You come across a person sitting begging for money in the street

[Otto 83]

Need to add the option:

Not today, thank you

[ELW 5]

What happened to the "none of the above" option?

I keep big boxes of salt crackers etc in my car. Sometimes homeless people are at intersections with their signs and then I hand over a box. I won't give money, afraid it would go straight to stuff that put them on the streets in the first place. If I'm walking on the street I do usually give them eye contact and nod, as they are human beings too and who knows the story behind how they got there. Most likely it was not by choice.

[Fandango 1,439]

Wouldn't salted crackers make them thirsty?

Anyhoo...I give em money. I don't care what they use it on...hardly gonna be for a wallunit or med school.

Here's a funny story tho....me & D were in Hartlepool walkin around. Some guy comes up to us and asks for money. Dave grabs all the schrap outta his pockets & hands it over...guy looks at all the shrap (which amounted to a few quid) and goes 'is that all like? I was after a few more quid'

LOL

David was sooooo pizzed off...I was like 'let it go, everyone loves a chancer, blah blah blah' he was so annoyed and would always tell the story...all incredulous like 'can you believe the nerve?' So he then says he's never giving money again to anyone on the street. I didn't see the big deal really...sure the guy was cheeky, but so what?

Anyways, then we're in Dublin ages later walkin thru Temple Bar. There's some man and woman sittin in a dark doorway and they ask us for money. D barely turns to them & says 'NO!' very sternly. Then the guy says 'oh thank you anyway, God bless you'

D turns to me and has the 'i feel like such sh!t' face on. Truth is tho, the smallest note he had was a 50. So we get to a bar, he buys a round, gets change & was all 'I have to go back and give that guy summat'

What a softie! I love his good heart.

[Lou Lou 1]

If money is easy to hand like loose in my pocket, I would usually give them some. If it's outside a supermarket (which would happen to me often in London), I'll ask them what kind of food they want and give it to them on the way out. Sometimes I also politely say "not today". I'm not there to judge why they are begging on the street. Who ever thought it's not 'work' is sorely mislead. I bet it's bleedin hard work, and I wouldn't want to do it. So what if that's how they earn their money?

I volunteer at a shelter each Christmas, and I tell ya what it's heartbreaking. These people do NOT have anywhere to sleep at night unless there is a big holiday when they open up the church. These people are out tonight sleeping gawd knows where and it's -10F with a howling wind and blowing snow. I don't think they choose to be homeless and jobless. Not at all.

I beleive what goes around comes around, and I'm always thankful for being fortunate enough to help someone out.

Edited March 6, 2007 by Lou Lou

[yogib37 3]

I dont trust them, some of them are well off, they just beg and that is there jobs. I saw a news story about street beggers and they follow one on hidden camera, and he had a bank account, went to casnio and was well off. Some have their limo's pick them up..

yogi

[Lou Lou 1]

If money is easy to hand like loose in my pocket, I would usually give them some. If it's outside a supermarket (which would happen to me often in London), I'll ask them what kind of food they want and give it to them on the way out. Sometimes I also politely say "not today". I'm not there to judge why they are begging on the street. Who ever thought it's not 'work' is sorely mislead. I bet it's bleedin hard work, and I wouldn't want to do it. So what if that's how they earn their money?

I volunteer at a shelter each Christmas, and I tell ya what it's heartbreaking. These people do NOT have anywhere to sleep at night unless there is a big holiday when they open up the church. These people are out tonight sleeping gawd knows where and it's -10F with a howling wind and blowing snow. I don't think they choose to be homeless and jobless. Not at all.

I beleive what goes around comes around, and I'm always thankful for being fortunate enough to help someone out.

I didn't have time to edit all my typos...

[RosaMystica7 0]

I will offer to buy them something to eat , I usually carry water in my car and give a couple bottles of water

I was surprised to see this answer wasn't an option. It's what I do, too. I won't give them money cuz who knows what they'll do with it, but I don't mind sparing a few bucks to buy them a sandwich and bottle of water.

[SoL. 0]

I will offer to buy them something to eat , I usually carry water in my car and give a couple bottles of water

I was surprised to see this answer wasn't an option. It's what I do, too. I won't give them money cuz who knows what they'll do with it, but I don't mind sparing a few bucks to buy them a sandwich and bottle of water.

Me too. But after saying "Gimme money for food, I'm so hungry " I have offered to buy and they say no thanks, that they want booze

Another came with three McD's coffee coupons and asked me to buy them because he wanted beer, not coffee!

I offer food when possible but don't give them cash.

[Jenn! 918]

I remember once I was heading into Eckerd when I was approached by a beggar. He asked me to for something to eat, so I said no problem and told him I'd bring him out something. He said he didn't want anything from there, he wanted a vegetarian burrito from Cosmic Cantina down the street. I guess I don't blame him, the Cantina did have really good burritos.

[SoL. 0]

I remember once I was heading into Eckerd when I was approached by a beggar. He asked me to for something to eat, so I said no problem and told him I'd bring him out something. He said he didn't want anything from there, he wanted a vegetarian burrito from Cosmic Cantina down the street. I guess I don't blame him, the Cantina did have really good burritos.

At least he is eating good!

[Mary Lou 681]

I have at times given loose change, usually i dont give money tho. I will ask like others if they would like something to eat. Ive been asked for ciggies too.

There is a man who sits in a wheelchair in Las Vegas, he has hardly no arms nor legs, he has a sign that says i was born this way but please dont pity me as he has a large change bucket sitting in front of him. He has been there since i first went to vegas in 1985! Usually later in the evening i have seen him in the casinos playing keno, he is definitely one i wouldnt give money to.

[Scott & Lai 12]

It is sad that our Govt. spend Billions/ trillions of money to fight a war when our own American Citizens, legal residnets and neighboring countries are suffering from poverty, Hunger, and are homeless.

Actually, we've spent around $7 trillion on the War on Poverty since 1964...

[Otto 83]

Anyhoo...I give em money. I don't care what they use it on...hardly gonna be for a wallunit or med school.

[keltic 1]

i dont give money either... ive seen too much what is done with it by many... so, i didnt vote in the poll...

however, i will give food or something... there is a guy who is always on the corner at the bottom of one of the exit ramps near my work... ive bought an extra sandwich from one of the vendors to give him a couple of times... ive passed others sitting on the sidewalk, and stopped in whatever mcds or bk to get a value meal and just hand it to them...

the day we went to get my hubbys biometrics was frigidly cold... there was an older man who just looked so thin and frail... a little disoriented too maybe... we had stopped for breakfast on the way and i had asked for a hot chocolate... they gave me a hot water and packet of powder... i couldnt mix it while in the car without spilling, so decided that i would just wait til we got to the office... when i saw this man, and his pale, cold hands, we stopped at the corner and i handed him the cup of hot water and the bag with the packet in it... he smiled and was very grateful... when we got to the parking lot of the office, i found that the packet of mix had fallen out of the bag and in the floorboard of the car ... i felt HORRID... i thought he would think that i did it on purpose as a joke... we couldnt go back or my hubby would have been late for his biometrics... so as soon as it was over, we stopped at the little cafe near the office and i bought a large, fresh hot chocolate and just hoped that the guy was still there... he was... we pulled up and i handed him the hot chocolate and apologized that he hadnt gotten the package before... he seemed so surprised... and still grateful...

[peejay 327]

It is sad that our Govt. spend Billions/ trillions of money to fight a war when our own American Citizens, legal residnets and neighboring countries are suffering from poverty, Hunger, and are homeless.

Actually, we've spent around $7 trillion on the War on Poverty since 1964...

War on Poverty...Drug War...Vietnam...Iraq...all big money holes and wars the USA has lost.