[masraum]

Originally Posted by Arizona_928

Common sight coming into the US from Mexico. Appeal to emotion using the children as pawns.

In Phoenix there's a popular hustle of funeral expenses pan handling. Organized and they'll have 4 people at each corner of a busy intersection. Those had thicc eastern European accents. Others will get aggressive and walk into the street and stare you down in your car or truck. I drive old stuff so they don't bother with me, but it is kinda entertaining when they go up to the new Escalades and literally just point at their sign and stare into the truck.

Yep, I have seen families here collecting for funeral expenses which seems bizarre to me. I've seen it where the whole family had matching custom printed T-shirts and were very well dressed. Here, the few times that I've seen it, it's been a particular segment of society.

Originally Posted by Rot 911

You have a good heart, but I can’t help but notice the pre-printed “no food, no gas” sign. The kids have nice clothes and shoes and they are sitting on a cooler. Something tells me this is the guys day job. The kids are a nice touch.

Yep, absolutely could be what he/they are doing for income. There are people that do that.

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Hard to know. Maybe pride? It can't be easy for a man to go begging with his sons at his side, I don't care who you are.
Poor people can't catch a break. If they clean themselves up and pick up the trash they are suspect. If they live is squalor they ARE trash. P.J. O'Roake had something to say about this, but I can't remember the exact quote.

You'd be surprised. It wouldn't be easy for most of us to "beg," but there are enough people that have no issue with begging.

My problem is that I have no interest in donating to poor choices, whether it be drugs or alcohol or even living in a craphole, but having nice new phones and smoking a pack a day while watching cable. I wouldn't mind donating clothes or food. I suspect if you picked 100 beggars at random and gave them food, at least 80-90% of them would be grumpy about it because they want money not food.

I've seen beggars get into cars and drive home at the end of their "shift."

If someone needs help, I would be happy to help. But I would be very unhappy to donate to behavior that doesn't help.