Foiling Panhandler

[3Ts]

My experience is similar: I offered to buy a beggar a meal and was turned down. I've also been at a gas pump and asked for a couple of dollars for gas - however, he had a gas can in his hand and I asked where his truck was and he pointed to it out in the street. I didn't give him any money but I filled his gas can which cost more than he asked for. Then went and put it in the truck. So sometimes they're legit. Normally, I refer them to the local church.

 

[PILOON]

As to using kids,

The Jehovah's in my area always seem to have a 5-6 year old to hand out their propaganda.
I figured they received less cussing that way when they rang my doorbell Sunday when I'd sleep in.

 

[MossRoad]

As to using kids,

The Jehovah's in my area always seem to have a 5-6 year old to hand out their propaganda.
I figured they received less cussing that way when they rang my doorbell Sunday when I'd sleep in.

My sister keeps a basket of Catholic literature next to her door for just such occasions. She'll only take theirs if they take hers.

 

[EddieWalker]

A lot of you guys are reminding me why I moved away from CA and the SF Bay Area. Life became a matter of survival. You only shopped where it was safe, you never went to the bad areas, and you never talked to or responded to strangers. We would drive past three grocery stores to get to the safe one, we would drive an hour, past two other malls, to get to the safe one. There was a line in town that you didn't cross. People who went to that part of town would eventually get hurt, mugged or their vehicle was vandalized. The police did what they could, but there wasn't enough of them to be everywhere.

 

[Steave]

A buddy of mine told me this story of him and his brother at an intersection leaving a shopping center. A man with a sign saying - will work for food - they told him they didn't have any work for him but offered an apple that was left over from his lunch pail. The man replied no he didn't want the apple and that hit a nerve with my friend's brother so he promptly snapped at the beggar "do you think you're to good to eat my apple?" and the beggar said "no sir it's nothing like that I don't have any teeth and can't eat it."

They usually don't give money to beggars but in this case he felt bad and threw him a buck. Myself, I just keep driving of course all the time wondering if I should have helped. I only give to Shriners and the Salvation Army. Some of the rest of the charities I'm not sure about.

 

[CajunRider]

My brother used to own a donut shop in Kenwood Ohio. There was a guy always hanging around the intersection next to his shop begging for money. My brother often gave him donuts. All was fine until one day he ran into my brother's store in panic mode and asked my brother to keep his backpack and ran away quickly before my brother could say no. My brother didn't want any trouble so he called the police. Well, the police came and opened the bag. There were more than 40 thousand dollars in that back pack! We later found out that there was a territory dispute among the people begging at the intersection.

Another time my lady and I were blocked at an intersection in Philadelphia. We were "asked" in a very forceful manner to give money. When we refused, it was difficult to leave. I prefer not to tell you what it took to leave the scene.

 

[Gunny]

I saw this guy several times in an upscale shopping center in Lexington, KY

Bogus Beggar Federally Indicted - LEX18.com | Continuous News and StormTracker Weather

$100K a year, plus disability payments, it's no wonder there are so many beggars

 

[PILOON]

Many years ago in Montreal we had a legless organ grinder that could be found daily outside of the Bay dept store.
While a seasoned part of the landscape it was discovered that he did quite well as his car was a late model Lincoln Continental specially modified for his handicap.

While not 'beggar related' I have observed an older fellow that spends 7 days/wk selling used golf balls and that for some 15 years.
I simply can not understand sitting in the sun 7/7 6 months of the year.
NOt reading a book or even with a source of music, just sitting!
But then he probably winters in the sunny south while I shovel snow.

 

[Sigarms]

Learned a long time ago that when one carries are gun, you keep your mouth shut. Seems some people still don't understand this.

There but for the grace of God go I.

 

[PJSprog]

Many years ago in Montreal we had a legless organ grinder that could be found daily outside of the Bay dept store.
While a seasoned part of the landscape it was discovered that he did quite well as his car was a late model Lincoln Continental specially modified for his handicap.

There used to be a well-known guy who always sat in front of the corner entrance to the Laclede Gas building in downtown STL. He was dress very shabby, and sat in the middle of the sidewalk with his long skinny legs splayed out to the sides, mouth open and teeth protruding, and looking at passers-by as if he had no idea where he even was. A local paper did an exposé on him once. The reporter watched him all day, then followed him at the end of the day when he got up and got on the bus. He ended up at a nice home in an upscale suburban neighborhood. He estimated that the guy took in about $500 that day ... which works out to $130K/year (this was back in the '80s).