Foiling Panhandler

[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.