What do you say to panhandlers who ask for money?

All Depends.If in the inner city,they are rogue bullies who roam the
streets living off anything that keeps them from doing honest work.
It's the young ones who seem most brash.The older ones know the score.
But never,I mean never let them have the upper hand.Because that is
what keeps them going.They live off of fear and intimidation.
Turn that around and make them feel intimidated.
Also make sure to carry a nice pocketknife/folder.

 

What in the world are you talking about?

 

I think he's a closet case. Yup, so far back in the closet he's finding Christmas presents.

 

dafuq......

 

in florida the kids were charged with felonys for beating them with baseball bats, this may be in that spectrum.

 

I don't have to say anything because I always ignore them.

 

You couldnt follow that?

 

If I see someone is crippled or has any kind of physical handy capped, I give them money.

A couple months ago an older lady with no legs was sitting in front of a store. I gave her money then I helped her collect more money from people while my wife was in the store. She did not know what to think of me at first but soon became comfortable with me asking people to dig deep!

Everyone else that I run into; it just depends on my mood. Sometimes they might get 5 dollars and sometimes they get a rude comment.

 

I think he is talking old school tactics. Intimidation, of flagrantly aggressive panhandlers, was not that uncommon, and it was effective.

There was a bum just a couple of years ago at a bank machine, who I happened to be in the closed off area with. He got belligerent and in my face and he ended up going into a wall, and then tossed onto the street, since I wasn't going to give him any opportunity to go to another level of crazy.

 

I give them a confused look and say, "Je ne parle pas l'anglais!"

It works everytime!

 

I don't run into pan handlers a whole lot. When I have, I've given them a few bucks, or some squares. One lady that was sitting near a taco stand I was at asked me to buy her a few tacos, and I did. One time a person was trolling near an ATM I was using, and when I got my money and headed out, he hit me up for some money. I didn't like the fact he was trolling by an ATM, plus I only had a 20$, so I told him I didn't have any money. He got argumentative about it, mentioning how I just got money out, and i just told him straight out I didn't have any money to give to him, which I honestly didn't. He continued to complain as I walked away, but I didn't have an issue w/ telling someone like that no.

 

It might not work here. Just sayin'

That being said (well written), there are quite a number of them here in the Ottawa area. It's kind of annoying, but that's life in a capitalist country. I do occasionally drop some money in the cup of this old aboriginal guy near my old office. He just sits there and smiles at people. My walk to work is about 10-15 minutes from where I park my car, so I pass by same ones every day. I assume that it takes a lot to be forced into a position to beg, so I won't judge those who self-medicate. It's not like the majority of them have options, hope or the means to get out of the situation they're stuck in. However, like others have mentioned, I cannot deal with the lies and I have for the most part have become desensitised to them. Lately there is a new one who begs for bus tickets to get home, then tries to sell those bus tickets to the people he begged from.

 

I usually ask them if they would be willing to come mow my yard for pay or some other property care taking I have to do when not working my real job. If they say yes I pay them for the work, if they say NO, I tell them not to ever ask me again.

In 5 years only 1 has said yes and he now works for a friend of mine managing one of his work crews.

 

I'm sure that the chubby is from eating crap starchy, greasy processed food rather than overeating. It sucks that a McBurger can cost less than an apple.

 

Thats what we get when we give people a (percieved) sense of entitlement..

 

I always give them anything I can unless they wreak of alcohol or make me feel uncomfortable like they're on drugs. But if they look hungry I'll toss them a few coins their way.

 

I ask them who they voted for in the last election. If they say Obama, I tell them they deserve to starve.

 

They are likely hungry because they spent all their money on grog and smokes.

 

I would NOT ask them to mow my yard, then knowing where I live!

You remember the Elizabeth Smart case? That sicko who kidnapped her was a bum on the street and approached her mother, asking for a hand-out. Her mother gave him her address, saying she had work for him and would pay him well......... and we all know the rest of the story........

The largest % of street people are dangerous, many w/mental disorders like schizophrenia and unmedicated schizos are VERY dangerous......

 

You'd be nuts getting a homeless person to mow your lawn, and crazy to give them your address.
I'd give the money to the teenager across the road who is looking for some spare cash. They'd be more trustworthy to do a little yard work.

 

There are just too many of them in Chicago to hand out change. I just collect pennies in a bottle and give it to someone when it fills up.

 

I Ignore them while in my car. I cross the Mexican/ US border and there are dozens there... I just close my window and ignore them...These panhandlers are children, 6 year old girls, amputated people, old lady like 80 years old, the guy in the wheelchair. etc. I know them all. Just close my window and turn up the music.

 

What the hell?! Why are you telling me this? Mak, don't you read other people's posts? I had just said this!

Forget it - I'm going to bed..........

 

Let's see now , how to deal with panhandlers ,

The first panhandler I ever saw was when I was 17 years old , in the early 1970's , when I went to the AFES station in Charlotte , NC , to be inducted into the US Army , it was the first big city I had ever been to that you couldn't drive through in 25 minutes and one red light ...

Right across from the Bus Station in downtown Charlotte , NC , is an adult peep show / bookstore , and next to it is a Red Cross Blood Collection center . ( or it was at that time , circa the early 1970's , near the end of the VietNam War , the mini-skirt craze was in full swing : : >

and I saw this black guy standing in front of the Red Cross Center , and he had on pink pants , a red silk shirt , a pink jacket , and had on white leather wing-tip shoes , and had on a red planters straw hat what had a peacock plume stuck in the headband of the hat ... and he was talking to everyone that went by , so I just thought he knew everyone , you know ?

Now , you may see that everyday , but for a hillbilly kids first visit to the big city , to join the Army , it was a heck of a sight to see , , but being curious , and never had even seen a peep-show before , well , I crossed on over to the other side of the street ,,, and saw my first panhandler up close ...

He said to me " Hey my white brother , can you spare a few dollars for my evenings gratuitity and my ladies pleasures ? "

well , hell , I was still taking in the pink outfit , , , and was somewhat be-fuddled with all the sights & sounds of a big city , sort of gawking and wide-eyed , , and before I could reply there must have been 5 Charlotte Police cars came roaring in with sirens blarring and lights flashing and screeched to a stop right beside me , , ,

well , now I was absolutely scared to death , cops swarmed out with billy clubs and raided the Bus Station ... they came out with about 10 ladies and about that many guys and threw them a small bus , , ,

and all the while there is this big cop slapping a billy club in his palm while looking at me & this black dude dressed in pink silk pj's , and he had a cop on either side as they escorted him to his seat on the bus ...

the cop asked me " Why are you here ? "

I said " I'm here to join the United States Army ."

He said " I thought when I saw you that you were an idiot , and now I know you are , you'll get your bass shot off in Nam , but you wait over there on your taxi to the AFES station and don't let me see you again trying to solicit a prostitute , or I'll run you in . . .

and that's a true story...

 

Hello Mak , haven't spoken with you in a while , well , since the last time you gave me an infraction .. I deserved it , I hope it was as good for you as it was for me ...

As to the OP , and your opinion , well , I don't know how things are done in Australia , but I suspect it's much the same the World over , and here in the US as well ... but it's a sad commentary on the state of our feelings towards our fellow man , and it seems to me that it's a shame that we feel this guarded in our everyday attitude toward humanity , our bretheren , even say.

You see a guy crawl out from under a bridge , dusty and scruffy , unshaven , and right away most folks think he's a no-account bum ...

That's not a fair judgement , is it Mak ?