Tried to Hire a Homeless Man Today

Being a cab driver, I cant help but notice a bit of the underworld while driving around town.

For this particular post I will be referring to the guy that stands on the corner with his homeless and hungry sign.

We have all seen them. Some of us donate, some of us look the other way. Some of us are grateful that isn't us, perhaps even a few of us smug about it.

Anyhow, the long and short of this post is the fact that I do see these people every day, same place, same sign.

So, today I decided I wanted to work on my yard, get it ready for spring which has finally decided to arrive. I realized being somewhat hampered, I needed some help. Usually I have some kids around, but today I didnt. So, I thought I'll go see if one of those hungry folks would like to make some money helping me. You know, try and give back to the community, yada yada.....

Of I go in search, too the corners I know. Murphy's law, they weren't around until my last choice. After parking and walking a ways to talk to this fella, this is pretty much how the conversation went...

me: "Want to make $20.00 bucks?
him: Doing what?
me: raking leaves
him: How many?
me: $20.00 bucks worth
him: I can make $20.00 bucks standing here in a hour
him: How big is the yard?
me: Small
him: I don't have to bag them or anything just rake?
me: Yes you have to bag them
him: No Thanks

Now I have to be honest and admit I was wondering what the heck is wrong with is guy? Im offering a honest way to make a few bucks, because after all, he is hungry, ( though Im trying to figure that out too, as he can make $20.00 a hour standing on corner, even if he only did it 4 hours, which makes $80.00. Which if he did 4 days a week, would be $320.00.) How can someone be hungry with that kind of money?

I guess I wouldn't leave my post either. If I put a 40 hour week in doing that I would have $800.00.

Enough on that point, the thing is there were two other guys working the other corners. So I presented the same thing. Long story short, one had a gimp knee,the other one, a bad shoulder. Okay, if you say so, I'll believe.

I will say, I can imagine there may have been a trust factor. I mean I did just walk up out of the clear blue. I could have had my own trust factors being a woman and picking up a stranger as well. I decided to try and get past that. Stupid? Maybe... but I have my senses.

I guess I am posting this because I was shocked in a odd way . I'm not even sure what shocked me more. The fact someone is claiming to be hungry, but wont do some honest work to make a few bucks, Or, The fact this same person makes more then I do standing on a corner.

Can someone tell me what is wrong with this picture?

reply to post by onehuman


thats why its better to make those people go through a system to get their handouts... and kick them off of the streets begging.

Not to say that the systems perfect... but it puts the deadbeats and the creeps under suppervision where they belong.

reply to post by onehuman


It's Social Conditioning . Some of these Unfortunates have just Excepted their Fates , You more than likely Scared them with your Kindness too . This is Life.......

I feel your pain.
I have tried to help family members by offering work to just paint
and odds and ends around my house.
They are out of work but skilled painters,drywall hangers and such.
offered to pay them good money,
but do they show up?
NO
You can only do so much to help a fellow human being.

reply to post by onehuman


yea man homeless people are generally insane assholes.

I know a girl that gave a homeless man some McDonald's coffee and hashbrowns and he threw the coffee on the girl and said, "I WANT MONEY B*TCH"

she was like seven too

I guess it gives new meaning to the phrase beggers cant be choosers. On a side note, where you ever concerned that had this person accepted and helpped you at your house, that possibly he would come back and rob you since he would know where you live. I am not trying to or intending to sterotype homeless people as criminals, its just that usually homeless people have lost hope and will do whatever they can to get money. This does not apply to your homeless man of course because he makes more than me.

Originally posted by onehuman


Now I have to be honest How can someone be hungry with that kind of money?

Ummm ? How about drugs? Lazy perhaps. Heck, that guy makes more an hour than the average American citizen.


Screw those people.

Of course they don't want to do work. Most "homeless" people make more in a day standing on a street corner than a college kid working at a fast food restaurant, and it's tax free cash.

When I was living in DC, a "homeless" guy approached me and told me that he hadn't had anything to eat for 3 days and was starving, and could I spare $5. We were right outside of an IHOP, and I told him "Tell you what, let's go inside and have lunch. I will buy you anything you want to eat, and even some to take with you for dinner". He shuffled from foot to foot and said "Welllll I'd rather have the money"! Yeah, starving 3 days my ass!

These guys are professional panhandlers. Don't feel sorry for them.

There was Stoessel show on a week or so ago about that. Homeless people were making over $100.00 per day (tax free) just hanging out.

One chick hanging out by a freeway intersection lived in a house two blocks away!

Hmm...might have to make a career change myself. I don't do grubby very well, though.

reply to post by onehuman


Well, there is the trust factor. for all these guys knew, you wanted to kill them and make a suit out of their skin. Live on the street long enough, and lesson one - TRUST NO ONE - becomes pretty ingrained. I've been there, have you?

$20 to rake your lawn though... huh. Back in the 90's, as a young teenager, I wouldn't take less than thirty. Thirty dollars bought a lot more Magic cards back then than it does now, for sure (I guess, I haven't played that game in years!)

Twenty bucks is nothing. Seriously, you might as well offer him a quiznos sub with chips and large soda for his time, since that's more or less what it amounts to these days. -I- wouldn't rake your lawn for twenty bucks, and I doubt you would, either. He was running a cost-benefit analysis. Is he so on the outs that he's going to spend his time doing a favor for a stranger, for chump change? 'Cause, really, at that price, he's basically giving YOU a handout.

Originally posted by onehuman
Being a cab driver, I cant help but notice a bit of the underworld while driving around town.

For this particular post I will be referring to the guy that stands on the corner with his homeless and hungry sign.

We have all seen them. Some of us donate, some of us look the other way. Some of us are grateful that isn't us, perhaps even a few of us smug about it.

Anyhow, the long and short of this post is the fact that I do see these people every day, same place, same sign.

So, today I decided I wanted to work on my yard, get it ready for spring which has finally decided to arrive. I realized being somewhat hampered, I needed some help. Usually I have some kids around, but today I didnt. So, I thought I'll go see if one of those hungry folks would like to make some money helping me. You know, try and give back to the community, yada yada.....

Of I go in search, too the corners I know. Murphy's law, they weren't around until my last choice. After parking and walking a ways to talk to this fella, this is pretty much how the conversation went...

me: "Want to make $20.00 bucks?
him: Doing what?
me: raking leaves
him: How many?
me: $20.00 bucks worth
him: I can make $20.00 bucks standing here in a hour
him: How big is the yard?
me: Small
him: I don't have to bag them or anything just rake?
me: Yes you have to bag them
him: No Thanks

Now I have to be honest and admit I was wondering what the heck is wrong with is guy? Im offering a honest way to make a few bucks, because after all, he is hungry, ( though Im trying to figure that out too, as he can make $20.00 a hour standing on corner, even if he only did it 4 hours, which makes $80.00. Which if he did 4 days a week, would be $320.00.) How can someone be hungry with that kind of money?

I guess I wouldn't leave my post either. If I put a 40 hour week in doing that I would have $800.00.

Enough on that point, the thing is there were two other guys working the other corners. So I presented the same thing. Long story short, one had a gimp knee,the other one, a bad shoulder. Okay, if you say so, I'll believe.

I will say, I can imagine there may have been a trust factor. I mean I did just walk up out of the clear blue. I could have had my own trust factors being a woman and picking up a stranger as well. I decided to try and get past that. Stupid? Maybe... but I have my senses.

I guess I am posting this because I was shocked in a odd way . I'm not even sure what shocked me more. The fact someone is claiming to be hungry, but wont do some honest work to make a few bucks, Or, The fact this same person makes more then I do standing on a corner.

Can someone tell me what is wrong with this picture?

The real question is what is 20$ worth of raking leaves, and is it a one shot deal. If it was a one shot deal, I'd turn it down too... Furthermore, people tend to expect a premium service for anything, even if they aren't paying a "premium" price.

I'm out of work right now, and I wouldn't accept your offering of 20$ for raking leaves, but it's not because I'm lazy... it's because it's not worth it. Period.

A.) If it's only gonna be a few minutes worth the work, then surely you could do it yourself.....

B.) If it's a one shot deal, what do I lose in declining it, if I have the same potential to get the same money for just asking someone....

C.) Who are you to determine what the "worth" of said job is.

The person taking on the job decides if it's "worth" it. Had you offered them a real job, doing something they were comfortable doing... I doubt they would of declined you....

Also, how much is a Dollar worth to you? Probably not much... so in a highly populated area with people who have plenty of "spare" 1$ bills.... is it inconceivable that you could ask 100 people for a dollar in an hour? Is it inconceivable that 20 out of 100 people would give a homeless man a 1$?

Also, when you are reliant on petty cash, with no real job... you accept the fact that you only need to make enough to eat. I'd rather save my energy and feel decent and be homeless, than be homeless and working my butt off to be homeless.....

Just saying, a 20$ one shot deal offers no value, even to someone who has nothing. There is a reason that we pay kids to do that kinda ish.

Betcha you could get an illegal immigrant to do it !
Just saying.

Haha, you want to know how someone can make that kind of money in an hour and still be hungry? Its 60 to 80 dollars a gram of the good # and a homeless man with nothing in the world to do will blow through that ricky tick. How did you think he ended up on the street in the first place? I guarantee you before he was stuck living in an alley with raggedy clothes, he was still a bum, no job and no motivation, only drugs. Any self respecting individual who is put into a situation where they need to find any source of income or become homeless would have a job within a week or two, a month at the most. Its not hard, you open up the classifieds every morning and start dialing numbers.

#, if someone asked me to rake their yard for 20 bucks, I'd grab a rake and I'm not even homeless.

reply to post by onehuman


Dearest One Human, When it comes time for the weighing of souls, INTENT will be weighed. You will be fine. The homeless man will not. When I was younger, sort of the same thing happened to me. A street person aproached me crying big elephant tears and saying his wife was a diabetic and needed some diabetic soup but he had no money. He cried, I cried, and I gave him my last $5.00. I was still crying when I got home and my sister asked me why. I told her and she said.....You idiot there is no such thing as diabetic soup. I have helped street people since but with food, not money. Dont you ever be sorry.

Here is a perspective on all that.
www.youtube.com...

reply to post by notsofunnyguy


There was a guy in Crystal City Virgina back in the 90's that was pulling in a little over 30K a year pan handling on the thoroughfares. I guess if your motivated you can get it to add up pretty quick!

Yeah, have had to learn the " No good deed goes unpunished " lesson more than once in my life....sigh......

How unfortunate to become sour on goodwill and charity to all those truely needing help.....The people of Japan sure could use our help.......

Once bought a burger meal for some guy with a sign saying he was hungry, he complained I didn't get him the right kind, still asked for cash, ended up walking away feeling less than charitable.....

Gotta pick the right battles I suppose

there are obviously some people who work corners for change who do not want to change their circumstances, there are some who are not even homless but do it as a means of income to feed their habits, so i am not shocked. the problem is there are some who are there who do want help and do want to get out of the mess they got into but have no way out. finding these people and offering help would of got a different result, the problem is you cannot tell any off them apart from appearence, you have to talk to them like you did, its just a pity you did'nt find the one who wanted help and would of appreciated it.

by the way i think it was a awesome gesture you made.

edit to add: i believe the places you will find the ones who want help are at places where they have already took steps to seek it out... charities/homeless programs etc.

if i was homeless and i wanted help i would be using and be in contact with everthing that was put in place to help the homeless, i would not spend everyday begging for change.

My dad once told me he knew a really rich man. He had a mansion & it was gated in & everything. Everyday this man would put on some dirty clothes, roll around in the dirt & mess up his hair & then go pretend to be homeless on the street corner. My dad never could figure this out till he was older. This man would make around at the least $100 in a very short time doing this.

My dad realized that some people are just worthless & aren't even worth paying.

When that homeless man said, "I can make $20 standing here in an hour," you should have just kept on moving. There is no use helping those who don't want to be helped.

I also have my own story about a homeless man.

When I lived in Rochester, NY, a homeless man approached me & asked "can I have 25 cents?" I said, "Sure!" figuring it would bring me some good Karma.

After I handed him the quarter he said, "wow, thanks man! A friend of mine told me he could sell me some crack for $5 & now I have it!" He ran off & I stood there... absolutely astonished. (mind you, I was homeless, too, so I really should have kept that money to myself)

Why am I not homeless now? I have family that loves me & helps me whenever I need & I have a desire to support myself & it feels amazing to pay for the roof over my head, even tho I have a job that makes me want to scream "SHOVE THIS JOB!".

Most homeless have made a choice to stay that way. Responsibility eludes them without any trouble. When the chance to work arises, most avoid it like the plague. Sure that guy has a bum leg, he sleeps outside in the cold on concrete; I'd have shoulder pain, too, if i drug around 50lbs worth of belongings in a backpack. that does not mean that you cannot rake; that just means you have an excuse in which to solicit for unearned dollars from people who feel guilty because they ran across a "hungry" person with a "hungry" dog.
on a side note, after a huge life change (divorce, forclosure, etc), i chose to be "homeless" (not having a steady place to stay and few belongings, but plenty of loved ones and no addictions). it was exillerating; i did what i wanted and went where i wanted to go. NO RESPONSIBILITIES. after a while (used all of my $2k in 7 months), I rejoined the workings of normal society with a renewed self.