Sign of the times...begging for gas

[Tornado Red]

Around here there are some corners that always have a begger with a sign: "homeless", "disabled", "disabled veteran", "will work for food", etc.

It's a different guy every day... EXCEPT... there's a rotation. About every two weeks they start over

I think somebody with a van drops them off in the morning and picks them up in the evening. It's not a great job, but they probably make $100-200 a day, minus what they pay the guy with the van.

The only time I've given money to one of these roadside panhandlers was a guy whose sign said "Just got out of jail". No one would put that on a sign unless it was true, so I figured he could use some help and I gave him $20.

 

[H2GURU]

Tornado,
I'll have to watch for that "rotation deal" as sometimes I visit the same areas. I would make an exception too... for the guy with the shopping with several large bags of empty cans... at least he's putting forth some effort!

 

[pidster]

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Years ago i was stopped by a man asking for enough work to get Him ,and His family to Atlanta. I was the foreman for a construction company in Montgomery , Al . I just told Him to follow Me to the gas station where I had an account,filled His tank,got His kids and wife some food ,and sent them on their way . Was I conned ? Don't know,and don't care . The cost never made an impact on Me finacially. But I hope it helped out that family .

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Begging for a job is totally different than begging for money. I highly doubt you got conned on that one.

 

[timish]

Here in SoCal I see guys begging for money outside the gas stations, McDonalds (Westlake Village) and 7-11's and grocery stores.

When they ask me for money I tell them I will be right back. I then go into the establishment they are begging in front of and ask for a job application.

I then give it to the beggar outside the establishment and tell them they are of good mind and body, GET A JOB!

 

[Aldaris]

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Tornado,
I'll have to watch for that "rotation deal" as sometimes I visit the same areas.

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Right in front of my work place, in San Diego - the intersection of Clairemont Mesa Blvd and Shawline St, there are beggars who do a regular rotation deal. There's a fat woman who has a sign that says "JUST BECAUSE IM FAT DOESNT MEAN I DONT GET HUNGRY", and I see her associating with other "homeless" people. They rotate in and out on shifts. On weekends there's a newspaper sales guy who looks homeless too. SCAM SCAM SCAM

 

[Fatboymoe]

One guy here in Stockton had a sign that said "I won't lie, I need a drink". People were handing him money hand over fist. Honesty is the best policy.

 

[javacontour]

I will not hand out money. Guys say they are hungry, etc. So I will feed them. I often carry around extra fast food gift cards with $5 or $10 on them, and when they say they are hungry, I hand them the card and tell them they can get something at the place that issued the card.

I've been hit up at the gas station. I've put $5 in gas in a guy's car before.

I won't give away cash, but will give a guy a couple of gallons of gas, or give him a meal card, or take him in a restaurant for a meal.

A few years ago, outside the federal building in St. Louis, a guy was out in the cold of winter, torn clothes, glasses with only one earpiece, could barely look me in the eye.

I fed him, took him to Union Station and bought him some new clothes, etc.

The ones that will take that kind of aid I've found are the truly needy.

The ones that will only accept cash are probably just in it for the money.

I'm a control freak that way. I'll give them what they need, but will not give away cash.

 

[LouDawg]

Every week when I make my trek back from Indy to Evansville, I get off I-70W at Terre Haute, IN. While waiting to turn south on US-41, there is *always* someone there with a handwritten cardboard sign begging for food, or work, or whatever. I'm pretty sure I've seen the same guy there multiple times now, but there's always someone there even if it's not him. It's a high-volume exit, with three lanes of cars always lined up waiting to turn. I'm sure he easily makes $20-40 an hour.

Aren't there laws against panhandling in most places? If so, do they just not enforce them? It seems beggars are becoming more and more brazen and visible, and I DON'T think it's simply a matter of "the economy".

 

[Tornado Red]

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It seems beggars are becoming more and more brazen and visible, and I DON'T think it's simply a matter of "the economy".

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If the economy was really bad, then there might be more "amateur" panhandlers. But right now the economy is generally in excellent shape, and nearly all the panhandlers are professionals.

If an amateur tried to move in on a street corner that was already taken by one of the pros, there would be trouble.

 

[Shannow]

Downunder, the economy is in the best shape ever, officially.

However foreclosures are up tenfold over a decade ago.

Number of homeless is higher than it's ever been.

A "good" economy doesn't necessarily mean it's good for everyone.

 

[LouDawg]

I don't think anyone believes a good economy is "good for everyone". There will always be people on the fringes of any society and economy, some by choice and some by happenstance, no matter how great things are overall. I think Tornado's point is not that *all* beggars are con artists...just that more of them are than people think.

 

[gedcruise]

The US economy is not great for the unskilled. However, there is no shortage of moderate pay work. In this part of the country (and OH is not a booming state), there are plenty of factory jobs available that pay $9.00-$11.00/hr to be had through temp contractors. While this is not a fortune, it would at least keep the wolf away from the door, and would be a place to start for the chronically unemployed.
Most of us work hard, and most of us can remember a time, fresh out of school, maybe newly married, when funds were tight. Most of us worked our way through that period without begging from others.
I have known people who have gone out on disability, for things like elective surgery, or stress, without having a clue as to how they will pay their bills.
I have also known people who have lost their jobs as a result of failing two drug tests (the first one is on us, and the user does get the chance to clean up). Apparently, the temporary rush of crack cocaine was of more importance to them than holding a well-paid job.
Among the lower income people I know, some can just never seem to catch a break. I do help them. The classic BITOG aid would be to do a good PM on their ride, which in most areas of the country, is a virtual necessity.
OTOH, some don't make any effort to create their own breaks, prefering to blame cruel fate, making no effort to extend themselves. IMHO, they are not worthy of help.
Unless your surname is something like "Gates" or "Ford", you have to earn your place in the economy, and that may require some real effort, in which you can then take some real pride.

 

[Tornado Red]

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I think Tornado's point is not that *all* beggars are con artists...just that more of them are than people think.

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I never said that all or most panhandlers are con artists. That would imply that they are stealing, but begging is not stealing. They do not promise to return your money, or to return it with interest. The donor is aware that his gift has no strings.