How do you handle street people asking for money?

[TxStetson]

The mooches that really torque me off are the ones that bother you while you’re seated eating at a restuarant.
Its always the same B.S.
My name is Joe Blow. I’m from (a town about 50-75miles away) and my car broke down, ran out of gas, or whatever. Can you give me something?

I feel the same way. We went to Long John Silver’s in Corpus Christi many years ago, and a “homeless guy” came up asking for money for food. We had a big family pack of greasy fish and chicken sitting on the table, so I just grabbed an extra plate and put some food on it for him. He got completely offended and proceeded to inform me he didn’t eat garbage like that and would prefer if I just gave him money to get his own food. Needless to say I wasn’t in a very charitable mood anymore.

 

[Brains]

The way I see it, if you're able bodied enough to endure standing on a street corner in South Texas, you're able bodied enough to step 100 yards off the road to the shop with the 'Help Wanted' poster in the window. I work hard for my money, and I feel they should too ... and begging ain't working.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Back when I lived in Corpus Christi, they had a horrendous homeless problem. There was actually a “homeless city” in Flour Bluff on a large parcel of land owned by a Canadian Corporation. Finally the state stepped in and cleared out that little shanty town and ran everyone off. Then they set up on the beach in an area that was between where Nueces County ended Padre Island National Seashore started. This few miles of beach was in Kleberg county, but was hardly ever patrolled because the Kleberg Sheriff’s Deputies had to make a couple hour road trip through Corpus Christi to get to their little 3 miles of beach. So the homeless and the meth heads started living there together, and collecting stolen vehicles and some old junky RV’s and tent/cardboard dwellings. That was a very rough area for a few years. Finally the State Police came in and ran them out of there and brought a dozer in to drag all the vehicles and RV’s off the beach. I moved out of the area around that time so I have no idea where they all settled after that.

FIFY
Corrected spelling of Kleberg county.
Sorry, born and raised there, best friend growing up was Scott Kleberg.

 

[oldag]

Disappointing to see these folks described as "animals" by some.

Also wonder how many would actually hire a homeless person who walked in off the street, dirty and disheveled, and asked for a job.

 

[TxStetson]

FIFY
Corrected spelling of Kleberg county.
Sorry, born and raised there, best friend growing up was Scott Kleberg.

Sorry about that. I left there about 10 years ago, and I was pulling out the cobwebs to even get the names of the counties.

 

[TxStetson]

Disappointing to see these folks described as "animals" by some.

Also wonder how many would actually hire a homeless person who walked in off the street, dirty and disheveled, and asked for a job.

I have , and would again. Although last time he worked 2 days and never showed up again. Didn’t even bother to come back to collect his paycheck.

 

[TreyG-20]

Disappointing to see these folks described as "animals" by some.

Also wonder how many would actually hire a homeless person who walked in off the street, dirty and disheveled, and asked for a job.

I also have. Asked several times during the first day when he would be getting off. Could not pay attention to anything. The last time he asked I gave him some cash and told him that was it. Nice guy, but an airhead would be an understatement.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

Some of us seem obligated to offer up some (my opinion) excuse to begging bums like 'I don't have any money' or some variation of that.....you don't owe bums an apology - "shove off" or it's equal is my preferred method of bum riddance.

It's the internet equivalent of not 'feeding the trolls'......

 

[oldag]

Good to know some have tried.

 

[toddnjoyce]

Disappointing to see these folks described as "animals" by some.

Also wonder how many would actually hire a homeless person who walked in off the street, dirty and disheveled, and asked for a job.

When I need day labor, I head to Home Depot. Gotta get there early, though.

To answer your question more directly, when we were stationed in OKC, there was a guy on the corner with a Will Work 4 Food sign.

I needed a helper to replace a few sections of fence, so I asked the guy if he wanted a days worth of meals for a half day’s work. He declined.

 

[majormadmax]

Your profile says you are in San Antonio. Are you saying SA isn't a liberal city?

No. We have a liberal government, but for the most part the city is mostly conservative...

 

[FireInTheWire]

Y'all gotta understand. I don't encounter the same "bums" that y'all do.

Most of the "bums" I encounter really are having a tough go at life. If your a people reader, you can tell. I tend more to the sympathy side of life for those kinda folks.

I had a dude hit me up in Odessa working a storm. He was solid and younger than me. Just the fact he asked me for money pissed me off. I was short and to the point with him. He about-faced quickly.

 

[bigwheel]

Back when I lived in Corpus Christi, they had a horrendous homeless problem. There was actually a “homeless city” in Flour Bluff on a large parcel of land owned by a Canadian Corporation. Finally the state stepped in and cleared out that little shanty town and ran everyone off. Then they set up on the beach in an area that was between where Nueces County ended Padre Island National Seashore started. This few miles of beach was in Kleeburg county, but was hardly ever patrolled because the Kleeburg Sheriff’s Deputies had to make a couple hour road trip through Corpus Christi to get to their little 3 miles of beach. So the homeless and the meth heads started living there together, and collecting stolen vehicles and some old junky RV’s and tent/cardboard dwellings. That was a very rough area for a few years. Finally the State Police came in and ran them out of there and brought a dozer in to drag all the vehicles and RV’s off the beach. I moved out of the area around that time so I have no idea where they all settled after that.

That was my old stomping grounds. Those Kleberg County deputies/constables were a hoot. They gave one of my neighbors a ticket for "Doing doughnuts on the beach." Must of been close to this time of year cause they gave him a court date of Feb 29th. Not sure what kinda law book they were using to figger out about the doughnut thing.

 

[Dawico]

Disappointing to see these folks described as "animals" by some.

Also wonder how many would actually hire a homeless person who walked in off the street, dirty and disheveled, and asked for a job.

Most of them are less than animals. **** 'em. When one takes an offer of food or work then I may change my mind.

Yes I do know the difference between a hand out and a helping hand. Different people.

I have tried a few times just to have somebody clean up around the jobsite for cash.

Never been taken up on it.

 

[Brains]

Only been one hint of "oh those poor destitute souls" in the thread, which is good - naiveté is a bad thing. There is a single solid truth that needs to be plainly pointed out here. You can't help someone who isn't willing to help themself. Throwing cash out the window isn't helping, it's enabling. If you want to help, do what many of us have done - intervene directly and find out what (if) they actually need. If you do, you'll find the truth very quickly. Problem is the people who want to "help" don't want to concern themselves with getting involved, they just want to feel good about themselves. Ergo, cash out the window with the net result being an ever increasing panhandling problem.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

I'm not a social worker.

Nor, do I give a manure about them.

I won't dirty my hands trying to 'understand them'.

The need to f off and die.

 

[oldag]

Only been one hint of "oh those poor destitute souls" in the thread, which is good - naiveté is a bad thing. There is a single solid truth that needs to be plainly pointed out here. You can't help someone who isn't willing to help themself. Throwing cash out the window isn't helping, it's enabling. If you want to help, do what many of us have done - intervene directly and find out what (if) they actually need. If you do, you'll find the truth very quickly. Problem is the people who want to "help" don't want to concern themselves with getting involved, they just want to feel good about themselves. Ergo, cash out the window with the net result being an ever increasing panhandling problem.

Easy to criticize others. Requires no real expense of any type. No investment of time or effort.

More difficult to try and understand what led them to where they are. I have known some good people who fell into homelessness. People who had been successful most of their lives. The illness/depression that caused the fall was the same thing that put them in a condition where - as some folks would say - they weren't "willing to help themselves." If they were mentally well enough to help themselves when on the street, they never would have been on the street to begin with.

Some are not ill, but have made poor choices and lack work ethic. I'm not going to knowingly fund someone's drug or alcohol addiction.

Some are scam artists. I'm not going to knowingly fund their chosen "occupation".

Some have real problems and have not found help. I will try to do what I can without supporting their destructive habits, which is why I always try to steer them to a church ministry for help. Don't do this as nearly much as I should, though.

They are all human beings. And there, but by the grace of God, go I...

 

[Hoji]

Most of them are less than animals. **** 'em. When one takes an offer of food or work then I may change my mind.

Yes I do know the difference between a hand out and a helping hand. Different people.

I have tried a few times just to have somebody clean up around the jobsite for cash.

Never been taken up on it.

Neither have I on the few occasions back in the day when their signs said “Will work for food”

 

[Brains]

Easy to criticize others. Requires no real expense of any type. No investment of time or effort.

More difficult to try and understand what led them to where they are.

This is where I actually do have frame of reference. I've been there, and I know what it takes to get out of it. Standing on the street corner with a sign isn't it.

 

[karlac]

One's I take greatest exception to are those who try to hit you up at the gas pump. The stop light panhandler's I just ignore.

Around here, with freeway access readily available as a getaway, it's become a dangerous practice to let anyone near you when filling up, and you better lock your vehicle when doing so.

I pocket carry, so routinely put my hand in that pocket, with my head on a swivel when pumping gas. When approached, which is quite frequent on just about any freeway access road in Houston, put up my free hand palm out and simply say: "you need to stop right there".

That said, back in the recording studio days a guy, homeless, harmless and obviously mentally effected, lived under a tree in esplanade near the intersection of Montrose and Welch in Houston.

I used to drop off a hamburger to him when coming back from lunch. Got to be where many folks did the same thing. He became an unsaid "project" from many who lived and worked in the area.

A big difference in my mind ...