To beg or not to beg?

[Msj]

With it being the Christmas season I've noticed this past week that while stopping to do errands, so far two "homeless" people had asked for some money because they were "hungry" and they had no food. What do you do in situations like these? Do you feel generous and give them a donation or do you cast them off like a dirty pair of shoes? Would your judgement be reliable enough to see through a lie or look beyond it and find a truth?

[penguinita]

one thing a freind of mine used to do was keep some of those tuna&craker lunches for school-kids in her car, and then give the homeless people that. thus ensuring that the person was getting food, rather than booze or drugs.

[Softpaw]

My city doesn't appear to have any homeless people.

[Foxchild]

Best thing to do in my expierience is to carry some form of grocery store gift card. That way, its garunteed on food, and they have their preference.

[tree193]

I think giving them food is a cool idea. My mom used to stop and give $20 to every beggar she saw, over my brother and I's protests. We always suspected that it was all a big scam. Then my suspicions were confirmed. There was a beggar that used to sit in a wheelchair on a streetcorner near my house every day, with a sign saying he was handicapped or something like that. After months of seeing him there every day, one day I saw him walking down the street, pushing his wheelchair in front of him. I had to resist the temptation to run him over and make him truly handicapped.<br><br>I've heard that there are a lot of "beggars" out there who actually make quite a good living. And the ones who don't, spend all their money on drugs or alcohol, so I NEVER give them money.

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Ech, if they beg for money then give 'em some change.<br>But if you want to help shelter them give your old junk to the op shop and buy a few things while you're there.

[norsenerd]

I have a choice in life: to trust people or not to trust people. I have made the choice to trust people instead of vice verse, well because it's better. It hurts me at times and there are poeple who take advantage of me but I would rather trust someone then miss trust someone. That's just the way I live my life. That said I always give when people ask for it. It's in my nature and it's hard for me not too. Even if I only have $3 on me I would give that. I've even gone so far as to take a homeless person out to dinner. I wanted that to beoem an anual thing. I don't have much time to acomplish that. Maybe this weekend. To me if they are legitamitly homeless and gettign food giving helps and otherwise if they're not it's their problem and not mine. I'm not going to be a tfault for soemone elses dishonisty. I can only wory about one peorson, me, and I would rather not be mistrusting or a pinch penny becasue I don't think that's the way people should live their lives.

[Zylo]

They say it's better to let a hundred guilty men walk free than to let one innocent man die. I don't live in an area with a homeless problem, but it seems to make sense to offer snacks, clothes, and other usable things rather than cash. You really can't judge a homeless person. You can't look at one and tell if they're legitimately fallen or just trying to score drugs. I just watched a movie <i>Where the Day Takes You</i> and it talked about homeless drug addicts in L.A. and it had a legit view of how things work--how some people really shamelessly take advantage of charity, while some are really just trying to get back on their feet. Thre was a scene in the movie where a drug dealer is interviewed and says "Usually when we beg for money we end up giving it to someone worse off then us. You can usually look at someone and tell if they need it," and it's followed by a scene of them giving change to a homeless woman. That was a load of bull***t; you can never tell. I think it's just a question of whether or not to trust others. it's like that O&M strip where Millie questions her trust in humanity and ends up resisting throwing a pie at Ozy. Albeit a satiracal portrayal, it was still a good dose of philosophy about trust. In all honesty, I don't really trust everyone, but as I said, I don't live in an area with the kinda of problems we've been talking about, so who knows?

[norsenerd]

I remember when there were two homeless people and they asked me for money: I gave them each two dolors and then they fought over it. I don't believe that in this contry they would give to other people. Alot of the homeless in this country are jerks. Most places around the world (at least acording to my stepfather, a prfesional jazz musicail hwo after he goes to Australia sometime in the next year would have played on every contenent except for antartica) the homless act nice and say thank you even if you don't give anything. Here the expect it. I Like the later. Story: When Scott (my step father) did a tour of west Africa his trio stoped at a town built on a river. There were huts on stilts stiking out of the river. It was an anchient villiage. Propbably built there for defensive pourposes but, getting back on track, he was in a cafe type hut that had a hole in the floor. He was eating crakers with some type of spread when two grubly little kids came up in a canoo and lifeted their gruby little hands up thoruhg a hole in the botomn of the hut. Scot took a couple of crakes and put some spread on them and gave them to the children. They said somethign or other and went off. They came back and help up a piece of grubby bread. Scott of course didn''t take any. One he didn't want to eat bread that these people gave him. He surrly would have gogten severly ill. Also he didn't want to take food out of the mouths of these people.<br><br>Wow. Maybe more then one paragraph would have helped.

[Dr. Doog]

if you believe in adam and eve, it's humans fault for breaking the rule of nature: survivor of the fittest. you should not. however, in order to be 'humane,' i have to say give them all your money. especially if they have good clothes...<br><br>but ven still, if you don't believe all that crap, it's still out fault for inventing the meaning of being 'civil' why wear clothes if you aren't cold? why uh... uh... etc?

[Zylo]

<!--QuoteBegin--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> </td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> why wear clothes if you aren't cold? why uh... uh... etc?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd-->I think I play a small role in that.

[MidnightRealism]

I've become somewhat jaded...er...more jaded regarding street charity because of the comings and goings of a woman who begs outside a mall in my hometown and then heads to the GameStop. It ain't a bad scam, really, but it <i>is</i> rather greedy. This isn't to say I would never ever do the same thing, as I like money as much as the next guy, but that would be a new low even for me. FoxChild should know who I'm talking about...he's the one who originally brought her to my attention.<br><br>...But, yeah, giving people food is cool.