Spend 5 minutes with me in downtown Denver and your save the world hippy attitude will go away. The majority of the folks are scamming, not homeless.

 

I worked with urban homeless people for over two years, so if my 'save the world hippy attitude' was goin' anywhere it would have already disappeared. although I suppose it's possible that five minutes in downtown Denver could give me better insight.

I think dcak had a good point - it's unfortunate that some people are sometimes disrespectful to people when they don't know the details of a situation.

 

HUM? Don't the experts/charity centers tell you to never give money to a panhandeler? I was given cards that tell them where they can go to get a meal and a good nights sleep. That $1000 a day heroin habit is typically what got them there and that's where your money is going to. Funny thing is if you don't give it to them they are going to be stealing the change out of your car after slicing the top open. Here's good advice never park near a methodone clinic. Shareall I respect you empathy, I think people can find themselves in the damnest predictaments. I do think it's bad news to give them cash directly, most of the time. I hate the woman that takes her crack kids out at night begging for money. Someone need to take those kids away so they have a chance at a real life.

 

uh, you can easily put it this way: it's unfortunate that some people give "bums" money when they don't know the details of the situation.

i mean, do you REALLY know what the money is going to be used for?? do you REALLY know that these folks have no money?? most major citys have some kind of programs for "taking care" of the homeless, and guess what?? our taxes pay for it. in SF, i heard that homeless are given about $300 a month cash (or maybe some kinda of voucher) for food and such. $300 a month may not be much to you and i, but if these homeless allocate that $300 purely for food, that's more than adequate. but yet, the number of panhandling in SF is probably among the highest amongst all cities in the U.S.

 

the problem is that the fakers ARE out there and for the most part we, as individuals, have better things to do, than to spend the time and energy to find out if each and every panhandler that approaches us is real or fake. besides that, it may be rude to ignore or yell at a panhandler, but at the same time, it is rude of them to be soliciting us while we're just minding our own business, not to mention the occassional ones that subject us to their foul odor. the bottom line is that panhandlers try to get us to feel sorry for them so that we will give them money, whether their state of destitute is genuine or not. THAT is plain and simple manipulation in its most fundamental definition, and if manipulation is not rude and inconsiderate, then i don't know what is. so in my eyes, at least, if panhandlers find it okay to be rude and inconsiderate to us (whether they're aware of it or not), then it should be okay for us to be rude and inconsiderate back. as long as we don't physically abuse them, then verbal scolding really should do no harm.

 

 

I don't think I said that people should give them money - excel I usually do what you do: give them information. Hooking people up with resources is, in the long run, much more valuable. The general attitude towards homeless people is that they are lesser than human, which is what I have a problem with - people make assumptions and treat them accordingly, which speaks to the original post.
I agree that some panhandlers are rude, but I don't think that being rude in return (to a panhandler or otherwise) makes a situation better. VTEC Junkie I must disagree that "verbal scolding" does no harm to people. Words are very powerful things.
Just my $0.02

 

I think belittleing them and lowering their already rock bottom self-esteme isn't going to help motivate them in any usefull way. I really don't know what to do. Sometimes I feel bad for turning away and sometimes I just know its the right thing to do. To make a real difference in their lives is nearly impossible without making it a full time job and still your probably not going to help them turn themselves around. Those that just happened to find themselves in that place will fight and get back up. Those that pissed their lives away won't bother.

 

I go to school in Philadelphia. I'd be willing to bet the people asking for money are not the ones that need it. The people who need it are the ones laying on the ground with five layers of blankets on top of them; these are the people who need the money. There are a few that hang out at Seven Eleven every day begging for money. I wouldn't be supprised if they are bringing in close to 40-50 bucks a hour.

 

When I was 5, we took a family trip to Hong Kong for a couple of weeks. We came back and our apartment had been broken into and robbed. Later the cops tracked it down to the homeless person hanging around our street corner. Apparently he tried to pawn some of our stuff he stole and the cops traced it back to him. He was arrested and prosecuted.

Because of what happened I have a very biased opinion of homeless people. My dad used to give loose charge to homeless people, but never again. I wouldn't go up to them and yell at them for no reason, but I wouldn't give them shit either.

Half of them are drug addicts, the other half are lazy and refuse to even try to look for a job. Then theres the scammers, who drive a new car, have a house but pretend to be homeless and beg on the streets for easy money. HBO did an eye opening piece about these types a few years back. Finally a few are really unfortunate, cannot find a job due to their physical or mental disabilities and are genuinely homeless. However those few are rare cases.