A guy asked me for money, and I saw him outside a Taco Bell later, so I bought him food. Same with a girl at a Dunkin Donuts.

I'm not very likely to help you if you are a pro, and my wife's church does help people, and I have been known to participate. We support the local food pantry.

One of the guys on a Forum I post on lost his job a few years ago, and wound up on the street. Nobody ever heard from him again, so yeah, stuff happens. I see plenty of people asking for money who clearly have resources. Sometimes I'd rather use my judgement and help out someone who really looks like it would help, even if I am wrong.

I was on Main Street a while back, and a really old guy was trying to shovel out in front of his place. I was there just by chance, but sometimes chance puts you places for a reason. I mean he was OLD, maybe late 80s, 90 old. I don't know how people could just walk by.

They say the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day. Stupid story.

No. There is an interchange I take every day off the highway, and at least once per week there is a panhandler at the light with a sign which reads "travelling, broke and cold", the catch is the panhandler changes. I have seen (3) different younger guys holding this same sign for over (3) months. None ever has more than a backpack. I am thinking they get a cut of whatever they collect and pay some central person who runs the show.

On the train home one evening and there was a young man askin for money so he could buy a ticket home. One passenger piped up that he would buy the ticket for the young man effectively calling the scam. Boy did that panhandler get pissed.

Guy walked up to me while I was pumping gas a while back. he told me a story about needing gas money because he was stuck out of town and had no money. I told him to pull his car up and I would pump some gas in his tanks when I was done with my truck. He walked away and disappeared.


My son and his buddy saw a guy on the side of the road with a sign, it said hungry and broke or something like that. There was a subway right next to the corner. They went in and bought the guy a sub, he would not take it. Cash only.

Yup, I have offered to do the same, and been refused each time; "CASH ONLY".

Over Christmas we took the kids to Biltmore in Asheville to see the estate decorated for the holidays. Not more than two minutes of checking into our hotel, parking the car, and gathering our bags to go inside, did a nut-bag girl quickly pull her car up to us, get out and and begin with: "OMG, you guys are not gonna believe thi..."!!! I cut her off mid sentence. Told the kids to quickly go inside and told her that she's right, I don't believe and to move along. She got right back in her car and sped off. After we got settled in the room, I came back down and moved the car to a different spot.

Nope, sorry.

As a younger man, I used to feel awkward and uncomfortable when someone "needy" approached looking for a handout. I probably looked like a good "mark". Now I don't give a fcku! I figure if they feel they have the right to approach and ask, I have the right to answer with "NO". I'm not all bad, I just use my judgement and decide who I will "help". Just the other day, I gave my umbrella to a woman who was holding a child at an uncovered bus stop, while it was raining.

One time a guy walked up at an off-ramp with a small gas can and asked if i could spare a couple bux because had run out of gas and was stranded.

I pointed to the gas station next door and told him to meet me over there and I'd fill his gas can for him and give him a ride back to his car.
He started mumbling about how his car takes special gas and he doesn't want to be a bother, just give him the money. i said no no, it's not a bother ad that if he needs premium it's OK with me. He kept saying that he just wanted the money.
I suggested he go have sex with himself and left.

Panhandling is a scam to prey on the gullible or stupid.
I consider myself neither.

Nope. Giving cash just perpetuates the cycle. We have given a few canned goods, contacts for our local family shelter and a word about God's love.

Yes. $5 or $10 if I have it (not always). It makes me feel good that I don't have to live like that and I don't care what they do with the money.

I generally don't give up $ near my own neighborhood because I don't want a bunch of stray homeless.

I believe that this always brings good Karma to me.

hell NO!

this is California. right or wrong (dont start up), there are systems in place to provide free food. my wife is a public health nurse and she knows all the resources. she used to hand out cards with info and that pissed them off.

begging with kids..i heard it was a scam. i saw a van drop an entire family off at Costco before.

this dickhead relatively close to my neighborhood pulls up in a truck, parks it at Safeway, and unloads a broken bicycle towing a broken bike trailer with camping gear in it. he fakes having to live out of that trailer. i once mentioned to him to get into his truck when i found him begging in the rain. he looked like he was going to spit at me.

This^^^

No, never... As Vash said there are public/private services available if they really need help.

At this point, only if they accept some non monetary offer of help.

Those are the ones that aren't just doing it only for money.

Around here there are teams where they have an cash holder and in earbud radios to communicate with each other.

When pockets get full, cash holder meets them at the corner, takes it, puts it in bag, that particular corner worker goes back with empty pockets.

Takes about 15-20 minutes at a busy light for cash holder to be needed per worker, cash holder is moving between three or four corners.

No thank you.

It's a fundamental difference in the way thier minds work than mine. I would go door to door looking for a job, or try to do odd jobs to keep my stomache full, I would NEVER hold out my hand expecting guilt to play upon other's emotions.

No, I have never, and will never appease a begger. In my area, there aren't many street beggers, and the homeless always have the city mission for a hot meal, and a cot, if things are that bad.

I wouldn't be against serving soup in a mission line, or helping build low income housing, but not going to pull cash out of my pocket for the lazy.

I have offered to buy food for some panhandlers, they never accept.

The only time I gave money to a panhandler was in a parking lot at the hotel I was staying at. It was a couple in a car and they totally had the meth head look. They said they did not have the gas to get back home. They had been parked in the hotel lot not too far from my 911. I told them if they leave I will give them 10 bucks for gas. They left and I considered it a security deposit. I was happy to get out of that hotel. This was all back before smart phones and booking.com.

Nope.
Is it just in Toronto where they all have cell phones and some have dogs?

I understand what you guys are saying but when they have their kids out there begging too, how can you just walk by? If they decline the food, that’s one thing but you gotta try to give them something, right?

Not a dime. Ever.

No, never. I will give them food or clothing.

A minister in Myrtle Beach told me people would show up at the church with stories of being on vacation and something happening to a car, not being able to get home. It started happening so much the churches got together and started a fund for just that occasion. The hitch was, if you really needed it, the money was held at the police station. They knew if the money was really needed, going to the station wouldn't be a problem. Amazingly, few would go collect.