i just cant believe this ??????

about 2 cweeks ago I posted about a woman asking me for money at a gas station/mcdonalds,thats the first time in my 45 years ive experienced this from a total stranger.last wed I was in bowling green ohio for the national tractor pulling championships.about 10pm I went to a used bookstore on the main street of town,as I walked out the door a elderly woman,who was pushing a walker with wheels,and a starbucks coffee,asked,while rubbing her belly,if I could spare a few dollars for a hot dog.she"d of had to walk a country mile to get a hotdog that time of night,j-c.i flat out said no,and had to repeat myself,while being blessed by the lord....then lo and behold today at my tractor supply,a guy was traveling from Cleveland to Morgantown wva,and lost his golf clubs and wallet,and asked for gas money for a few gallons to get home,while driving a s.u.v.today I had my garage clothes on,looked very greasy too,but got in a nice truck and new trailer.i mean are people really this hard up in America today???.im in shock that in 16 days its happened 3 times.....

People have no pride anymore. But that's what you get in the city. People are lazy with no self worth. You can tell by seeing how many are sitting on their porches in the middle of the afternoon. I have not been approached like you are describing but my wife has and she is always terrified by them. You know good and well they are trying to support their drug habbit as they have nothing else to do.

I got a bit of a shock the other day when I drove by a church where the Gleaners food bank was passing out food. I could not believe the size of the line. I got to thinking that 30 years ago, times seemed a heck of a lot worse than right now and we made it without standing in line for handouts. There is money out there if you are motivated enough to work for it.

The guy that lost his wallet is a panhandler.....Scum. Beggars with a BS story.

The old lady might have just been trying her luck to see if you would bite, or she is senile.

I had a kid, 18 or so come to my front door a few years back with a grocery bag asking if I wanted to buy a cookbook so he could have money to go to college. I looked right at him and said "I aint got any money" Shrugged my shoulders and shut the door in his face. He was lucky I was in a good mood or I would have answered the door with a shotgun.

I carry pepper spray with me almost everywhere to prevent a situation from getting bad at a store, the bank, gas stations.

I have twice had people ask for gas money at Walmart while they are puffing on a cig. and one of them had several cartons of beer in cart.

A similar situation happened to my Mother. Only this boy was selling Bibles. My Mother presented it to me a few days later on my 10th birthday. I'm nearing 71 and I still have that well worn Bible. They ain't all scammers. TDF

Worst place for panhandlers I've ever dealt with was in Colorado Springs. I was walking into a fairly nice restaurant where several panhandlers were working the street. Apparently I don;t look that approachable because none asked me for anything - untill I got close to the door. Then I got hit up by a very pushy woman wanting me to give her $20. I told her no I wouldn't give her $20 then asked her to give me $50. That shut her up and she went to go bother someone else.

When I came in I commented to the waitstaff that if they got any pushier outside they'd start losing customers - starting with me. The waiter gave a nasty look and said most of them are employed - they're just trying to add to their income. It's easier than taking a second job waiting tables or something - like he was. He complained how lifting the customer's money on the way in had a way of reducing tips.

well, if I had to put a positive spin on it, the reason this is so common is that it WORKS.

And the reason it works is that there are enough nice people out there that are willing to help a stranger out.

These scumbags wouldn't bother if they weren't so heavily outnumbered by good people.

panhandlers,we have them here too they will sit with a sign , something to the effect of family needs money , or broke down stranded, they dress like a rag bag, but if you look around, there will be a newer truck or suv parked a short distance away, they will get in that and go home to a pretty nice house, one told me he was making around 300 bucks a day begging as opposed to working for it, times are hard, and will be for several more years, but i if i have to work for mine, as busted up as i am, they can too

I think of it with an expanded view.

1. Look at the million on food stamps and welfare. These scumbags bilk the system, so why not have the +alls to walk up and ask for money directly from John Q taxpayer.

2. The food line at that church is likely welfare folks, all colors, I would bet that some of those folks have good jobs too.

A few years back an older couple that my parents are friends with decided to help out the
"needy" by donating their time by delivering meals to homes. Well they did this 1 day a week for a while until one of the homes they went to was a mansion (yep 3500 sq. foot home) and the "needy" people in this home were getting handouts from a charity. (these people stopped delivering meals after the mansion incident) It makes you sick huh?

I do not donate to charities anymore due to the massive fraud and abuse. I could be donating money to a person who is better off than me.

Ok.....You got me there,......1% of them are selling a legitimate item.

The reason they do it is because it works! If you give them anything it just makes it worse. There are all kinds of jobs out there, they just would rather beg. They might have to get a haircut to get a job!

There are people out there in need .i dont give money to anybody rather i give what i produce i recently gave over 100 lbs of meat to a guy who cant work because of an injury it made his day and mine to.the best was a women who lost her husband in an accident and shortly after her daughter was in a bad accident i gave it to some of her family latter she caught up with me and started to tell stories of when they were farming and she smiled remebering the good times.
One other way to give is your time there are a lot of lonely people out there one guy i visited when he passed he surprised me and gave me a truck so if somebodys looking for cash dont ask me i will take you to the job center

I have had many people say they ran out of gas and could I give them a few dollars for gas. Not one of them had a gas can.

Used to, if someone asked for money for food, I would tell them I would buy them a sandwich, but I would not give them any money. I don't even do that anymore.

Some of those who ask really are in need, many are just panhandling.

Overseas the kids beg for a dollar in half the places you go, and the adult "Hay Joes" are all wanting to "give you a gift".....and then get one in return from you.....You sort of develop an immunity to it after awhile. Here in the States I"ve had my share of approaches, but only two that were really memorable.

Once was a "lady" who walked up to the door or my car at a convenience store outside the gate at Charleston and asked me if I wanted "a date". Granted she wasn"t panhandling as she was "selling something" but, to me, it seems that it would take the same set of cajones that panhandling does. My response was, "Sorry babe, you can"t afford me...". I don"t think she knew how to respond, given the look on her face, so she just turned and walked away.

The other was an older black gentleman who walked up to me at the car wash. You could tell he was probably homeless, or something by his cloths, but I usually try not to judge people just by what they are wearing. Anyways, we stood there talking about my "55 Chevy for about 30 minutes as I was detailing it. You could tell by the way he was reminiscing about the cars he had in his younger days that he was a real car guy, regardless of his current situation. Eventually he said that the reason he actually came over to talk to me was partly because of my car, but also to ask if I had a few dollars so he could go get himself a bottle of wine. I had really enjoyed the conversation, and regardless of the situation had to give the man credit for being honest so right or wrong I actually gave him a few dollars. That is the first and only time I"ve ever given money to someone who approached and asked for a handout.

Not that I would not shoot an intruder, however I learned from a relative that some elderly keep wasp and hornet spray at their doors. Lots easier to explain to law enforsment that I just grabbed wasp spray . Thats less paper work than expalining to some whacko group why you had pepper spray.

There are places (charity organizations, social agencies, churches, etc.) that will help these people - there is absolutely no need for anyone to hand them money!

In order to shoot an intruder the intruder has to be IN the house.

As far as being in public and having pepper spray. Carrying pepper spray is easier to put in a coat pocket or shirt pocket vs. putting a can of wasp spray in your pockets. I know that the wasp spray would work, just not feasible to carry around without being obvious.

The other day in our local town I saw a woman standing by a gas station with a gas can at her feet. Her car was parked around the corner. She had a Need Gas sign or something to that effect. I told Marilyn "how many people have a gas can handy when they run out of gas"? I personally don't have a stinky old gas can in the car for just in case I ran out of gas right beside a gas station. Maybe she was out of gas but I have a feeling she carries the gas can to beg for gas when the tank gets low. Maybe she gets gas from donations and then sells it. I don't know. Jim

There are all kinds out there in this world. There are those in need, those that are not. Those that will ask, and those that won't. Its up to you to figure out which is which and wether or not you will help. Ussually there is some things that don't add up if things are not right. Abled bodied person that claims to not have a job, homeless person that is wearing better shoes than I am or without a shopping cart, and so on. Ussually always a dead give away on appearance, and if not, ussually a couple questions will give it away verbally if something is not right. Someone in need is likely to ask once and move on cause they are really looking for help. Someone just trying to scam you out of money is likely to be pushy about it cause they just want the money and don't really need any help. My 2 cents.

"Sorry babe, you cant afford me"......LOL....that is priceless.

What if one of those people or "scumbags" was God testing us, I have plenty and give when asked and when not asked. It is not my place to sit and judge people, if they waste it they waste it but I would much rather risk someone scamming me then ignore someone that my small donation could help.

I was in the local Kwik Trip a couple weels ago getting gas after work I was tired and grumpy and in line ahead of me was a young lady,nicly dressed counting out nickels and dimes for her gas purchase she headed back out to her car ,I payed for my gas and was going to hit the road but I felt kind of bad for her I wandered over and she was digging in the seats for extra pennys I asked her how short she was ,it was a couple of bucks I gave her two dollars maybe Im a chump, she wasnt asking anyone for cash,but she did need help so I helped her out 2 bucks wont kill me and it helped her so I felt good I dont have time for beggars though.

No pride, and no shame.

All too common in today"s America.

3 incidents come quickly to mind for me.

1. A niece was approached buy a family of four begging money claiming to be hungry. She went around the corner to a fast food place, bought 2 adult and 2 kid meals. She went back and tried to give them to the family. The "mom and dad" got mad cause they wanted money. My niece, a very nice girl, was pretty upset about it.

2. BIL in St Cloud MN. He played dad to a kid who's father had been his best friend after his friend was killed in an accident. About 15 years ago the kids mom died in a DUI accident (she was the drunk). Both families urged my BIL to adopt the kid and he did. Right after that he bought a house with the 2nd floor set up as an apartment. Soon after the boy came home from playing and told the BIL he'd met a kid and the family was living literally under a bridge. So my BIL went to check it out. He offered the apartment to the family for a limited time and to help the father find a job. The guy got mad at my BIL for attempting to mess up his life style.

3. Happened to me. I had just finished an appointment at the Fargo VA, went about four blocks and saw a ruff looking guy in an old OD field jacket. He had a sign. Disabled Viet Nam vet, need money for meds. I pulled into a parking lot behind him and offered him a ride over to VA and to walk him through the process of getting help. He too got angry and refused any help.

So now I just pass those people by. Our local food shelf doesn't check need. About half the people getting free food there have no need. They are either taking something for nothing or are getting food to replace the EBT food they sold for drug/booze money.

Rick.

let your conscious be your guide. I do some work in some Wal-Mart stores in Fayetteville NC. Several years ago as I walked into a store an older man sitting on the small rail outside asked me. "Hay man, can you spare a few dollars for me to get something to eat?" I refused. I can still picture his face today.

I did not call on that store for several years. Last fall coming out of that store I was approached by another person. He was obviously in need. He asked for "money to get something to eat". I explained to him I would not give him money, but I would go with him into the store and purchase food for him. He explained he could not go into the store because he had panhandled so much the management would have him arrested. I asked what he would like to eat. He asked if I would be "nice enough to buy him a cooked chicken".

I went into the store bought him a chicken and a drink took them to him and you would have thought it was Christmas morning by the smile on his face!

From that point on I will not give money, but I will buy food/gas if I think they need it.

I saw a one legged guy, leaning on one crutch, with his hat in the other hand. I walked right up, and kicked that crutch out from under him. Just kidding. Some people need our help. The government has safety nets for people like that. The problem is everybody is trying to climb in with them.

Nobody ever asks me for money. Most of the time I am as dirty and poor looking as them...

I used to help somebody out that really looked like they were in a jam and give them a couple of bucks. The last person I gave any money to messed it up for all the rest that may have really needed it. I had stopped for gas and was approached by a guy headed to Colorado Springs and was supposedly out of gas. He was about 100 miles away. I asked what he was driving and he pointed to an old Dodge station wagon. This was back when gas was only a buck a gallon and I gave him 10 bucks figuring that would more than get him there. He got in his car and Pulled up to the pump behind me, but never pumped gas. When I pulled out he zipped around me and across the street to the liquor store. That was the last time anybody ever got any cash.

Last week I was approached buy a guy wanting money for something to eat. He said he was trying to get to downtown Denver, but was out of money and couldn't even pay bus fair. I told him that if he started walking he would be there in an hour and to go to the Blake street mission and they would feed him. He didn't look like he hadn't eaten so long ago that he was going to starve getting there.

The one I like the the guy standing at the exit on the highway with a cardboard sign that says "not hungry, won't work, my rent is paid, I just need beer". I see this guy a couple of times a week. At least he is honest.

Greg

Live in a big city like Chicago, and you will find them everywhere downtown, especially on every street corner. On the sidewalks on both sides of the bridge on both sides of the Chicago river. I used to live in chicago for a few years, decades ago. As a then young single guy, it sure was fun. There used to be this fella that wore Marine combat fatigues that used to stand outside of the Lyric Operah House holding out his cup, "Can you help out a disabled Marine" that drove a Mercedes that he parked in a garage a couple of blocks away. The end of that guy was one day as myself and some fellow trades, pipe fitters, electricians, ect were sitting outside having lunch and some school busses pulled up with little kids to see a special Operah matinee' and he stood outside of the bus doors begging the little kids for their milk money as they got off the buses. I don't know who called the cops, but by the time they got there, the guy was a bloody pulp. When the cops found out how and why it happened, he got cuffed, poured into the back of a cruiser, and no one ever saw him again.

There used to be this one fella standing on the Monroe St bridge panhandling every morning and every night that I'd say Hi to, but I lived there long enough to know better. I let him take advantage of the tourists that used to walk around staring up at the skyline while holding their cameras as they were pick pocketed by street thugs. Christmas came and I got my annual bonus that ran well into the thou$and$ and cashed my check at the bank in the lobby before going home. To me, it was free money. So as I'm headed home I see him on the bridge and I'm in a good mood, so I give him a $100 bill. Free money to me, so no loss. I tell him "Merry Christmas, get yourself a nice dinner and a room for the night", and I made my way to the commuter train. Couple weeks later, I see him in the lobby of the Mercantile Exchange where I worked, wearing a security uniform, working as a security guard. "Congratulations, good for you". Every day for about two weeks I say Hi to him as I pass him. One day I'm crossing the bridge and he's back out there. "What happened?" I asked him. He told me that he made a whole lot more money panhandling on the bridge. I never talked to him again after that.

So one day I'm over headed to lunch at the train station, and as I'm walking in, there's a guy outside at the doors begging for money to get himself food. Ok, I'm in a good mood, so I go in, stop at the first restaurant and get the best sandwhich they have, some fries, and a bottle of water. I take it out and hand it to him, tell him to enjoy. He throws it on the ground, yells at me that he wanted money to buy his own food. I knew he meant booze, and thats why I bought the food for him.

Back then, I used to smoke. One evening I'm walking to the train station after working late. There's a huge fella that comes at me and tells me to give me a couple of smokes. Didn't ask, but told me. I'm standing there with a lit smoke hanging out the corner of my mouth and tell him, "I don't smoke". Now, he says that he's going to kick my a... "Good, its been a long time since I had my a.. kicked, and I need it kicked real bad, so come on and kick my a..". I went towards him, he took off. Looking back on it, it was getting dark, weren't many around, I'm lucky that he didn't carbe my heart out.

When I used to rent in Chicago and catch the subway, used to be panhandlers at every subway stop, in droves. So used to be a couple of young girls that should have been in school, Junior High, as I recall, selling candy every morning and afternoon that I'm pretty sure their old man stole from who knows where, and he'd make them sell it as he probably laid around at "the crib" waiting for them to bring him home the profit before he needed to go steal some more for them to sell. I always walked by them, ignoring them, really bothered though. So one weekend I go home to Indiana years before moving back, well callosed bythe panhandlers. I go to the mall, and outside are two little country girls selling Girl Scout cookies or band candy, "Hey Mr, would yo like to buy...?", and I exploded on them. PANHANDLERS ARE EVERYWHERE, and I go into the mall. As I'm walking in, I remind myself that I'm not in Chicago, I'm back home and just T'd off on two little girls that were legitamately selling for band or Girl Scouts. I felt so bad, that I went back out, appologized and bought them out.

I could go on and on and on. Maybe one day I'll share with you the setup shell games I used to see teams of bad guys pull on unsuspecting folks on the subway. Not on the comuter trains that they'd be tossed off of for not having a ticket, but rather the subways where they could get away with it. Anyway, I will leave it up to you and others to decide whether you're being setup as a weak sap, or you're actually encountering someone in real need.

Good luck.

Mark

Are you really helping someone who refuses to help themself? I don't know, who am I to judge?

Deadbeats are everywhere these days I guess there are a lot of suckers handing them $$$ so thats why they keep it up.Even the legimate charties around here are saying not to give these types $$$ becuase most are using it for drugs and alcohol.

(quoted from post at 12:31:14 08/20/14) Deadbeats are everywhere these days I guess there are a lot of suckers handing them $$$ so thats why they keep it up.Even the legimate charties around here are saying not to give these types $$$ becuase most are using it for drugs and alcohol.

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Absolutely. If you really feel you want to help someone who says they need gas or a hot dog, then don't give them cash - buy them the gas or the hot dog!

Maybe you just look too financially successful! You know, like someone who's worked smart and hard for every penny they've earned. The real problem is the frauds and the leeches out there ruin it for those people who also worked hard and their lives have taken a nasty turn. It is truly a hard call to make.
Dave

(quoted from post at 18:02:33 08/19/14) No pride, and no shame.

All too common in today"s America.

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Isn't pride one of the seven deadly sins?

I agree I ment to say i keep it close to door. When I am not at home my wife can answer the door if she does not know the person with the spray in hand. Your right carrying wasp spray when out in public is not handy so to speak.

Pride is a sin.

(quoted from post at 20:59:45 08/19/14) I had a kid, 18 or so come to my front door a few years back with a grocery bag asking if I wanted to buy a cookbook so he could have money to go to college. I looked right at him and said "I aint got any money" Shrugged my shoulders and shut the door in his face. He was lucky I was in a good mood or I would have answered the door with a shotgun.

I carry pepper spray with me almost everywhere to prevent a situation from getting bad at a store, the bank, gas stations.

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You seem like you have anger issues, I hope for the sake of your innocent victims that you learn to control yourself.

Not necessarily. Just needs to be inside when law enforcement shows up.

Be scary.
Where not only will they know you won't give them anything, they'll be afraid you'll take THEIR money. LOL


Seriously though, If you find yourself being approached constantly, ya might want to adjust how you carry yourself in public.
The bad people that want way more than a few coins look for the same subtle signals the panhandlers do.

(quoted from post at 02:54:00 08/20/14) Maybe one day I'll share with you the setup shell games I used to see teams of bad guys pull on unsuspecting folks on the subway. Not on the comuter trains that they'd be tossed off of for not having a ticket, but rather the subways where they could get away with it. Good luck. Mark

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Mark, almost got sucked into one of these at a truck stop in KY on the way home from a livestock show in Louisville. Guy said a fellow was in the back giving away money to all his friends and fellow travelers that he'd won in the lottery. When I realized what was actually going on I scooted out of there, more the wiser. Being a big guy they didn't mess with me but it could have been ugly. Dumb on my part to get taken in that easily.

Was just talking to a co-worker at lunch about the panhandlers, he lives on the north end of Columbus, OH and says he gets approached everyday by them. Not the greatest part of town anymore up there, used to be pretty nice. As he says it, there are lots of folks "from other countries" living there now.

I just do not want to be a victim.
Homes get broken into everyday, all over the USA. The homes that are busted into by me happen in the daytime when no one is home. I have the ability to stop the assailant if needed, with pepper spray or a gun.

I'd ask them how they knew where I parked if they saw me coming up the off-ramp where they ran out of gas. Amazing how they always knew just where you parked from clear over there.

Some time back, I had a young man come to my door asking for money for food. He said he hadn't eat since yesterday morning and had lost his wallet and was hungry. I asked him where he lived and it was just up the road.
I took him to the side of my house and told him if he would move the small mound of dirt to the other side of house, I would fix him a nice meal.
He looked surprised and said he would be back in a few minutes. Last time I saw him, he was walking down my road.

Right. We shouldn't be proud of our kids, and we
shouldn't be proud of our country.

Gotcha.

Don't read the bible much do you ?