Only the ones that approach me like this...



MotherFucker Can U spare 5 Dollars??

Sometimes I do.. They usually get me when its a homeless person and their pup.. They like to sit on the street with their little cute doggies..It breaks my heart.. But sometimes instead of money, I will buy them food or a cookie or something..

A fucking Cookie, that'll get cha shot in Brooklyn

FunnyWayOfStoppinTheJuice said:

Lucky I am giving their asses anything at all.....

I do! What is a dollar ortwo.

I ask them if they want it for food.

If they say "yes", I go buy them some soup or a sandwich.

If they say "no", I walk away

I do. It depends on the severity of the persons situation whether or not I give them money. There is this old man who sleeps on the sidewalk outside of a shopping center and you can see he's not had a shower, he has nothing, he's hungry. Will he buy beer with the $5 bucks I give him? Maybe. But it's really not up to me to decide what he should do with it. I figure that I am helping him and if he uses it to buy beer, who am I to judge the man. I have just helped give him a spot of relief.

And I give homeless people food all the time. More than I give money.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I totally agree with the alcohol thing - the idea that you shouldn't give money because they'll "only spend it on drink or drugs, ya know...". So what - they've got it fucking bad and i don't begrudge them using the money for whatever.

Unfortunately i don't give all the time (or as often as i should) because i get asked all the time walking to and from work - like 10 times in a 15 minute walk, both ways.

Sometimes. I don't even really care what they're going to spend it on.

My aunt once told me " if u ever see a homeless person, help them if u can.. because u never know if its One of God's angels or God Himself testing his children" iv'e kept that with me every since i was little, so yes i do try and give what i can.

I give to the homeless and to charity when I can. You never know if it will be you someday.

TheRealFiness said:

I was told this once as well, and that is why I don't care who it is...

No.

TheRealFiness said:

I'm a Angel.
Put your hands up.
Gimme all your money!!!!

Almost always I'll at least give them a bit of change. I've also gone out and bought some of the folks with "will work for food" signs a value meal at Mickey D's or something of that nature. More often than not, they seem quite gracious, and I don't see them on the same corner later that night. Sure, there are some who are just out to get money for drugs or alcohol, but thats on their heads, not mine. You never know if you might actually be really helping someone.

I do when I can .....but this one time when I was at a stop light in my home town and this one homeless person came over to another homeless person and said.." Hey when you about done cause I am ready to go get a beer" lol Even tho I have been a little skeptical about giving since then I still do it...Stupid me can't help it.

sag10 said:

I don't think giving money is helping them per se.

TheRealFiness said:

Just when I was going to bash, someone comes up with a point

It depends on who asks.

Sometimes I do. Like some others have said, I'm not bothered if they buy drink or drugs because at least they'll get some sort of release from their situation, even if it is only temporary.

usually, no. sometimes a guy will tell me a joke and brighten up my day BEFORE asking and then i will. in most cases, the person is totally capable of working (especially those young fucking squatters with their maingy mutts) and is just trying to get high. when i worked at a coffee shop i used to give free coffee to the homeless people as well as leftover bagles and and stuff. but money? no. i get up everyday and break my balls to do well in school, pay all of my bills and have some fun. i'm not about to drop any money on someone who doesn't even help themself. if i can do, so can they. you can tell the crackheads from the seriously needy. i'd rather give he money to institutions and services that help homeless people than perhaps aid in the problem.

Generally not. I almost never have cash/change, and I don't think it's really helping anybody. I've given people food, and I've bought street art. . .poetry. . .drawings. . .one of my favorite necklaces was made by a homeless guy. It's made out of blue and white beads, a paperclip, and fishing line. I paid him $6 for it, and it's beautiful, and it was a human and dignified exchange.

No, never.
First of all, if you live in a country like Belgium, there is almost no situation imaginable where you would need to beg. So i assume the ones that do beg are

a) people who choose to live on the streets
b) illegals, often organised in "begging groups" (legals also, btw)
c) crackheads / drunks

No matter how good it would b for putting my concience at ease, i realise giving them money is just hypocritical, non-constructive and actually adds to the problem. I pay plenty of taxes (and willingly so) so we could have one of the best social security systems in the world. That should do.

Now if i'd live in the US, maybe things would be different. However, i don't get it. Every american will tell you how bad taxes are, and how they don't want semi-communist systems as in Europe. But when you don't give to beggers (who are an annoyance, and who you won't help, constructively, by giving money), or you don't tip at bars/restaurants (bcause minimum wage is oh so low) they get mad at ya. That's so lame, imho.

NB: it's probably 'cause they got their sales techniques down, but NY beggers are some of the nicest people i met there One guy helped us out when we had to go from the S-E of Central Park to Columbia Univ. Him i did give some money, and we got there in no time, so it was money well spent i guess
[This message was edited Wed Apr 14 15:05:47 2004 by SpcMs]

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[This message was edited Wed Apr 14 15:05:24 2004 by SpcMs]

i do, or give them food. because, 'there but for the grace of god go i'

but, if someone asks me in a threatening or rude way i say no and move on. sometimes i'm not comfortable revealing where my wallet is and what's in it

This one guy had the audacity to sit next to an atm machine and ask me for money.

"Sorry I don't have any..."

"Well, you're getting money out right now, aren't you?"

WHAT?!?!

Yes I do. I give change that I have. London has a homeless problem, like any major city, many young people migrate here for work and sometimes find that they are unable to find a job or a home for whatever reason. The reasons for a person living on the streets are numerous. They're not all con artists.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 14 16:10:14 2004 by Lleena]

J0eyC0c0 said:

Probably not... I just cannot overlook the fact that they are a human being.. That is first and foremost.