Opinions on picking up hitchhikers and giving money to homeless

[ellistoner]

Right, bit of a rant incoming.

(for reference, I live in England)

A few nights ago I had to walk home from my local town to my house for 3 hours. I started walking at 10 30 pm, and got back home at 1 30am. Now, I like to hitchhike everywhere as much as possible, because I don't like paying for buses and it gets me where I want to go quicker. Now granted, picking up hitchers in the middle of the night is a pretty sketchy thing to do, and also granted, I was wearing a studded leather jacket (home studded, not some hot topic SHIT.), doc martens and with multi-coloured hair, but surely someone must see some kid (I'm 16, but look about 18) walking home in the middle of the night and took pity, right? Wrong. I had about 5 cars drive up to me, wait for me to walk closer, then they turned their headlights on to full beam, right in my face. It was only at the end of my walk, that I got a lift with some dude for 2 minutes, slightly restoring my faith. The sad things is, about 50% of the cars were definately going my way, as there are no significant turnings along the road they were driving down.

Would any of you have picked me up? How about if it was daylight?


The other semi-rant I have, is with people not giving money to homeless people.
Why do people not give money to homeless people?!? All they need is a few pennies (or cents, whatever) from some people, allowing them to eat! My frame of reference for this part, is that I hang out with homeless people, drunks and junkies sometimes in town, while i'm waiting for my girlfriend to get out of school. I'M NOT A DRUNK OR A JUNKIE. And all of the homeless people I hang out with are the nicest people I know, who've just fallen upon hard times, and resorted to drink or gear to help them with it. I'm not talking about walking past them and giving them loads of money, just some change (don't quote southpark xD) so they can get a plate of chips or something. Because the amount of money I've sen my local homeless get is barely enough to get a plate of chips, let alone some gear.

So this whole thread is sort of a "i've lost my hope in humanity", as people won't stop to help out other people in need if they can see the effect, as most people blindly give to charities, not fully knowing where all the money goes, but won't give a bit of change to a person to help them get back on their feet.

Brains and Peace.

(apologies if this has been a bit of a rant)
(i'm not a christian either, in case anyone jumps to that conclusion)

 

[awnman]

look ill give money to homeless people if i've got change but sometimes either they look like there going to misuse it on booze or drugs or what not or that they don't actually need it i wont. as for hitchhikers i would never pick them up giving money to someone i probably wont see again is one thing but sharing close proximity to a stranger in my car is quite another

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Well:

1) No I wouldn't pick you up. That has nothing to do with you as a person, it's more to do with picking up a complete stranger who could have any ill intentions that I don't know about. I keep thinking of that Simon Armitage poem every time I think of hitchhikers, but the other way round. I'm happy to provide goodwill or charity if it can't negatively affect me.

2) While from time to time I could give a homeless person money, I'd rather not do such a thing. Why? Because most of the time they are begging for vices (beer, drugs), not sustenance. It sounds horrible, but if they are begging for money for a bag of chips, I'd gladly go buy them a large portion if I have the money, or a cofffee in the winter.

But I've seen homeless people turn down food and instead ask for the money, or a beer. I've known of a deceased homeless person who died over the winter, and everyone thought he died of the cold, when he actually died of a heroin overdose. I'd rather know what the money is for, then help them with that instead if I can.

Also, I'm surprised you can hitch a ride anywhere in England. You're not in London are you? I imagine other Londeners would share my views on hitchiking?

 

[mental_looney]

while i do appreciate that people need help and stuff, when driving alone late at night especially if you are female the amount of hassle that could come of it makes you too scared or worried to consdier letting a strange in the car alone with you.

If homeless people are hungry give them a sandwich or chips rather than just change, plus alot of people unless they know they will need it dont carry change which is the lamsest excuse but honestly some of the people begging really dont look like they will spend on food which is horrible to say but if you want them to get food give them it rather than change.

only mild ramble....

 

[Nieroshai]

Give food to the homeless instead of money, pick up hitch-hikers only if you have the means to fight off a carjacker. I.E. a gun.

 

[The Elcor Batman]

I think a good majority of people out there would not go about picking up random strangers from the side of the road, regardless of what they look like. People are too used to hearing stories of kidnappings and such leading on from a seemingly nice gesture. People are wary, and rightly so.

As for the homeless, i generally spare a few coppers if i have them on me, although money has been tight lately. Its just very hard to believe that the average homeless person i see every day is asking for change to turn his life around for the good.

 

[Artina89]

I would never pick up a hitchhiker because I am naturally wary of being in a confined space with someone I don't know, especially at night. As for the homeless, no I don't give them money, but if I have spare money that I don't need I will buy them a sandwich and a bottle of water, but I have not done that recently as I need the money at the moment.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

At least where I come from, no. Sorry, but I would never have picked you up. It's also stupid to expect people to do so.

And I would give more money to the homeless if I knew they would spend it on food. They don't however. They blow it on vice. My father taught me a trick to finding out who really needs money. He says "Hey, I worked for this money. If you want to earn it, I have a lawn that needs to be mowed, and I would be more then happy to pay you to do that" Most dart off, meaning they want a quick fix, not to have to earn it. Those who agree and ask about the job he gives $5 and walks off. The fact that they were WILLING to work to earn it makes him willing to give it away.

 

[camazotz]

I've never hitch-hiked and its extremely rare these days to see anyone doing it (in the states). Personally I would expect that there's a bigger danger to someone hitchhking from whoever is willing to stop and pick them up, but who really knows. On the other hand, I have occasionally given a person a lift, usually when its obvious that they have problems (like broken down car or some similar situation).

As for homeless.....well, I think one of the reasons that you are a bit more empathetic to their situation is because you aren't a chrisitaian; my experience with the religious is that they tend to put on a good show but when it comes to helping out fellow man they love to hide behind the "teach a man to fish" proverb as a lame excuse for their own selfish nature or fear of the down-and-out. I will always hand out money to someone who looks like they need it (and I don't care what they spend it on, either), whenever I have money to do so....it's just plain good karma to do so. Someday, if bad luck strikes repeatededly, I could be in their shoes, and I can only hope someone else will feel the decency to help out, even if its only a little bit of change.

 

[Eri]

Because most homeless people are scammers and freeloaders. Don't believe me? Watch this. http://www.hulu.com/watch/232623/stossel-freeloaders

 

[Luftwaffles]

I usually see hitchhikers too late to pick them up. I'd zoom by and go oh hey i should have picked him up...

As for the money thing, i only give to buskers. Coz ive seen the bums here sniff glue.

 

[Amadeus10]

.....well, I think one of the reasons that you are a bit more empathetic to their situation is because you aren't a chrisitaian...

...I'm Christian and I give the first 10% of the money I earn to charity (include homeless shelters).
Thank-you for lumping us all in the one category.

 

[McMullen]

I saw a book once called "Steal this book", which serves as a manual for living outside the mainstream economic system. There was a section or a chapter on begging. There are actual how-to guides for making your living as a beggar.

I believe the idea of contributing your fair share of effort is one of the fundamental principles for any sane economy. It is in a social species' best interest to marginalize freeloaders, and while many panhandlers may indeed be hardworking people who've fallen on hard times, the fact remains that there are people who do this simply because they don't want to work, and there's no way to tell the difference. I try not to be rude to beggars, but I don't give to them either.

As for hitchhiking, it seems to me to be the meatspace equivalent of downloading email attachments from unknown sources, with real-life consequences if it backfires on you. In two words, profoundly unwise.

 

[crazyfoxdemon]

I only pick up hitchhikers during the day. Can't be too careful. Also I tend to ignore homeless people nowadays. Don't think too badly of me because of this. The last time I gave a homeless man some change, he followed me fore 10 blocks.. God that was creepy..

 

[Ham_authority95]

Right, bit of a rant incoming.



Brains and Peace.

(apologies if this has been a bit of a rant)
(i'm not a christian either, in case anyone jumps to that conclusion)

Like others in this thread, I wouldn't pick you up at night, just to be careful.

I wouldn't give money to a homeless person either. But I would give them some food or clothes, a sleeping bag, a contact for employment, or other similar things.

 

[Astoria]

The thing is you can never be sure with homeless people. I think it's much better to give them food than money because you know then that it'll go to helping them live. As for hitchhikers I have never actually seen one. I wouldn't pick on up unless I had people with me so if it turned out they were a loony I wouldn't be screwed.

 

[Hawk eye1466]

I wouldn't pick you up because it's been sort of ingrained into me the importance of not picking up hitch hikers no matter what since I was in grade school so it doesn't even enter my thoughts if I see someone trying to hitch hike.

I would only give money to a homeless person if I knew they wern't going to spend it on drugs.

 

[Najos]

I used to get these two homeless guys that hung around the gas station next door to my old bar to take out the trash every night. I'd give them five bucks each every time they did it and every now and then we'd have some left over food or something and I'd give them that too. They seemed like okay guys, but I'm pretty sure one of them had a mental disorder as he mumbled to himself a lot...or really, all the time. The other guy seemed mostly normal. I never asked them what happened or anything.

As for hitchhikers...well, I live in America, so fuck that shit. Well, I take that back. I did it a couple of times back when I had a truck instead of a car, but I made them ride in the bed. I just don't trust people enough to let them that close to me. Plus all the stigmas about serial killers and shit, that's always in the back of my mind.