Will Work For Food

a reply to: diggindirt
He sounds like he was a really good guy.

One of his favorite tricks was to go into the coat room and stick hundred dollar bills into the coat pockets of his fellow employees.

That's exactly the kind of thing I'd do if I ever won the lotto. All I would need is enough to live comfortably and some to pass onto my kids if I ever have any. The rest would go to beneficial little pranks like that.

Jennyfrenzy

Who trades fish for drugs? Liquor stores certainly wouldn't accept payment in fish.

You totally missed the point....Read between the lines and you will get there one day.

a reply to: Skid Mark

It's a really happy feeling you get when you can do it---even if it's a twenty rather than a hundred.
Another of his tricks was to see someone in the check-out lane digging for change and hand them a twenty saying, "Here, I think you must have dropped this." Or to have someone's propane tank filled for the winter and tell the propane people to say that Santa made an early (or late) visit.
He would also go a restaurant and pay the tabs of people eating there and tell the staff to just say, "A friend bought your meal." I've used that one quite often.
He didn't want people to know and feel obligated to him. He gave from the heart and inspired me to do likewise.
"Angels" just delivered two loads of wood to a friend of mine who is struggling. The guys who cut and sell the wood were happy to have the business and happy to participate in my little deception. They stacked the wood for her then loaded her porch with wood so she doesn't have to trudge through the snow to load up her woodstove.
I sometimes wish I could give to everyone that is in need but it's just not possible so we do what we can when we can, knowing all the time that, "There but for the grace of God, go I."
I've been in that dark place where you have to decide between paying other bills or buying food or fuel. It's not a happy place but it certainly is a learning experience.

a reply to: diggindirt

I've been in that dark place where you have to decide between paying other bills or buying food or fuel. It's not a happy place but it certainly is a learning experience.

I know how that is. It's a very dark place.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

You totally missed the point....Read between the lines and you will get there one day.

Ok, I'll play.

For all we know the man who received a fish from a fisher will trade that fish in for something useless like booze or drugs and ends back at the dock where he/she received the fish. The cycle repeats itself.

The guys got himself a fish but he didn't really want the fish, what he really wants is drugs or booze. The point made was crystal clear, I totally "got" it.

So once again, where is he going to realistically trade in this fish and who is going to accept this fish as payment? Most likely, not many people or merchants would.

Or maybe the guy is hungry, maybe he will just eat the fish.

a reply to: Jennyfrenzy

At least the guy will know we aren't talking about fish.

a reply to: smirkley

Yes, whenever possible.
I try to keep a few gallon ziplocks in my car full of simple toiletries, snack foods, and a pair of new warm socks among other things. Then when I don't have a buck or two to spare, I can still help. There is not a question either if the money is going to drugs or alcohol, thus removing the enabling aspect of individual charity.

Regardless of others' poor choices, we can only control ourselves and have only ourselves to answer for or to. I would rather my children see and learn empathy and generosity over the entitlement that is shown by so many in today's world.

THAT, is one of the best things you can teach your kids by example.

Too many grow up anymore with the word "me, I, me", in their heads. Sometimes looking the other way is so easy to do. But stopping now and then and offering a simple gesture of kindness does amazing things to everyone.

Shouldnt be limited to dropping change in the red bucket at christmas time so you can feel you did some anonymous "good". Face to face is so much better.

ive told this story but i will tell it again. main reason i dont give

about 1o years ago i got a knock on the door. it was a woman i had never seen before. gave me this schtick about how her and her kid were hungry and could she have a few bucks. i told her no but if she waited outside i would made her and the kid a few sammies for the road.
she copped an attitude about it.

must not have been that hungry

a reply to: TinySickTears

Yes that is another common ploy. Illegal in our neighborhood and I have no problem inviting the local sheriff out to assist persons soliciting "need".

originally posted by: smirkley
a reply to: TinySickTears

Yes that is another common ploy. Illegal in our neighborhood and I have no problem inviting the local sheriff out to assist persons soliciting "need".

i wont give someone like that money but i wont call the fuzz either
im not too into getting the cops involved

a reply to: TinySickTears

I know the local sheriffs and they have requested this. I dont like my neighborhood inundated with panhandlers. Or solicitors. The latter especially. And they just tell them to move on or get a ticket. And they usually do.

I used to as much as I could until about 5 years ago, I was in the drive thru line at Starbucks. I saw a guy with one of those signs. It was about a week before Christmas and my bonus was almost twice as much that I expected. So I gave him $10, instead of the normal $2 or $3 I'd usually give a homeless person. About two seconds after, I saw him flash a group of teenage boys (maybe 12 or 13 y/o), skateboarding. He was also touching himself. The homeless man looked at me, and my mouth was open in shock. He said, they had been messing with him. I didn't care what (or if) they did, nothing called for him pulling down his pants. I grabbed my phone to call the police but, naturally, my phone had died and I didn't have my charger in the car. When I got up to the window, I told the worker and she said, "what am I supposed to do about it?" Now I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. As I pulled out, I saw the group of boys and called them to my car. When they saw a 25 y/o blonde wanting them to come over, they all ran with smiles on their face. But then I asked about that guy, and they ran the opposite way. I live in an area that you rarely see a homeless person, so I'm not sure if this area (it was far from bad, but it's common to see a homeless person or two) was just used to seeing this behavior. Which would explain the lack of urgency. But I got home and immediately called the cops for that city and followed up. He was still there and got him for a warrant.
Up until recently, I refused to give any homeless person money unless they were a vet. Now I keep a couple ziplock bags in my car with pet supplies for homeless people with dogs. I also have a few old jackets, if I happen to see a woman. If I have cash, I try to give $5 or sometimes $10 for a vet. I figure I can't assume they are all that sicko I happened to come across. If they want to buy alcohol with the money, that's on them not me. I'd like to think they are buying something like food but once i give them money, it's not mine any longer. Besides if I was homeless in this cold weather, I'd probably be drinking too.

I give sometimes. Even if I think that person is going to use the couple bucks I give them to go buy drugs or alcohol.

I figure that they're going to spend the same amount to get their fix regardless, so maybe a little extra will help them get some food.

One of the saddest things I've ever seen was a younger guy that always stood on the corner with a sign like that. I remember giving him a few bucks a time or two, and I ran into him at a 7-11. He was ecstatic because he finally got a job. It actually made my night hearing that.

Sadly, a few weeks later he was back on that corner.

I remember one time my Dad came to pick me up. I was getting in his car, and noticed some green stuff between the seat and door sill, reached down and realized it was a shredded up dollar bill (he was only a clean freak about cars). I laughed and asked him why he had shredded money on the floor. He got all sheepish and told me that he had rolled down the passenger window to give a homeless guy a dollar. The guy apparently looked at it and said, "A buck? A lousy f-ing buck? Kidding me? You're driving a Corvette!" and proceeded to rip it up and throw it at the rapidly closing window. Completely believe the account, if anything it was probably worse, my Father wasn't much for embellishment. If anything he downplayed it. He was also surprised someone thought of a Corvette as being all that expensive, I mean yeah, they kind of are, but I think he got his at the end of the year for around $60k, you can easily spend more on a pickup. Knowing my father, all he had in cash was a buck, he was an incredibly generous guy and really loved to give back.

I have a similar story. I was at a light and noticed this shirtless guy juggling, terribly. Tried so hard not to look. Notoriously bad light though. Guy comes up and starts talking to me, I feel kinda bad and roll down the window. "Hey bud, I'm selling these river rocks I found and polished, they're good luck, you want to buy one?". Told him I never carry cash (maybe on a rare occasion), "That's OK, here, I just want to give you one!" So I take the thing and then realize maybe I can help him out by giving him some food (he was actually a rather charming fellow, and I was somewhat touched by the offering). I was coming from the grocery store, so I asked if he wanted any food. Most of what I had was perishable so it was a no go, offered him an energy drink. He happily took it, looked at it and goes, "Oh it's diet. This has aspartame in it. I don't drink that #." My choice of beverage wasn't good enough for a guy selling rocks on the side of the road.

I still have the rock in my car, and I plan on keeping it. I don't really know why. I guess I thought it was nice he gave it to me, and just don't have the heart to get rid of it.

I don't know what you're supposed to do. Sometimes I think I shouldn't give them anything, sometimes I think I should, I should usually wins out if I have cash.

People on the street aren't usually there because they want to be. There are so many terrible circumstances that can put you there. Mental illness, injury, debt, low intelligence, addiction. Yeah, maybe they''s spend that $5 on drugs. But again, maybe if they have an extra $5 they won't have to steal to get the drugs, or maybe they can finally get a few calories in.

Think how hard it is to pull yourself out of homelessness, even if you're completely sane and sober. I can't imagine where you would even start. No address, no clean clothes, no showers, hard to find a meal, no phone number, no employment record.

I know some people like being homeless, but I think they are few and far between. It's screwed up that our society basically forgets about these people, in our own neighborhoods.

We need to fix us. I'd rather have 5:1 be moochers and ensure that 1 is fed, clothed and properly cared for. It would probably cost us a lousy f-ing buck.

One thing to watch for is the stare.

Pro panhandlers know the stare works. You are stuck at a stoplight, and he just stares at you waiting for you to lock eyes. Lots of people fall for it. I just stare back till the light changes. And then I drive away.

It is in the panhandlers playbook. Chapter 5 titled "easy way to guilt suckers".