Don't stop giving change to beggars

The Denver Post ^ | August 26, 2005 | Reggie Rivers

[poindexter]

There's a sucker born every minute.

[ladyjane]

My favorite was: "My, oh my, you is looking spectacular this morning mama!"

[Last Dakotan]

Pretty soon you are up to your neck in cats.

But the cats smell better and can be trained to piss in a box.

[Former Fetus]

Our local churches give some of the money from the collection plates to the Police Department, and church members are instructed to kindly point out to any panhandlers that there's a special fund to help people like them. It's been several years and I still have not seen anybody go to the PD to get money, but our streets are panhandler-free most of the time.

[SJSAMPLE]

I don't feed stray animals, so ....

[ken5050]

How muuch is a bus ticket..one way..from Frisco to Denver?

[Sans-Culotte]

I don't have a problem with people giving handouts to bums, but I do not do it, and generally just say "Hey, how ya doin'?" and keep walkin'. If I am driving, and one is at the corner (there's one at every corner in Houston) I look right at him to let him know that I do see him, and that I'm not giving him a handout or buying a paper or having my window washed. The worst thing to do IMO is look away and act all uncomfortable. Then they lock onto you and see you as someone with a "guilty conscience". My wife is like this when she's in the car with me.

I do contribute to people like Open Door Mission, so I'm not going to be bothered by all the spare-change types all over then street. I never carry money, and never have "spare change", bit I don't feel the need to explain that to any of them.

There's a Walgreen's on Montrose Blvd (Houston's answer to Castro Street) near where I work in Houston, and bums frequently hang out there (some appear to be teenage runaways who did not do so well with the male prostitution thing). I went in there one day to pick up a prescription, and some lady was hitting up people in the parking lot. I ignored her and went in. While I'm in there, a lady customer is haranguing the poor manager of the store for allowing panhandlers out front to make her uncomfortable. Instead of chewing that guy out, why didn't she tell the drunk outside to get lost? I constantly see people ream out the proprieter of an establishment for "allowing" bums outside, but they don't dare tell the bum to take a hike.

[takbodan]

I feel bad when I'm with my children and decline to give to a homeless guy, but I explain to them that he may buy booze or drugs with the money and I don't want to be responsible for messing him up worse. I remember once I gave money to a homeless man in NYC. He ran to the nearest wine shop.

[mudblood]

The problem with giving money to these folks is that we become their employer. I see them every day, out in all kinds of weather like clockwork with their little cardboard signs. This shows punctuality, diligence and a keen understanding of basic marketing principles. They don't belong on the streets, they blong in offices coming up with better ads that we'll just ignore anyway.

[AMERIKA]

The city of Denver can't tax this money...LOL!!!!

[Mr. Jeeves]

Panhandlers play an important role in our society, because they are the visible face of poverty.

The Left isn't going to be happy that Rivers has unintentionally exposed one of their favorite tactics.

[mudblood]

"I feel bad when..."

I empathize. Despite my last post, truthfully I have given money to them occasionally. But I usually give it to the guy who's curled up on a bench, not begging at all. I avoid the shambling stick-figures who buy crack and the overfed bums with the cardboard signs. Or anyone with the "homeless limp" as I like to call it.

[Bigh4u2]

"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach the man to fish and he eats for a lifetime."

[Lazamataz]

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My point exactly.

[television is just wrong]

I stopped helping out those guys when I saw one of them leave a pricy apartment in Toluca Lake. That was their residence, their employment was pan handling.


I tell them I gave at the local IRS office

[Millee]

I'll freepmail you my address so you can send me a check, Daddy-O. :-D

[Lazamataz]

I feel bad when I'm with my children and decline to give to a homeless guy, but I explain to them that he may buy booze or drugs with the money and I don't want to be responsible for messing him up worse. I remember once I gave money to a homeless man in NYC. He ran to the nearest wine shop.

I give to the bums with the express instruction that they MUST buy booze with it.

Then maybe they will finally hit bottom.

And when they finally hit bottom, maybe they'll try Alcoholics Anonymous.

[rattrap]

To not stop giving I'd first have to start giving to bums and that isn't going to happen.

[biblewonk]

What about the blacks in my hood that only want the money they ax for to buy booze?

[conservativeharleyguy]

My son lived in Denver for two of the last three years.

While I was visiting him last Thanksgiving, we drove into the city for the day.

After seeing several panhandlers in the space of a few blocks, I commented on how many there were, and how young they seemed.

He said he personally knew a couple of guys his age (22) who made their livings panhandling, and that one of them that he knew even made over $50,000 doing it.

Coincidentally, there was an article in a local free (liberal) paper that talked about a young man who had been exposed for doing just that.

My son told me that they are known to fight each other for the choicest spots where commuter traffic from the suburbs slow down at particular intersections.

There are certainly folks out there who need help, but how do you know which ones are frauds, or if you're just feeding someone's addiction?

Just something to think about.