Do you give panhandlers money?

[Butterscotch Cartman]

I do and I don't care if they spend the money on drugs or alcohol.  Whatever makes them happy, their lives are already really bad and anything to help them escape their harsh reality.  Wealth inequality is getting out of hand  and its only a matter of time before something drastic happens.  Go look at San Francisco, place already looks like a 3rd world country.

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[Ailmand]

It depends. I base it on their appearance. I help those who are too old to get their own job. I'm willing to give something to those who are weak and can't work to sustain their needs. I could only offer food since I'm not rich at all. I just don't want to spoil those who are just lazy to work for themselves. It would only sound like we are pampering them.

[xvids]

Actually it really depends there are some panhandlers or beggar that would melt your heart when you help them,and there are some who would really change your mind on helping them since they are so demanding and stubborn and you could see that they are fit to work but too lazy to do it.

[sportclub2010]

I'm not sure that the money that I give to the beggar will go to her. There are people in my country who will force others to beg. And then they take from them what they have collected. Therefore, I do not give to beggars. True, it happened a couple of times. Painfully old grandmother asked ... I certainly feel sorry for her.

[iTradeChips]

Well, I only give a few change to those who are not living in my neighborhood and that is when I am in transit and going from place to place. Maybe just to be sure that I can only see them once and so that we won't be crossing our paths again. Giving alms to the poor is good only if there are also social programs that would help them get up on their two feet and work their way out of worse poverty. I am not rich and I don't brag anything in life but what we need is a government that not just give money or food one time to these people but to help them make skills to get a job or start a small business.

[CryptocurencyKing]

As an African national and with regards to the poor state of being in most of the towns and even developed cities, there are lots of panhandlers lying at every corner of a busy street. The good thing about most of the panhandlers here is that, they have homes. I don't just know how but, most of them are not actually homeless. I guess this is because of the poor taxation system of developing nations and with the fact that, there is a batcher structure mostly as an option for most of these panhandlers.

They found favour with me at some point, mostly at the early stage of my life. I felt for them a lot until I noticed a few wrongs about them. They have no sense of entrepreneurship at all, they just want to beg and beg again. Its really bad! They don't think to invest, they seem not to realise that money when carelessly spent finishes. They ought to learn how to invest in one or two things even with the least income. They've got to try out hawking, other persons do it. I no longer give them a penny no more because, they just end up spending it and the next day, they are back on the same street.

[sportclub2010]

Do you give money to panhandlers?

I noticed that now there are fewer beggars on the streets. Perhaps they are also afraid of contracting the coronavirus. They are also people like us. I feel sorry for them. Sometimes I give them money for food.

[Poker Player]

I normally do not give to panhandlers, because as has been mentioned many times they are in that situation as a result of poor choices, and many times they spend it on drugs. I do donate occasionally to organizations that I trust.

[blackened515]

I don't give all the time.
Giving money to panhandlers is not really a bad idea, is actually good to help people in need. But some individuals use it as an advantage of earning a living.
I have seen people pretending to be blind just to get money from soft hearted people. I also notice  some beggars are sent into the street to beg  by their parent or guardian.

[jvanname]

Panhandlers are extremely dangerous. Please do not give any money to panhandlers. Please be considerate to everyone's safety. If you see a panhandler, you always need to call the police.

[Nhazwrath]

Being Canadian I know for a fact that there is a support system that works to keep people indoors and fed.  So anyone that is outside its either choice or mental health.  Since I also see that most have a cell phone and smoke like chimneys I know they have money and use it poorly. 

so my answer is no.  I do not give money to the panhandlers here in Canada

[iamsheikhadil]

I don't give all the time.
Giving money to panhandlers is not really a bad idea, is actually good to help people in need. But some individuals use it as an advantage of earning a living.
I have seen people pretending to be blind just to get money from soft hearted people. I also notice  some beggars are sent into the street to beg  by their parent or guardian.

It's very hard to turn down someone who has sacrificed his self-esteem for need of some money, and if we can help them, we should, but the thing is, as you said, it has evolved into a vile and cringy business and they actually don't need the money for any specific cause anymore but are asking as if they have right to the money even if their arms and body is healthy and they can work but begging is easy? That's not something I appreciate and if I see a healthy man begging money, I would rather tell him to work (with giving money a bit if I have but only for one time) and then recommend him not to beg money to others and work and earn.

[jvanname]

Panhandlers do not need any money since they can just be sent to prison where they belong and where they can get their basic needs met. If you are unwilling to go to prison to have a roof over your head, then you don't need any money. Panhandlers scare the shit out of me.

[philipma1957]

I often see an old guy going through trashcans in my city. He is at least 70 years old, and I have no doubt about him being homeless. When I see him during the winter i buy him a coffee to go. He smiles, he is polite and is very grateful. He has two dogs with him that follow him wherever he goes. One day I gave him some change and he asked me if I had some leftover food so he could feed his dogs. It was cold outside and he said they were sick and hungry. Honestly, it broke my heart. I gave him some leftover chicken with some bread and watched him through the window. He took just one bite out of the chicken and divided the rest amongst his dogs, he divided the bread on 3 parts. I have never seen him drink or smoke, he doesn't beg for money, cares dearly for his dogs, even when he is in such a tough spot in his life. The guy has a big heart and deserves much more than life gave him.  

Do you live in the US? We have a better system north of the border. My point is everything is taken care of here and nobody needs to panhandle in my country. I had more compassion for street people while I was in NYC. I don't mean to come across as a heartless prick. Some people here are either mentally ill or dont know our socialist system, but most people here are selfish drug addicts.

Perhaps you should give him an old tablet and tell him about faucets. It's more hygienic than dumpster diving and teaching an elderly person the basics of computing can make a huge difference in his life. There was an article in Wired about a group of homeless people who would meet at a park with free WiFi and made money on CoinHD and faucets. It's not much, but an extra dollar or two would allow him to buy himself a coffee.

I grew up in NYC I have seen lots of needlers the guys are thieves the girls are street walkers. All are sick fucks filled with despair. 

The problem is you do not see the drug addict as mentally ill.

Everyone that sees the drug addict as a piece of worthless shit is also mentally ill.

This will never be solved because there are simply too many people that think there is choice involved in being a drug addict .

The fact is what sane person would choose to be a junkie. The answer is none.

the fact is if you don't see that as a very simple truth you are mentally ill and in a state of denial.

So put it in your pipe and smoke it. 

Seriously there will always be junkies and drunks and gamblers and cheap streetwalking hoes.

Now as Dennis Miller used to say "I found a job worse than a crack whore. Assistant crack whore."

What girl in their sane mind was to suck cock for 100 or more hours a week.

Basically hit the pipe suck the cock hit the pipe suck the cock.

I had two friends that used to go to the crack houses in east New York.

walk in on friday night and leave on sunday morning.


spent 400-600 on crack and crack hoes.

they both died of aids.

[iamsheikhadil]

Panhandlers do not need any money since they can just be sent to prison where they belong and where they can get their basic needs met. If you are unwilling to go to prison to have a roof over your head, then you don't need any money. Panhandlers scare the shit out of me.

Well, freedom is actually valued by everyone a lot more than money, and if someone's begging money that doesn't mean they will be happy in jail lmao. And for going to jail they need to have committed a crime, and begging isn't a crime it's sad that we don't have separate sections in government who caters to the need of these people and help them to stand on their feet where they can earn a respectable amount. Because it's very easy to say "go work and earn" but is actually not easy rather very hard for them to find a profession to earn specially when they don't have even proper documentations and identity, etc.

[jvanname]

Begging for money needs to be a crime so that we can get panhandlers off the streets and into the prisons. Panhandlers scare everyone. The only proper response to panhandlers is to always call the police. Panhandlers are dangerous, evil, and worthless.

[jumbo]

I never give any money to panhandlers directly, because I don't have time for DD, and money can cause as much harm as it can cause good. Once had bought a 10$ MetroCard to a guy in distress, who was clearly intoxicated during the night, robbed and left on the steps of Lorimer St. station.

There are many articles on this topic, one quite popular and easily comprehensible English article is from BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37492659
Very generally speaking, it is extremely important to help those people to be better integrated in the society, instead of enabling them to continue antisocial behavior. Talking to them, assisting them to open about their real problems, motivating to ask for help with employment, education, healthcare, housing etc. is more important, than just giving money (the heck would it help with?!).

Much better approach is to give regular donations to charities and non-profits representing your causes (like Wikipedia, RSF, a local foodbank, Khanacademy and and others in my case).

[iamsheikhadil]

Begging for money needs to be a crime so that we can get panhandlers off the streets and into the prisons. Panhandlers scare everyone. The only proper response to panhandlers is to always call the police. Panhandlers are dangerous, evil, and worthless.

That's a very rude and shitty statement ngl. Begging should be a crime? Definitely not. Who knows what will happen tomorrow and you or me loses everything in life and is forced to beg? Besides, if begging becomes a crime, almost everyone will go to jail, because in life we all beg in some form or another for some reason (although we should never do that). Begging should be discouraged, and those who can and afford, should try to create businesses to employ people, because only education and a secure job can eradicate the need for begging.

[jvanname]

"That's a very rude and shitty statement ngl."-I do not care if you find me rude at all. Either I am rude to the beggars or I am rude to everyone else who just wants to live a normal life and not be violently attacked by those evil beggars. You obviously think it is better to be rude to everyone who has a job and lives a normal life than to be rude to beggars because you are fucked up. Many beggars scare the shit about people who want to just live normal lives. Beggars ruin cities, and they are often very violent. Anyone who does not want the government to deal with these disgraceful violent pieces of shit is an absolutely terrible person who wants to turn cities into landfills.

"Begging should be a crime?"-Um. Beggars often commit other crimes such as trespassing, violent acts, harassment, threats, and drug use. And not locking up beggars is not showing them any compassion. At least in jail, they can learn a few new skills, and at least they are taken care of. Not only should begging be a crime, but giving money to beggars should also be a felony.

"Begging should be discouraged, and those who can and afford, should try to create businesses to employ people, because only education and a secure job can eradicate the need for begging."-Or maybe BSL-4 laboratories should not do gain-of-function research so they do not release pathogens that cause a global pandemic that fucks up the global economy.

Oh. And with the eviction moratorium being lifted, we will be seeing a lot more bums on the streets which means that cities like NYC are going to shit!!!

[IdiotCoder]

I often see an old guy going through trashcans in my city. He is at least 70 years old, and I have no doubt about him being homeless. When I see him during the winter i buy him a coffee to go. He smiles, he is polite and is very grateful. He has two dogs with him that follow him wherever he goes. One day I gave him some change and he asked me if I had some leftover food so he could feed his dogs. It was cold outside and he said they were sick and hungry. Honestly, it broke my heart. I gave him some leftover chicken with some bread and watched him through the window. He took just one bite out of the chicken and divided the rest amongst his dogs, he divided the bread on 3 parts. I have never seen him drink or smoke, he doesn't beg for money, cares dearly for his dogs, even when he is in such a tough spot in his life. The guy has a big heart and deserves much more than life gave him.  

Do you live in the US? We have a better system north of the border. My point is everything is taken care of here and nobody needs to panhandle in my country. I had more compassion for street people while I was in NYC. I don't mean to come across as a heartless prick. Some people here are either mentally ill or dont know our socialist system, but most people here are selfish drug addicts.

Perhaps you should give him an old tablet and tell him about faucets. It's more hygienic than dumpster diving and teaching an elderly person the basics of computing can make a huge difference in his life. There was an article in Wired about a group of homeless people who would meet at a park with free WiFi and made money on CoinHD and faucets. It's not much, but an extra dollar or two would allow him to buy himself a coffee.

I grew up in NYC I have seen lots of needlers the guys are thieves the girls are street walkers. All are sick fucks filled with despair. 

The problem is you do not see the drug addict as mentally ill.

Everyone that sees the drug addict as a piece of worthless shit is also mentally ill.

This will never be solved because there are simply too many people that think there is choice involved in being a drug addict .

The fact is what sane person would choose to be a junkie. The answer is none.

the fact is if you don't see that as a very simple truth you are mentally ill and in a state of denial.

So put it in your pipe and smoke it. 

Seriously there will always be junkies and drunks and gamblers and cheap streetwalking hoes.

Now as Dennis Miller used to say "I found a job worse than a crack whore. Assistant crack whore."

What girl in their sane mind was to suck cock for 100 or more hours a week.

Basically hit the pipe suck the cock hit the pipe suck the cock.

I had two friends that used to go to the crack houses in east New York.

walk in on friday night and leave on sunday morning.


spent 400-600 on crack and crack hoes.

they both died of aids.

I haven't been here for a while. Yeah,.. No sane person wants to be a drug addict. I guess I had some guardian angel keep me away from the druggies of NYC when I was there. Just a bunch of addicts.

I'm replying to this dated topic because I just saw two homeless guys get in a fist fight over a spot. It's fucking pathetic. It's called getting a job. They could pick up trash off the streets. My neighbor told me that the world owes him his herein and he shouldn't work for it. This is why I NEVETR give panhandlers money.