Panhandlers......wow
William81
Member Posts: 25,324 ✭✭✭✭
Driving around Columbia MO yesterday, while in town doing some business. Columbia is a squishy, liberal, college town in the middle of a conservative state. Every major intersection in town has panhandlers with their little signs. I generally will talk with the folks standing there and if I feel moved to help, I will generally offer food. 99 percent of the time they will decline and ask for money. I generally decline at that point...
Yesterday there was a guy on a 3 foot wide divider between four lanes. He was reclined there and seemed to be asleep or on the nod.. His leg was hanging out in the turn lane and all of us had to carefully go around the dude. I was pleased to see a Police car a few cars behind me pull over and take care of the issue..
I drove back by a couple hours later and he was back....sitting on a little stool....
I fear someone will get run over one of these days over there.......
Comments
They are everywhere,,, It is ridiculous. They are not hungry, they all know where the free meals are served they want money for their addiction (drugs, alcohol, cigs) I absolutely refuse to help enable them. When I worked Downtown I would get ask daily, sometimes multiple times a day, for money for food and my answer was "come on lets walk in here and I will buy you a sandwich." In all the times I offered I only ever had one person take me up on my sandwich offer.. Finally, I got to the point where when ask "Can you help me with some money for food." I would point them in the direction of the closest place serving food to the homeless.
I think you are generally correct @austin20... Mentally ill folks out there too and a small percentage just trying to get somewhere else. I have purchased gas and fed some folks, but I have always been reluctant to hand over any cash...
I donate money to the Denver Rescue Mission because they do good work and have services available to get people on their feet. Bums carrying cardboard signs get nothing.
🇺🇲 "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 🇺🇲
Same problems around here. Panhandlers, beggars, illegals and BUMS. I use to always donate when someone was out holding a sign asking for help, it seemed it was the right/Christian thing to do. It gets me, they can’t speak a word of english, yet their holding up a sign written in perfect english asking for food, gas, need help with rent, have kids and so on, all on the same sign. I believe in helping people that truly need help but this is becoming ridiculous.
Couple of weeks ago I had two guys pull up to me in the parking lot of Walmart, they were in a nice brand new jeep. This one guy in the jeep says to me in broken English, “ we need some gas, you can have this ring”, and then holds out this big fake gold ring. I just took out my drivers license looked at it and said, the name on my license says John xxxxxx, not Johnny stupid. I just through the ring in their jeep and walked off.
More illegals have come across are boarder in the last 3 years than troops we put in Europe during WW2. A stinking invasion.
One of the small independent newspapers did an interview with of the panhandlers that stand in the intersections. He claimed that he usually took in about $1800. a week and around Christmas about $2400. a week. and that was 20 years ago.
They work in packs around Denver. If you’re out early enough, You’ll see them together deciding on who will work what corner and intersection. disgusting.
🇺🇲 "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 🇺🇲
Yep, channel 4 news in Seattle did the same thing about 20 years ago. This woman said she made 50K a year panhandling. She had a nice car parked up around the block. When she called it a day she got in her car and went home.
Way too many have been filmed begging then get in a nice Car and go to a nice house at the end of the day ts a profeson For many of them them
A lot of towns they have to get a license to do it that alone should say a lot
My wife told me a couple yrs back while shopping with her sister they stopped by a Meyers store
two younger nice looking girs ask for gas money to get home they declined of course
Her sister said they have a big problem with such girls they ask women for gas money but will offer favors for the the guys in return for gas money .
And No i have not driven down to find out lol
I have been guilty in the past of giving money a couple dollars some times to some at the local Walmart
in the walmart parking lot thats close to the interstate I have seen a few with little kids holding the signs begging asking for money for food or gas and majority are Mexican or similar I have never seen rhe same ones twice maybe it was real or they just travel the interstate
I saw this guy in Asheville. I gave him five bucks.
At least the dude is honest about it....🤨
Yep, same scenario here. Some with late model cars.
Seen couple young ones setting on curb at a busy 4 way few days ago.
The gal was holding a sign that said Homeless,
They did not have enough foresight common sense to hide their very high dollar RAMBO type electric bicycle that was leaned up against a post behind them. I've seen those bikes priced in the $3-4000 area or more.
I suspect they are some more of Brandon's supporters.
Bill, I understand how you feel. It really breaks my heart to see some people having to resort to pan handling. The honest ones that is. The only one I helped without his knowledge , was a homeless vet in Tennessee. He asked me for a cigarette as I was coming out of a Hampton inn. I tried to give him a whole pack, as I had several cartons on me. He wouldn't take it. I sat for a few minutes and he told me he was a Vietnam veteran and was just going through a hard time, but didn't want any help. Donna ran across the street and got him and all of us breakfast. While we were talking, Donna slipped two hundred buck in a carton of cigarettes', and shoved it in his back pack.
What really sucks is, the panhandlers that are capable of working, but find it more lucrative to just be a panhandler. Some of these people make more then the average workers, in places like Washington DC and warmer vacation spots like Key West and Saint Augustine Florida. I have had cops tell me that some of these people make over 80,000 a year doing this, and live in nice hotels.
My theory is that many of these beggars are all signed up for ever free government benefit an unemployed “poor” person can get. And instead of getting a job and having an income that would cut or reduce their freebies they simply beg and take that money as tax free undeclared income
Bingo. In recent years, there has been a huge surge in "through hikers" on the Appalachian Trail. Saw a bunch about it on YouTube. These folks really could care less about hiking the trail. They just move along it to take advantage of the free shelters, hostels, and nice folks that have traditionally been kind to hikers. They're all signed up for every government welfare benefit, and have their checks, EBTs, etc forwarded to a PO Box. Willful homeless in disguise.
I agree with and understand all of that, Oakie. It is tragic that those down on their luck are overridden by those who are gaming the system.
My way would be zero tolerance for panhandling. Period. You got time to lean, you got time to clean. Plus, there are all kinds of great organizations that do wonderful things on a shoestring budget for those that need a little help. Those organizations and the people that are willing to commit to getting life in order get all of my respect and my cheers for rising above the hardship and making something of themselves.
You may have concluded that this particular issue is one I feel strongly about. You would be correct. The reasons are too many to list here.
🇺🇲 "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 🇺🇲
Just like Kevin said, there are places to get help if they choose. I too, donate to one of those locally. That's how I choose to help them, not by handing cash for drugs or whatever.
I'm East of Kansas City MO and they are everywhere around here. A week ago I had to stop because a "lady" was in the road. She had one tit hanging out bent over picking up cigarette butts. Honked my horn and she didn't even flinch.
my feel good story I hope any way
i was leaving CVS with my meds one day about two years ago a young fellow with his arm in a cast was actually crying sitting on the curb ( my wife was with me in th ecar ) when I came back out he was still there in tears
so I ask any thing I can do thru his tears he said I am short $2.63 cents to get my prescription filled. for my pain meds and they will not let me have it
I handed him 3 dollars ( the change I had just got ) he acted like I had gave him a thousand dollars he was still sobbing and just kept thanking me and went back in . I did not follow to see
but just based on much he was crying if it was fake he was a true pro and worst case I was out 3 dollars
besides who would beg for a exact amount of $ 2.63 cents
one more 35 yrs ago when I worked in Dayton on construction sites (some times down town ) I would give the alcoholic's a dollar or two I knew what they wanted and most were up front about it
a coworker pulled on my heart strings one day when I would not give a guy a dollar
my buddy said you know those poor old fellows have a tough life even if they brought it on them, self why not give them a dollar for a bottle of cheap wine at least they can enjoy what little life they have left ( could do pages on stores from working with him " Bear" is / was his nick name if your still around it was fun times if not I hope your RIP
after watching them eat out of trash cans what ever they could find ( I had never seen anything like that in the small town I grew up in ) so a dollar was little to give
There was a time when I'd give cash, offer food, offer to drive them around to gain employment.
Those days are gone.
...Dallas used to have a lot of these losers at major intersections, don't know if they do now...when I had my company and was driving around Dallas a lot, saw them everyday holding signs "will work for food"....soooo, two different times I told two of them I had a days worth of laborers work jump in the back of the truck...BOTH these people had an excuse why they couldn't work, but, would take money instead, just another free-loader scam...sorry, not going to support some loser who wont work...
My brother tried to hire one of the parasites one day .$10.00 an hour and paid in cash plus lunch . The guy was not interested. Said he made more than that in about 15 minutes so why would he want to work ?
After reading how much some of these bums make, I was thinking it would be a fine plan to supplement my retirement income! 😁
green font applied here!
Had an aggressive panhandler try to stop me on the way to my truck at a grocery store. I ignored him until he pulled the truck door out of my hand. He quickly changed his tune when confronted by my S&W! I told him if he made any move except away from me, it would be his last. He left, and I returned to the store to get the manager, because a woman might be harmed by the idiot. The manager caught up with him and his buddy, and was giving them a scolding when I drove up. They seemed very happy to move along! 😎
I never give any of them money but have offered to feed some of them. So far, I haven't bought any burgers.
I was at the big health food store in Asheville one day at 11 am. I was out at the edge of the parking lot, no one nearby. Here came 2 panhandlers, young guys about 30 years old. I could tell they were both drunk. I don't mind having a lil' nip, in fact Happy Hour starts in a half hour. But 2 guys out drunk at 11 am was disgusting to me.
I was getting into my truck, had the door open, and they marched up and said "Can we have five bucks." As noted above I have been known to give money to panhandlers but these guys were just too aggressive. I said "No man, I don't have any money."
Asheville is known for being full of "groovy hippies" so the guy was taken aback that I didn't shell out. He moved in about one foot away and said "Give me ten bucks." This was on the verge of strong-arm robbery. At this point he figured a groovy hippy at the health food store would give him twenty bucks. He was well in my "personal space"
I am 6-3, and spoke in a loud voice "You better back off while you still can or you will wake up in Mission Hospital!" I didn't have a weapon, but I know how to follow through on my threat.
He got the message and him and his buddy staggered off. They couldn't believe they ran into a guy at the Asheville health food store who wasn't a groovy hippy, but, who threatened violence.
When I was young and pretty, pan handlers would approach me frequently. I might or might not give them a few bucks. Now that I'm old and ugly, pan handlers stay away for the most part.
I do get asked for cigs, when out smoking in public and always give 2 or more away to each person. I've been there.
A friend of mine frequently drives his Jeep without the top or doors in Springfield. He tells me he's waiting for a homeless guy to hop in the passenger seat of the Jeep and ask for a ride.
I had a run-in with the 'gold ring for $$' scam. I was walking across the parking lot of a WalMart back in July when a late-model Tahoe pulled up beside me. It was a well-dressed guy with his wife and two adolescent kids. He looked Mexican but used a Ukrainian accent. He said his family was new to the US from the Ukraine and needed money for gas. He handed me a large gold ring stamped 18K and said it was a $1000 ring I could have for $100. He also showed me a handful of foreign money which he said the bank here would not exchange because they sided with Russia in the war. He said he was rich in the Ukraine but having trouble converting all his vast wealth to American dollars. It was quite a spiel. I told him I was sorry but he had asked the wrong guy. I gave the ring back and the guy called me a Russian sympathizer and sped off.
Got approached by a jakey bum who asked if I'd support a Vet. I asked him what Branch of the service he was in. He told me he was in the Artic Airborne...I asked him what they did and he said they jumped out of airplanes on skis...
That was worth a couple of buck.
Another time I had a Black guy ask me if I'd like to donate to the United Negro Pizza Fund. That was also worth a few dollars...
Another time I had a Black guy ask me if I'd like to donate to the United Negro Pizza Fund. That was also worth a few dollars...
Definitely worth a couple bucks! 😂😂😂
🇺🇲 "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 🇺🇲
After seeing some of the things I have I'm a lot more sympathetic. People are struggling in ways you cannot see sometimes. A normal, attractive, somewhat average person might have a LOT of issues without you ever realizing it.
A person with mental issues sometimes looks and acts fine a LOT of the time....then something just "happens" and they are off the rails. Its hard to keep a job with that going on.
If I have a few bucks on me and I run into someone that asks I'll give it to them and I'm just thankful for what I have and being in a position to spare a little bit.
"Another time I had a Black guy ask me if I'd like to donate to the United Negro Pizza Fund. That was also worth a few dollars..."
That gets a ten dollar bill from me.
The United Negro College Fund, their motto is "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
I wonder what the motto of the United Negro Pizza Fund is.
I wonder what the motto of the United Negro Pizza Fund is.
I looked it up. the motto is: You better eat that crust, too!
🇺🇲 "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 🇺🇲
Their motto is "A waist is a terrible thing to mind."
Hilarious! 😂
🇺🇲 "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 🇺🇲