A weird passing...aka screw em or help em?

[ctimb2002]

Ok so, Call me crazy (Your Crazy, yeah only took 3 shrinks to figure that one out...thanks) I went to the gas station last week on my way to work and there was a guy in a wheelchair just sitting there looking like he had the worst decade possible. I got out of my car fully expecting him to ask me for some change or a smoke(would have given him a snus) but as I walked past him he said nothing but contiued to stare off into space looking like he might cry. He left my mind as I finished shopping then as I was leaving he was still sitting in front of my car and this time I was SURE he was going to panhandle me for something. Again he said nothing as I walked past. So there I was sitting in my car and for the first time EVER I was actually thinking about getting out of my car and giving the man something, ANYTHING!. Just to try and make his day better because for the first time I think I passed by someone truly down on there luck. I have driven by several times and that is all he does every day is sit outside the gas station and just chill and doesnt bother anybody from what I can tell. So whats your thoughts. Do you give to those less fortunate? SHould I feel guilty for not giving him anything or did I do the righ thing?

[sagedil]

Maybe all he needs is your time, a human connection, someone to notice him, SEE him. I would just try and go up and talk to him. But that is just me.

[VBSnus]

Well, I used to just give them all money and know that even if they're con artists, I did the right thing.

Now I give them a sandwich and some smokes. You can run to 7-11 and get them a cheap sub and a few smokes. The con artists won't take it.

I went to Kingston Jamaica once...nasty city. I befriended a local bum who had lost his job and developed gangrene in both legs...and therefore couldn't find work anymore. We'd shoot the shit for hours, and he never once asked me for anything even though I could tell he was starving. I ended up buying him about 6 normal meals, a few t-shirts, some clean water here and there, and finally a "festival pack" which consisted of a whole chicken, 8 jonny cakes, pepper pot soup, and fresh fruit. I've never seen a man so grateful for what he'd been given. It wasn't just the food, it was the fact that someone cared.

[Vegan's Wife]

I caught some guy butt-hunting outside of a gas station- I bought him a pack of smokes because butt hunting just bothers me. I don't generally give to panhandlers, but that time I did and it was awesome. I don't/ didn't know his circumstances, but.... random acts of kindness= awesome.

[Jason]

I live in a large metro area; it's hard to gauge who is scamming and who is truly down and out. This place is full of nutjobs and loons, nevermind the fact that it is SoCal. There are people panhandling on the street corners who, at the end of the day, get into their nice cars and go home to a paid-off house. I saw a few people get called out for this on the news a while back. :?

I will not normally judge a book by it's cover, but I can usually tell if someone is just bumming money due to laziness.....attitude usually affects whether I'll give them anything, also. I've actually had people come up and TELL me to give them change.....GTFO is usually my response to that kind of arrogance.

As far as cigarettes, I'll give you one, maybe another on a different day, but after that you are cut off. I have a couple of "regulars" that hang out near my work who seem to think I am their personal walking vending machine for smokes. These guys are also the type who demand instead of ask......screw that. :evil:

[chadizzy1]

Give 'im snus

[sgreger1]

Re: A weird passing...aka screw em or help em?

This is a tough one. I found myself ina similar situation with an old lady pushing a shopping cart. I am usually more cheritable towards homeless women so I stopped my motorcycle and offered her some money. She said no.

I was utterly wordless because this had never happened. So I get back on my bike, she is starting at me, I ask her one more time and asks why would you do that? I said you looked like you needed it, and she just looked at me with disguest.


Some people dont want handouts, but some are too afraid to ask. i guess its better to offer and have them say no than to not offer to someone who needs it but is too afraid to ask.

[Premium Parrots]

hey come on now. You ALL need to give 'till it hurts. If you don't then you should be ashamed of yourselves. I spend my time sitting in front of the 7-11 most days. I wear my dirtest clothes, don't shave, and limp along outside so people will fill my tin cup. If you all quit being generous, a person like me might starve............or have to get a job...........or sell one of our houses, just to survive.




note; seriously........if you see someone in need. You have to at least offer to help. If they accept and later you find out you were scammed, your unselfishness won't go unnoticed by the one that sees all. There are ppl in this world that are needy by no fault of their own. Help em out now.

send your donations to PP thru paypal to: premiumparrots@comcast.net

[Condor]

I have developed a technique for dealing with the turds that "demand" or expect charity:

You can usually see it in their eyes or their demeanor when they are walking towards you, or you are walking towards them.... they give you that "There's my sucker" look. Right when they move to open their mouth or hold their hand out, just very quickly ask them for a quarter. They will look confused, and then very quickly tell them you need to make a phone call and again ask for some change. When they say "no", you say "dammit" and act frustrated. Not only is it funny, but it confuses the shit out of them. Plus, with this method you dont have to be a dick and tell them to "go pound sand."

That is the "Istvan Konderak Method of Passive-Aggressive Panhandler Defense", developed on the streets of Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Athens. Sometimes I just speak German or Hungarian and act real happy and they just want to get away from me.

I guess I would be screwed if I ran into a German bum with a spare quarter, but I havent found him yet. I guess I would give him a dollar and say, "Well played, sir."

[sgreger1]

I guess I would be screwed if I ran into a German bum with a spare quarter, but I havent found him yet. I guess I would give him a dollar and say, "Well played, sir."

lol, now I know what to be for holoween :twisted:


Also, when asking them for a quarter you should be extremely well dressed, business attire if at all possible, and rolling a mercedes if you can. I am going to try this out on the next bum I see.

[sgreger1]

Okay I'm thinking about starting something new:

Bum 2.0


I will go and add everyone I can on a myspace account and ask each one of them for a dollar. I will set up a paypal account to facilitate this. And as my profile picture I will use the image of a urine soaked vagrant.

Do you think it will catch on?

[chadizzy1]

i do something with them. if they're asking for money for "food", i go and buy them food. i never give anyone cash.

i saw a special once on TV on a guy who was dirty as hell, smelled bad, etc. at the end of the day he got his few hundred bucks out of his guitar case, walked around bag, got in a porsche, went to his nice house, and talked to a TV crew about his "job". his face was blurred the whole time, as was the street signs where he was, but he said he's been doing that for 10 years.

[Allergy]

if you're not wanting to give money (which is okay) sometimes a simple hello, or how's things going can help in ways only they might know.

[chadizzy1]

i used to give out Bible messages to them.