Foiling Panhandler

[RSKY]

I was sitting at the local Wally World Wednesday waiting for my wife. I had the windows down and this young guy with a short beard and a shaved head walked up to my car. He said that he was sorry to bother me but that he had run out of gas. He said he had called a friend who was bringing a gas can and could I please give him enough money to fill the can. Now I'm not heartless or cruel but my wife and I had just talked about the fact that every single business in our little town has a help wanted sign in the window. The young guy looked healthy enough to hold a job so I said, "NO!" And immediately thought about the Ruger 380 sitting in the safe at home. The guy said, "but sir", and I said, "get lost!", and he turned and walked away. I kinda felt bad about it but still, there was something about him.

The next day, Thursday, I am sitting at another store across the street from the Wal-Mart. I have the windows down and watched my wife walk into the grocery. I heard a car door slam and looked around and three men had got out of a pickup truck and were walking toward the grocery store. One man was older and lagging behind the others. I turned my attention elsewhere and heard the same story being told about being out of gas and a friend being called to come with a can. I looked up and the older man was being talked to by the same guy who asked me for money the day before. They weren't twenty feet from my window and the old guy was reaching for his wallet. So I called out and said, "Are you still out of gas? That's the same story you told me yesterday in the Wal-Mart parking lot". The young guy said that he wasn't at Wal-Mart the day before and I replied that he had come up to me and told me the same story about being out of gas and asking for money. The older man put his wallet up and stood staring at the young guy who stood staring at me (I was thinking about the Ruger still at home in the safe). The young guy then turned around and walked off in a hurry. The old guy thanked me for stopping him and walked off into the store. I watched all around for the panhandler and saw him come back around the storefront and leave that parking lot for the one across the street. When my wife got back I stepped out and helped her load the groceries and she noticed that I had the extendable baton in my hands and I told her why. Her reply was that I was gonna get myself shot.

Anyway, I have worked long and hard all my life and so have all my friends. I do not mind giving to somebody that needs help but that young guy was healthy and just looking for an easy way to get some cash. Ten years ago you would not have seen that in our small town and now they are everywhere. The U.S. has definitely went down the past few years.

RSKY

 

[M5farms]

saw on FB today where a lady I know offered a guy a job that was panhandling and he told her he made more money than she did so she took his picture and was trying to get the word out he was just a POS

 

[Silvic]

There is a certain group of folks that are not willing to work for anything that they want.
"I want it therefore I deserve it therefore someone should give it to me."

They are not willing to use the free resources that we as taxpayers supply them. Free education K-12 and they drop out, use drugs, and mooch off the taxpayer for welfare. Then they want us to help them with more money when they have already squandered the free education.

Not saying that there are not folks that are deserving but sorting them out from the lazy slobs is becoming more and more difficult.

The was a hidden camera program that was done several years ago where many of the folks that sit on the corners with signs showing they need help and anything will help were followed and they got into fancy cars and drove off at the end of the day that they had parked around the corner. Some were driving BMW's. Their primary job was panhandling. The level of scam artistry has become extreme in both small and large cities. No where is safe from it. The elderly tend to be victimized at higher rates as that generation is not as cynical as the following generations but no one is safe from the scams.

 

[PILOON]

There was a story about a reporter that carried tins of non perishable food to hand out to 'hungry beggars' .
Well in most cases the food was refused.

I once told a beggar that he was working my side of the street and to bug off.
He did. LOL.

 

[Dftodd]

I had a huge argument with my very religious grandfather about 10 years ago about giving panhandlers money. We were running errands together and he gave someone bumming on the corner $20.

He said I needed to do my Christian duty. At the time I lived in Orlando FL. I pointed out that at at any given time during the day, 4,000 vehicles went through a given intersection. I asked him how much a person would make in an hour if each vehicle gave the bum a buck That ended the argument

They just made panhandling legal in Arkansas, so bums have come out of the wood work and are on every corning in town. Wife asked one of them this question. What did you do for money before panhandling was legal? She got an F U for her trouble

 

[MitchellB]

After 4 years working at a convenience store at the corner of a busy intersection in a fair sized southern city, I have turned into a cold hearted SOB when it comes to bums, beggers, panhandlers and the like. I don't like them and have more respect for a stray dog. It is sad to think like that, but you can't trust strangers in this day and time. I grew up in a small town where you left your doors unlocked and the keys in the car; those days are long gone.

 

[Dave Pee]

To the OP: be careful with that Ruger - it would look bad for you if you shot someone just for talking to you. But you know that.

Carry big and carry often.

 

[Wagtail]

Regarding a slightly different solicitation... I was once propositioned by a 'Lady of the Evening' if I wanted a "date".

I politely declined.

Then thanked her for the 'opportunity'.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Funny story considering it was outside of a Wally World, the largest panhandler of corporate welfare in the country.

 

[MossRoad]

We have a large pan handler population here. Pretty much ALL local government and local charities are trying to get the word out to NOT give people money on the street. Donate directly to your local organizations and they'll handle feeding and housing the people that really need it. DO NOT give out money on the street. Once it's known that people in town X,Y or Z don't give out money, the pan handlers thin out.

 

[Dan Hunter]

Panhandlers suck.

They hang out at busy intersections by upscale residential areas. Guilt, guilt, guilt. I drive a salvage title 2006 Cadillac I paid $3000 for as it was totaled due to hail damage. It still has the damage but looks fine until you're within 20 feet. Still, I get dirty looks from panhandlers I refuse.

Why do they always solicit near a store and never in front of a manufacturing facility? Because they don't want a job and know if you're shopping you must have money. I once saw a man with a youth soccer team begging at an intersection; don't these kids have parents? What happened to dignity in this country?

I've never received aid or asked for anything. I paid for my college education by holding three jobs. I have no pity for anyone that can stand. I'm disabled and I still work. I also carry in case someone wants to push the point among other things.

 

[MossRoad]

Regarding a slightly different solicitation... I was once propositioned by a 'Lady of the Evening' if I wanted a "date".

I politely declined.

Then thanked her for the 'opportunity'.

I had a lady of the afternoon ask me for a car ride downtown as I was walking from my car into a hobby shop. I told her sorry, I'm not going that way and went into the store. A couple minutes later, she cornered me in the train room and started screaming obscenities at me. I was stuck in the train room as she was blocking the door. I started yelling at the cashier in the next room to call the cops, but he said he didn't want any trouble! :confused3: Thanks, buddy! So I basically did the run around the isle while she chased me thing until I was able to zip past her and ran right up to the cashier and basically used him as a human shield keeping him between me and her until he finally decided to call the cops. :laughing: So he calls the cops, she screams her last obscenities and walks out the door. I realize I'm still holding whatever it was I was going to purchase for my trains, and he says "Will that be all?"


YOU'RE %$^*!!@ RIGHT THAT WILL BE ALL!!! :mur:

I set it down on the counter, peeked out the door, made sure the coast was clear and made a dash for my car. I later called the store owner and had a discussion with him on the day's events.

 

[Howling]

I was in CA at beginning of the year. Saw a few stores that put a sign out front by folk begging for money. Basic message was store did not condone the people asking for a hand out and feel free to ignore and just walk right by them.

 

[Wagtail]

I had a lady of the afternoon ask me for a car ride downtown as I was walking from my car into a hobby shop. I told her sorry, I'm not going that way and went into the store. A couple minutes later, she cornered me in the train room and started screaming obscenities at me. I was stuck in the train room as she was blocking the door. I started yelling at the cashier in the next room to call the cops, but he said he didn't want any trouble! :confused3: Thanks, buddy! So I basically did the run around the isle while she chased me thing until I was able to zip past her and ran right up to the cashier and basically used him as a human shield keeping him between me and her until he finally decided to call the cops. :laughing: So he calls the cops, she screams her last obscenities and walks out the door. I realize I'm still holding whatever it was I was going to purchase for my trains, and he says "Will that be all?"


YOU'RE %$^*!!@ RIGHT THAT WILL BE ALL!!! :mur:

I set it down on the counter, peeked out the door, made sure the coast was clear and made a dash for my car. I later called the store owner and had a discussion with him on the day's events.

Ah; well. Hence the difference between "night and day".

 

[Dftodd]

Occasionally I have donated to a panhandlers over the years. But only if they are clever and original. Was in Salt Lake city earlier this year and a bum had a sign saying "Why Lie, I need beer!!!!". I gave him a buck

 

[EarPlug]

Panhandler turns down job offer, Honda dealership fires back -

 

[kenmac]

I had a girl get out of a car with 3 males inside. She walked over to me and asked for gas money. I'm always armed, so I have no problem saying what I need to say. So I said, if you don't have money for gas you don't have money for liability insurance on that car and you should't be driving around anyway.
She said, so does that mean you won't give me any gas money. I said He!! No , get one of your three boy friends in that car get a job ! She walked back to the car, got in and they left

 

[MossRoad]

You know it's a lot easier and safer to just tell them "Sorry, I can't help you." and be done with it. They'll just walk away and bother someone else, VS giving them some advice or criticism that can escalate the situation and will do nothing at all to change their way of thinking. Just tell 'em "Nope. Sorry." and walk away.

 

[RSKY]

You know it's a lot easier and safer to just tell them "Sorry, I can't help you." and be done with it. They'll just walk away and bother someone else, VS giving them some advice or criticism that can escalate the situation and will do nothing at all to change their way of thinking. Just tell 'em "Nope. Sorry." and walk away.

I will agree with the above statement. That is what I usually do. But this kid just ticked me off. We had been talking about the number of help wanted signs in store fronts and had people telling us they couldn't get anybody to work. He just puked me off.

RSKY

Notice I used puked instead of pissed which I really wanted to use.

 

[95XL883]

Every situation is a little different, well, some are a lot different. When my son asked why I gave an obvious career panhandler a couple of bucks I replied, "Son, with a pitch that bad she needs some help." We both laughed and I explained that God had been good to me and that day I had a couple of dollars I could spare in the hope that at some point she might realize she could do better.

Different story, thinking back to the first panhandler I ever met. An obvious homeless vagrant who asked for a quarter. I curtly turned him down. I'll never forget the hurt and dejected look on his face as he turned and walked away. I still feel like a heel for that one.

When my mom was alive there was an intersection just off the highway where the homeless would sit on the corner and ask for something. These were obvious homeless people. I almost always had a dollar or two ready for one.

At the same intersection one Christmas eve, I was in my truck with two of my boys heading to mom's. I had a five ready for the expected vagrant. This one was a little different, there was a light in his eyes and he just wasn't quite as disheveled and downtrodden looking as the others. As I extended the five towards him, he gave me a small smile and refused the money. He replied to my Merry Christmas with his own. Somehow his was warmer and more genuine than mine. Hours later on the way home he was still at that corner. (Something I had never seen before or since.) I can't help but think that really wasn't a vagrant but the good lord himself just out saying Merry Christmas to whoever would say it to him.

I've refused some who approached me while I was gassing my truck. One made me so nervous that I extended my arm and told him to stop approaching. He stopped and realized that if he pushed it he was going to get a gasoline bath as I had removed the nozzle from the tank and was discreetly pointing it at him.

I make the decision on the fly. Obvious career panhandlers with attitude get a polite, 'Sorry, I don't have any to spare today.' One's that approach with hostility or deceit get a firm no and if they read my body language they realize that it is best for them to walk away quickly. (I carry concealed and once one made a threat that I needed to go with him. It was a tense moment when he realized my right hand was under my shirt and I wasn't going to be an easy target. I never cleared leather, I never threatened, I just said I wasn't going with him and I wasn't worried about his "friends" who were close by.) Thank you Lord, for having him walk away.

I try to be nice without being a fool. Most people are good, some are lazy and mooches (giving to them probably hurts more than helps them.), a few are bad people, a few are mentally challenged and a very, very few are truly evil. I hope nobody here ever has to deal with one of that last group. But again most people are good and just need a little help. I don't mind giving up a buck or two to help somebody who is obviously homeless or needs a little help.