Quote:
Originally Posted by A930Rocket
Back in the 80s, I was filling up my car and a guy asked for money for food. I gave him five or $10 and I said don’t go buy beer. As I continue to fill up, I watched him go right to the beer cooler and get beer. That was the last time.
|
Once you give/gift someone money, they can and will do whatever they want with it. Even if you try to stipulate what they have to do or what they can't do with the money, unless you have some way to control them, all you can do is then determine that if they use it for something else, you'll never give them money again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Lee
This is why I don't give to panhandlers. They are in the situation they're in because of bad decisions. Even if this man had not bought beer with your money, your money would have made it possible for him to use other funds for buying schit he doesn't need. If my folks give me $1000 and say it's only to be spent on rent, great! That frees up the other money I was going to spend on rent to now spend on booze and smokes.
In Phoenix there are beggars on every single street corner and highway on/off ramp. It's worse than what I saw on my first visit to Juarez. They are there because they know people will continue to enable their bad decisions.
|
Exactly. I'd LOVE to help people in need, but the realistic/cynical side of me says that any sort of gifting would not actually be helpful.
Many years ago, I worked with a guy that was a great guy, but I think had some inner demons. Anyway, he told me a story where he saw a woman begging with a young kid or two with her. He drove past, went down to a store and bought a loaf of bread, some peanut butter and some milk and brought it back. I think they took it, but the woman was pissed and told him that she didn't want food, she wanted money. He told her "take it or leave it."
But as you said, even if you gift them food, that just frees up any other money that they get for alcohol, cigarette, drugs, etc...
I don't feel like gifting is helpful or going to lead them anywhere better than where they are now.