealogy swings wildly from each side of the spectrum all depending where I'm at.

Vina - if someone had the audacity to come up to me at an ATM , I would be pretty aggrivated!

This thread made me realize a couple things:
1. I can change the game up and had them a sammich see, a sammich can't get them drunk haha, and
2. Like Finess said...

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

so THATS how you stay so slim

NOPE i'MA HAVE TO GO WITH BLUE EYED ANGELS REPLY.... IF you live in my area you get hit up all the time by all kinda mufuggaz some even demanding thAT YOU NEEDS TO hBO (HELP A BROTHA OUT) and uh I ain't no daddy warbucks to be HANDIN OUT NO $$$$ on the strizeet.. i tell em plain and simple no cuz I needs it for me and my broke azz.. I wiull however give food to some every once in a while but these days a buck or two means a lot!!!! especially in your gas tank... we're payin over $2.30 out here in cali .... if i give that money to dude on the street I'ma have to joinb him sooner than later.... ya feel me?

It kinda depends... my heart goes out to people on da streets, cause even if they "asked for it" in whatever way, my heart kinda just naturally breaks seein someone in despair...'specially da ones wif doggies...dat always gets me Though sometimes im wary of those who want the money for dodgy things like drugs n alcys...they're not doin any much good for themselves...plus they usually smell

Depends... in SF there's wall to wall panhandlers so I can't even half the time. But if they really appear to be in need, if their eyes tell me how fucking painful it was to have to ask me, if they have a kid with them... I do it.

Also (not to excuse anybody b/c I'd rather the $ be used for food & sometimes I'll just go buy them some food) if I had to sleep on the street & wipe my ass w/ newspaper, I might be a drunk/high mf too...

NEVER!!! Most of them do that shit for a living

I remember once seeing this story on Oprah (I know ) about a woman who would panhandle in the same place every day and often the same people would give her change or a dollar or whatever. The woman was evetneually able to pick herself up and get a decent job, place to live, etc. and once she had herself established a few months later she went back to that street with a couple dozen donuts and looked for those people that regularly helped her out. She just wanted to give them something back and say thanks, cause she didn't think she'd have "made it" without their help.

No

No not at all!
[This message was edited Wed Apr 14 22:08:18 2004 by MostBeautifulGrlNTheWorld]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Kinda depends. I tend to buy
people food instead of just giving them money.

I remember one incident from a few years ago when I was waiting at
the station for my train:


07:50 AM. I'm sitting on a bench at the station waiting for some friends
to walk to school together.

07:55 AM. Homeless dude comes walking up to me and asks kindly:
"Xcuse me sir, could you spare 50 cents for a cup of coffee? It's so
cold out on the street this morning"

So I felt sorry and gave the dude 4 dollars.

Dude went his own way.

07:59 AM. Dude approaches me again and says "Scuse me, can you
spare another 4 dollars? My girlfriend would like some coffee too"



I was like "What? A cup of coffee is 50 cents. I gave you enough for
8 cups of coffee. What are you on about?"

So he says "Oh, I see. So you can give me 4 dollars once but not
twice eh? What kind of person are you?"

:O

So I said "Oh just fuck off will you"

Dude walked away for the second time.

08:03 AM. Dude comes back, dragging his 'girlfriend' [or the remains
of what once supposedly was a 'girlfriend'] behind him and says

"Here, tell this stingy bastard that you want a cup of coffee too!"

So, once again, I go "I gave you FOUR fucking dollars man, get the
fuck out of my face" .

Upon which the 'girlfriend' yells "FOUR FUCKING DOLLARS?! WHAT
THE FUCK IS HE SAYING? DID HE GIVE YOU FOUR DOLLARS? YOU
TOLD ME HE GAVE YOU 50 CENTS. WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THOSE
FOUR DOLLARS? DID YOU BUY A SANDWICH AND EAT IT WITHOUT
SHARING? TELL ME YOU FUCKING PIG. WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU
DONE?"

I am not that type of girl

CarrieMpls said:

You see, you just never know.... Great story, great ending.

matt said:

Here's another one that happened last weekend in Chicago:

Melissa and I were asked by a very pregnant woman (she even showed us her belly) for money to buy food. So we gave her our restaurant doggie bag, which contained a large serving of macaroni and cheese. She then asked us again for money so she could also have a "sandwich from Subway."

It seems pretty clear that she wanted to buy something other than a sandwich. And while I'm basically a libertarian when it comes to drug use, I take issue with harming the health of one's unborn baby.