O/T Honest Panhandler

While I am the type to tell a panhandler to get a job rather than giving him a handout I did see this guy on a exit ramp today that caught my attention.
His sign read.............

Why Lie
I need
A BEER

When he seen me looking his direction and smiling he fliped the sign over where it said......

Or Two

Really caught my attention that at least he was honest about what he would spend any handouts on.

The only time I've ever given money to a 'panhandler' was when one was honest with me. I was washing my '55 at a car wash in Charleston, SC waaaay back in 1987 when an old black gentleman approached me and started talking about my car. That wasn't unusual, especially with the older folks that were young when the car was new, so I didn't think anything about it. He and I talked for 20 minutes or so when he finally broached the subject of needing a few dollars. He was straight up about things and told me basically 'I could feed you a line of BS about needing money for this or that, but to be honest I'd sure like to buy me a bottle of wine if you can spare a few bucks.' Being in the Navy at the time I had heard just about every line you could imagine from the ones outside the base stateside as well as those overseas. He seemed like a nice, cleancut old guy, even though he was on the streets, so I figured he was honest with me so why not. Just so ya'll know I don't condone the drinking but I figured the honesty was worth a few bucks at least.... I've seen many more panhandlers in the years since then but never again have I seen an honest one....

Dont know how honest the guy was, but one time I'd just pulled out of a McDonalds in a bigger city and noticed a guy on the streetcorner with a sign that said "Need money for food" or something like that. I circled the block, pulled up next to him, and handed him a quarter pounder with cheese, he smiled and thanked me, then I went back through Mickey D's drivethrough and got myself another one.

Not long after I got over here, a buddy and I were having a beer or several at a little outside place by a market square. There was a bum dressed all raggedy and smelly looking half laying in a doorway with a sign and a can along with a few help the homeless brochures. He wasn't talking to anyone, just looking up at everyone that passed close with tears in his eyes. FF a couple of hours and we felt bad cause noone was giving him anything and was going to give a couple bucks. A guy stopped us and set down and got us another beer. He said that there were networks of them that used the money mostly for drugs and trafficing. Pretty soon, someone walks by puts a bill in his can. 10 minutes or so later, the guy disappears inside the door he was hanging out by and comes out in a few minutes dressed and looking better than us. Our new friend and several other folks that had been scattered around the area turned out to be cops and flew into action. They got that one and about 6 more that were inside the building. Good beer and live intertainment.. What a day.

Dave

There was a big story on the news here a few years ago when some one reconised a panhandler as her nighbor. She called the TV station and they made a story out of him. They interviewed him in a wal mart parking lot. He told about how long it had been since he slept in a real bed, how he had found Jesus and gotten off drugs, how he found places to sleep in culverts, ect,,,, Then they went by his appartment and showed him through a window eating a papa john's pizza, watching his big screen tv, zoomed in on the stack of DVD's beside the tv, you get the idea. They went and knocked on the door, he looked out the window and wouldn't open the door. Was moved out the next day.

I know there are hard up folks in this world but guys like this makes it hard to feel sorry for the ones who are realy hard up.

Dave

I used to give the panhandlers spare change, then one day I stopped. Why? My boss at the time was talking about the guy on the street corner in front of our business and wondered if I had given him any money, and I replied yes several times. He said he had done the same as he felt sorry for him. The guy would be out there for 8 or 10 hours at a time, and always with his flock of young kids. His sign read "Will Work For Food", but honestly we never seen him leave with anyone to work. He did have an old beat up van he was driving that appeared to be on it's last leg.
Well one day the boss comes to work with a couple of large boxes filled with food, mostly baby food. His wife cared for children at their home and this was left over food that parents had brought and was still good and in date. So the boss proudly takes all the food out to this guy and offers it to him expecting a big thank you. Instead, the panhandler told him he didn't want the food, just money.
The boss was furious, went back in the store and called the cops and told them this guy was out panhandling in front and causing traffic problems and that his van was parked on our property. Needless to say the panhandler found another corner to beg on, and since my wife and I had a small child at home at the time the boss gave me the food and I gladly took it home. Since that day, I have never given anything to a begger and probably never will. It only takes one bad apple.

I was walking through the local mall. At a place where there were no people around a well used looking woman asked for money for a meal, said she was waiting for the woman in charge of the janitors and hoped to get a job, had been out of work and out of money etc. So I took her around the coner to a pretzel place and bought her a meal. She didn't look too pleased, like she wanted money instead.

KEH

I guess the next thing coming will be the government will start a licensing program for panhandlers. Everything else in this country requires some sort of license - why should they be exempt?

There was a story in the local paper a couple of years ago about pan-handlers. At one of the 'prime' locations, 'they' worked it just like a job, with regular shifts; when one's shift ended, he walked a few hundred yards to where his car was parked and drove home and the next fellow started his 'shift'.

A corner I pass often here in Dallas has 3 dif. guys working it - they are on crutches when they"re "working", use the same pair and they are way too short - when their shift ends they walk off and hand their "aids" to the next guy. People still give them money. Idiots.

Couple of years ago was going to one of our rental properties the wife and I had to clean up and paint as we were in the process of changing out tenants. At a major intersection in the NW burbs of Chicago, about 1 mile from the the rental property one guy had a sign needed work and needed to feed his family. He was all smiles as people handed him dollar bills, when told I could use him to scrub walls and help paint he walked away as if I did not exist.

It has been a while, but one of the Chicago papers had an expose' of panhandlers. They followed one and estimated his daily take and it was something like $200 a day. No taxes, no paper trail, didn't seem to bad to me as I was making $200 a week.

As you can imagine, truck stops...and other parking areas for trucks... are often a favorite hangout for panhandlers.

Had one approach me in Okechobee, Fl. where i was parked for the night in a parking lot. Had his usual story about tire problems, etc. THE VERY NEXT WEEK I was parked in same location (across street from a large tire facility and adjacent small truck fuel stop) when the same guy came up with the same story. I told him AGAIN that i had no money to spare and that he needed to see the tire store in the morning for help with his tire situation. The third week I was there right after a rain and I parked Freightliner right in middle of a large standing pool of water...slept quietly w/o being bothered.

I also had another incident in Temple, GA. at Flying J. As i was on the way out to truck after shower, a nice, clean-cut guy approached asking for money for food. I told him I wouldn't give him any money, but would be happy to buy him breakfast and sit/eat with him. We had a pleasant breakfast...both of us ate "comfortably full", etc. an not another word spoken about "money"...I gave him a $20 on my way back to truck. I truly believe he was honest, etc.

I've heard about Granny in hospital...need baby food (no kid in sight)...hungry...tire problems (seems to be a favorite)...outta gas...etc...etc...etc.

LOT LIZARDS are all together another topic for another day!!

twomen if you mean Dallas Tx. There was a guy at the eastgrand exit. That was in a wheel chair with a real nasty looking leg wound. Saw him get up one day for shift change and the wound fell off.Also was at Preston and LBJ for shift change. Odd to see all the handicap people get up to change place with the ones just reporting for work.The best was at Walnut Hill and Loop 12. Where the guy had the sign. Would not work if you put a gun to my head. Just need money for BEER.

About 15 yrs ago, the police told me never to give money to a panhandler because they made about $60,000 a yr in cash and never paid any taxes on it.

I never would give cash to a panhandler. At best, I would offer to buy them a sandwich, but I don't even do that anymore.

Honest or not, I don't give them money. I work to pay for what I need and want. And yes, I know there's a recession going on, but how many of the people who have been recently laid off are out there panhandling?

If you pay attention, you will see the same panhandlers year after year. After all, when they can con people out of their earned money, why should they work? Work is too hard and then they have to pay taxes, like the rest of us.

There is a disabled man that appears at the same corner every morning. I never give him anything. Apparently he's doing pretty good without any of my money. He's gone from a wheel chair to one of those motorized scooters for disabled people. They cost about $2500.

Pardon my cynicism.

Used to deal with the squee-gee men in NYC, 2 ways to avoid them was, to time the traffic lights so you'll not have to stop or just keep the windshield clean, like right before you leave to go home, problem was you never knew if that was a front for a car jacking or robbery, best to keep ones distance. Juliani put a damper on the homeless and related derelicts in NYC, I can recall the day they cleaned out the pier over by the west side highway somewhere around 12th, they had taken over the entire thing, furniture, tents, etc. Hardship is what it is, you would see people doing things they would do at home, in front of a mirror, looked like some were getting ready for work, slight problem without a roof over your head.

There may be honest ones, and or those who won't harm you, but you're wise to keep your distance, cause there are lots of others who would think nothing of taking your life, my attitude is stay away or else, because of the potential lethal consequences.

Had a guy roll up on me, quietly and undetected on a bicycle, as I was grabbing drawings and things I needed to take to the jobsite, this was 6:00 a.m. and dark, on east side of washington square park, in manhattan, place with the big arch often seen in photos of NYC, not a bad neighborhood by any means. NYPD was on the south side of the park, hanging out in a patrol car. When I turned to face this jerk, he asked for money, and was determined to get it from me, I tried to control myself for a second, no use, told him go away, he tossed the bike down and took a swing at me, so I did what I had to do, then went over to the NYPD guys and told em about this jerk. Now this guy could have stuck me and left, though the NYPD guys were within sight, good chance he'd have gotten away. They asked if I hit him, said no... the guy was angry with me for not giving him money, and takes a swing, I swept his legs out knocked him on the ground, was ------ and verbally abused the guy after that, some neighbor above yelling at me to keep quiet, told him to eff off, come awn down, I'll take all you jerks on, really irritated at that point, such a nice way to start the day, did not even get a cup of mud yet... sheesh... boy I hate it when someone surprises you like that, one thing if you see em coming first. Total opposite of waking up early at home, at least theres no darned bicycle panhandlers waiting outside LOL !!!

Several years ago in Dallas. They followed a panhandler. From the street to his hotel. Hampton Inn. From the hotel to the Casinos in Shreveport and back.I think they said he was making about 70 thousand a year standing on street.

Bill - The trio, with the crutches, work the corner of Garland and Gaston by the spillway. Then there was an old women that worked the corner of Mockingbird and Stemmons, just stood with her arms spread out, no sign, was there for a few years.

I took the train when I worked in Chicago(1977-1983 or so). I think I read the same article. If its was the same, one guy by the opera on Madison made over 100K/year by just sitting on the sidewalk w/a fedora out front of him. No signs, no talking, just sitting.

Bill - I used the wrong password - twomen, not stella (ex-wife"s cat)

This program already exists.

It is called a law license.

I'm sorry - is there a difference between panhandlers and politicians?

Studies around here estimate annual income at $30 to $36K.

Used to be a group on a bench near Pike Place Market in Seattle, near where I worked. I kidded them, they kidded back- I'd give them a buck or two once in awhile, but not every time, and they weren't pushy. I did have to cave in once, though- they pleaded with me that they were within two bucks of being able to finance a bottle of Mad Dog 20/20- I just didn't have the heart to say no. They offered to share, but I turned 'em down on that, as graciously as I could.

Back onetime when it was safer to pick up hitch hikers I picked up this old harmless looking man, it was raining and he was soaked.
I could tell he had been on the road a long time.

He ask me for a few bucks to buy something to eat, because he hadn't ate for 3 days.

I said I'll do you one better,as I was on my way home from work, I took him to my house and supper was on the table and he had a good home cooked meal. while he was eating a supper that was intended for me . I called the local Salvation Army and made arrangements for him to stay somewhere and get cleaned up and such.

I then drove him to a pickup point where a community service volunteer took him to that destination.

You would have thought I gave him a million bucks he had no idea what to do and probably have slept in someones barn if I hadn't stopped.

That was 30 years ago I often wonder of his outcome.

Today there will not be anything like that happen again because of the way life has changed.

in the 60's I was down and OUT for almost a year..Worked for whatever I got...and often had to work for food and was on the streets in chicago for 7 months through a VERY cold winter..Was always grateful for whatever I was offered and never took advantage of anyone...Wald a few miles in someone elses shoes first...It'll be a REAL eye opener...This was just after I got out of Vietnam...Charles

Out here in the middle of nowhere we don't really have to deal with them. BUT, when I lived near Denver, CO, was constant problem. Get gift cards for Mc Donalds, Subway, KFC. At least MAYBE they will eat something if truly homeless and looking for drink money. The high dollar panhandlers don't want that, just your money. The ones that say "will work for food" I have indeed challenged, told them, no lie, I have hay to haul. Show up at XYZ 123 address at a given time ready to work. Only ever had one take us up on it, was actually a stranded college student, the rest were all fakes. DOUG

When i got home from WW II Army service, minus my left foot asnd part of the leg, i loafed around for a few weeks, then went back to my old job! The loss of my leg didn't hold me back, as Uncle Sam hadfurnished me with a new one, that worked almost as good as the other one, which had been mangled by a land mine, in France!
Several months later, i had to go to the Veterans building down town, in Pittsburgh, Pa.to take care of some VA business.
Upon leaving, i saw a young fellow sitting on the side-walk, with an artificial leg similar to mine, and it was leaning against the wall. He of course had shorts on, so everybody could see how badly he was injured! He held out a tin cup, moaned some, and asked for a handout! Said he couldn't work! Was starving-needed money! HMMPH! I told him he ought to get up, put his leg back on and go find a job!
He sneered at me, saying i was cruel, to say something like that!
I said, he was a jerk, because i had the same condition, showed him my wood leg, and i told him i worked every day as an auto mechanic!
Well, i went to town once in a while, but never saw him again. guess he moved on.