Would this bother anyone here??

[TylerCharger69]

I remember some years back, we were supplying lights and sound for Type O Negative....We needed a crew to work the show and we were running a bit late getting to the venue...(problem with renting the truck)  A couple of vagrants were, as they always were, underneath an overpass holding signs saying  "will work for food"   Well we stopped, offered them not only lunch, and a good dinner, and an after show treat to Denny's.....they asked...."what kinda work?"  We opened the truck and showed them and said..."unload, set-up, tear down, and load back out again"   Then they started complaining of back pain........later guys!!!!

[DodgeByDave]

I don't give them any money, or any grief.

There isn't much difference between a homeless man begging for cash, a politician begging for votes, an athlete begging you to buy a particular beer or a boss begging for more work.

It's beginning to seem that prostitution is about the only honest trade where you get what is advertised.

[TCB09RT]

A few years ago I was in Chicago on a train platform, when a fellow with a plastic badge comes around asking folks to donate to some Chicago homeless charity.
When he got to me I pointed at my Red Wings hat and said, "Hey, I'm from Detroit."
He responded, "Oh, you've got enough problems to deal with," and walked on down the line.
No joke, Detroit's renaissance reputation saves the day again.

[dodgecharger-fan]

They keep doing it because at the end of the day they earn good money.

I followed one guy years ago after his "shift",  he walked 1/4 mile from the freeway corner ramp he was on to the Albertsons grocery store where his car was parked. Top of the line Mercedes..he opened the trunk, put his dirty clothes in there, pulled out a nice leather jacket, got on his cell phone, got in the car and drove off.

That happened up in Toronto a few years a go - a woman was dong the same thing. They figured she was pulling in about 60 to 70 thousand a year - and that's tax free. So, up here that's a six figure pay cheque.
Lots of news coverage later, she moved away.

[derailed]

If you really want to donate go to local church that does missions to Africa, etc and give them money.

You wanna talk about corruption 

[meepmeep70]

ya that bothers me,hate it when people use tragedy to there advantage,i also see all the homeless people in boston,funny when i was driving through last year in a company car,the power windows didn't work and a drunk bum knocked on my window looking for change,it was funny to see his pissed face when i couldn't get the windows down,he keep knocken i just keep lookin at him ,i'll be more then happy to help people who are trying to help themselves,or people who aren't looking for it,but i get so mad when someone bums change for a coffee and in my mirrior i see them go to liquor store,another funny a homeless guy asked for change for a coffee in front of a dunkins,i said no,but i'll buy you a coffee? he said no i want the money,so he got neither

[Cooter]

The way I see it, if the "Gentleman" was from Haiti, why not put his ass on a plane down there and let him work during the clean-up and I'm sure they'd feed him.....

[chargergirl]

Told they guy I was with not to give the guy money...either buy him food or give him a job...do not give him money. I was ridiculed all day...we left a few hours ago and the man was already stumbling while he was begging. I endured two hours of chiding for five seconds of apology. Mark was in Texas and these people were collecting for LA hurricane victims...they would take nothing less than $20...right this will go to victims...RIGHT! Seen too many scams...jaded I guess...and elderly...dang

[vancamp]

We do! We take darn good care....I know, I'm a Vet. and have seen what is available. You have to want help and ask for it. I spoke to a man yesterday who was homeless just over a year ago, in the V.A.'s care he was nursed back to heath and wile under there care saved 3,500 of SSI to get a new start! Doing fine now and still has full care available. Drunks just want to be Drunks at some level. 

im glad some vets are taken care but thats not the case with my father, the Va here basically to put it bluntly told him to bad we cant help you. without writing a book about it they told him he would basically have to have no income and almost destitute for them to help even though he was honorably discharged in 1971.

[A383Wing]

A couple of times I gave out employment applications to the guys standing at the freeway off ramps

[Sublime/Sixpack]

 I enjoy helping people in need, but I have to admit I don't like to be approached by people asking for money, it even angers me at times. But a couple days ago as I came out from a building where I doing a job, a frail looking gal in her early forties came up to me and asked sir, by any chance do you have some spare change you could let me have? I looked at her and said no. She said oh, okay thank you anyway and walked off.
I have to say that for some reason it's still bothering me that I didn't help with at least a dollar or two. I remember thinking I have much to be grateful for and no matter what she would have spent the money on it really wouldn't have mattered. I probably should have helped her.
Bash me if you want, call me a bleeding heart, but I can't help but think of what the man upstairs thought of me that day.

[chargergirl]

Trust your woobie...if your instincts say they need help...they do. If you feel off'ed or offended by the asking then walk away. I have been homeless twice in my life...I have never begged...somehow...God willing I made it through and kept a roof over my sons and my own head. Sometimes we ate the same thing for three days...we had food it was ok. Then I was blessed by being able to feed the army that lived at my house...never once was I on food stamps although I should have...maybe it would have made things easier.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

Chargergirl,
Apparently you've been through some hard times but it sounds as though you did allright, glad things worked out for you and your sons.

[Silver R/T]

Check out spending bill of Boys & Girls Clubs of America...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_charity_expenses
And to think I've donated some money to charities like that, what a bunch of scumbags.

[FLG]

I actually had a run in with one last night 

Begging of the freeway ramp for change. Older guy, he didnt seem like he was the drug type but i still refused him money...but i was going to the burger king across the street.

So i said "Hey buddy, you want a burger?"


He politely nodded his head.

I got him some food, he thanked me, than walked away from the freeway ramp to the seating area outside the burger king and enjoyed his meal. He didnt sit by the ramp and keep begging, i found it pretty nice that he might have actually been begging for change for food!

So i walked outside and asked his name. I never trust em because well theres gotta be something wrong that they lost all they had, but he actually didnt seem all that stupid, maybe metal issues? Who knows. But he told me about his prior jobs and where he came from (Father was from here, mother from Belgium). He's 55, and actually trying to work to make some money to at least rent a room, maybe one day get back on his feet.

Actually seemed quite normal, very nice, and polite for that brief time we were talking. Told him if i saw him again i wouldnt hesitate to get him some grub...he said "oh, your going to make me fat" ....got a chuckle out of that