Every day when i drive home from work, i see the same homeless guy (not these ones!) at the off ramp that i exit from the freeway. He isn't that old...probably my age and he has a little sign asking for help. I feel very uncomfortable seeing him and having him stare into my car. I haven't given him money but thought about taking him food or maybe some bottles of water... should I? I mean shoot, is he really homeless??? He doesn't have a cart. Okay that was a bad joke. Or maybe I should take him a beer! Or maybe I should take a different exit.
15 comments:
I would give that guy in the first photo a beer, just for being honest.
I generally avoid beggars. There's a bunch of them spread out along Princes Street, and they take turns "owning" the same dog. That's not what put me off, though, it was when one of them interrupted his begging to answer his new, expensive mobile phone.
Toot toot!
mr farty,
so true isn't it? Maybe I'll drive by him today and hold my own sign out of my car window... hymn, what should it say? Maybe something like "You're a BIG FAT LOSER"?!
Hmmm...I am trying really hard to have an opinion here but I can't land on one. On one hand, yes I feel badly for them and who am I to judge etc. etc. But then there's the fact that this IS America and there are homeless shelters who do feed and clothe people and also help them find jobs and get on their feet. I have always heard that the reason most of these people are living under the highway bridges is because the homeless shelters require them to be sober and they just can't do it. Addiction is real and people just don't become unaddicted because they need food and clothes...they need help. Then there's the thing my husband always says...he thinks that those pan handlers probably make more money a year than he does. HA! So...I have a big fat "I don't know" on this subject. I think there is just too much speculation going on on my part to actually form an opinoin. HA! I am curious what others say...
Okay Jason and I always give them food or water what ever we have in our car but NO money......In July We were in Las Vegas and we went to a really nice place to have dinner Jason got stake and I got the lobster and could not eat alot because we were hung over from drinking all day long...and we were staying in a hotel and we were not going to eat it later....So I had the waiter box up everything and we found a homeless guy which is not hard in Vegas....and basiclly gave him a $200 dollar dinner......Oh and I have giving a homeless guy a $150. down comforter too.....So yes I would help out some one that is homeless.....but Janeen I would not do it when you are by your self in the car.......
Love ya
~M~
Anonymous is right. Give them stuff rather than cash.
The last time I gave anything to a 'homeless' person, the next day I saw him talking to a friend, saying how great the drugs had been last night. Never again.
Bossy's back! Sometimes she just needs a little prodding, like a cow. Anyway, hmmmmm, you're tackling the homeless situation over here while Bossy watches TV through her toes.
Bossy lived in the city for most of her life and always had her favorite homeless people who she donated to on a regular basis. Most of them had mental issues as well as bad luck.
One time she tried to give one of them bagels instead of money and it turned out the guy didn't have teeth strong enough to deal with the stale things, so from then on Bossy gave money.
Who is Bossy to tell someone not to drown their troubles in a bottle of Thunderbird?
first, i think it's sorta sad how fast you go from feeling bad for the guy and then getting totally on the other side w/ calling him a BIG FAT LOSER. don't think something like that would be needed, but i understand not wanting to be stared at while you're at the stop light.
just ignore him and let yourself be ok w/ it. i agree w/ logziella's husband in that they probably make a good living, but choose, because of an addiction, to spend it on other things. and, if they choose to live their life like that, who are we to tell them otherwise.
there are poor ppl here and they beg at the grocery stores, mosques and such, and i have found myself feeling bad for them. hashim refuses when i want to give them money, but there is this one guy outside of our grocery and he's mentally challenged, and we give him money. he's not fit to hold a job, but he is healthy. he's a nice guy and, w/ him, we don't feel bad.
there is this one really old guy who begs at the ATM machine (what a spot, huh), and he has a really nice cell phone. we don't give to him at all. he also wears nice jewelry.... so... that just shows ya.
and some beggers here even take their tiny children on the street w/ them and then come up to your car.
oh yeah... there are beggers here that walk around your cars at the stoplights that are on drugs. one day, one guy was nude at one stop sign. they arrested him, and then there's this one strung out guy that's always at one stoplight. he runs fast towards the front of your car and then acts like he's shooting you. then he comes and stands right next to your driver's side w/ his hand held out.
i've begged hashim to ask him what he's using the money for, but he won't. we just ignore him until he leaves.
boy, am i feeling chatty or what!! :)
Wow, I feel so loved today!
Bossy, can't believe comment on mr farty's blog made you say Hello. I am laughing so hard. WAY TO GO Mr. Farty!
I think I will take Marci's advise and only give something (not money) when I am with someone in my car next time....
I don't feel sorry but then I do feel sorry for them...
Years ago at a church we attended we had an acoholic that couldn't stay off of the streets or his addiction and basically the church after many years disregarded him as well (we don't attend this church anymore!), well anyways one day I was walking my baby in the stroller around our neighborhood and I saw him with his cart several streets away and couldn't believe my eyes! He was soooooooo dirty, his beard long, he stunk so bad, etc. etc. Well I was so emotional that I walked him back several blocks to my home where my husband and I gave him a warm meal, clean fresh clothes (washed all of his clothes and items that he had in his cart), blew up an air matress and let him spend the night. My mother fixed him a huge breakfast and we made him a lunch to take plus other snacks,water bottles, etc. and took him again to that church... Later to find him back on the streets. That time I never stopped.
Very sad.
Okay back on a better note:
Played hookie today from work... my aunt leaves on Sunday and today we took her up the mountains almost to Big Bear. Couldn't go that far because of the fire they had earlier this week.
Um Naief,
Don't get your panties in a wad! ;-)
That was very nice (and trusting) of you to help someone out that way, taking them into your house like that. I must say that I agree annonymous and say you should give things instead of money in most cases. I'd hate to think I was aiding their addiction problems. The homeless people I have met while working in the hospital have such sad situations - my heart really goes out to them.
April :)
April,
Thank you for leaving a message!!!..
hopefully you see the good at having a blog and making one for yourself!!
You have an amazing life and I would love to see others benefit from it.
I only give to homeless folks I know. I know Richard in St Croix and give him money everytime I see him. Our local homeless I see here I just stare back at them. There is too much opportunity here to be homeless.
I think the best thing is that you don't give them money.
If he says he has no clothes, give clothes, if they ask food give them but if they want money...I will just think twice, unless as Um Naief did, that if you know him to be real.
I join @anonymous opinion; just don’t try anything if you are alone.
I,like others would love to think that if i emptied out my pockets to a beggar,they would then rush to charity shop,buy some clothes,go the job center.get a job and join the real world,but in reality the money gets them high........We've all been on the bones of our arse at sometime but we have to climb back up?
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