Usually no but I do sometimes. I've never had much money and I'm not a Christian, so it depends on my wealth and mood.
Poll: If a homeless person begged you for money, would you give it to them?
- Thread starter mrduckbear
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No. I am usually more inclined to give people who need help money when they don't ask for it or at least are not pushy. If you harass me its just going to make me annoyed. I have enough in life so I don't really mind giving away to someone who needs it more than I do. Even if I know they are going to turn around and spend it on booze or drugs it makes me happy to make someone else happy for just a few minutes, but the second they harass me or try to guilt trip me into giving them something I write them off as someone who is guaranteed to never get anything from me.
No.
Ask me, like one equal to another, I will help you. I realise that the person who has no roof of their own, no job and barely anything to call their own needs the help, and I am more than capable of providing that help with little to no loss of my own. I would consider myself selfish not to help another person in need. All you need is ask, sometimes not even that.
Start begging and the only thing you get from me is contempt.
Ask me, like one equal to another, I will help you. I realise that the person who has no roof of their own, no job and barely anything to call their own needs the help, and I am more than capable of providing that help with little to no loss of my own. I would consider myself selfish not to help another person in need. All you need is ask, sometimes not even that.
Start begging and the only thing you get from me is contempt.
There was an incident in Dublin, along the north bank of the Liffey, where my friend and I were wandering along, headed back to our hotel. This guy, must have been eighteen or nineteen asked for some spare change. I told him we only had Sterling and it was no good to him. He stood up, approached us in that loose, cocky gait and said "I'll have it anyway."
My friend and I are not from a nice place, and our reaction was to stop, turn and say "Oh, will you?"
It got tense, this guy didn't look like he was gonna back down. Then some girl showed up and took him away.
So, yeah. Ask for change, I might give you some. If you want any more off me and try following me for it, well I think I'll have the change back.
My friend and I are not from a nice place, and our reaction was to stop, turn and say "Oh, will you?"
It got tense, this guy didn't look like he was gonna back down. Then some girl showed up and took him away.
So, yeah. Ask for change, I might give you some. If you want any more off me and try following me for it, well I think I'll have the change back.
I usually give a bit of change out here and there to homeless I see on the street because I live in a pretty decent part of the world and I simply don't see that many homeless people about.
But you changed the situation by adding that they're following me around. Not going to reward that sort of behaviour, no.
But you changed the situation by adding that they're following me around. Not going to reward that sort of behaviour, no.
Probably not. We have a panhandling problem here where I live so I don't trust a lot of "homeless" people. Even legit ones refuse anything like food or clothes for money so it makes me leary.
In that situation, no.
I usually carry a couple bucks on me for dumb little things like a soda or coffee.
On the odd chance I'm met with a beggar I'll happily fork over what I've got. It does me no harm, I don't need it, and this person does.
No harm no foul.
However I have had folks get super aggressive (I saw you at the ATM I know you have cash!) in which case I lose all empathy and pretty much continue on my way.
I usually carry a couple bucks on me for dumb little things like a soda or coffee.
On the odd chance I'm met with a beggar I'll happily fork over what I've got. It does me no harm, I don't need it, and this person does.
No harm no foul.
However I have had folks get super aggressive (I saw you at the ATM I know you have cash!) in which case I lose all empathy and pretty much continue on my way.
I wouldn't give them anything in that situation. Harassing people is not a good way to receive charity. I'm also hesitant to hand out cash, as it most likely won't be used for food.
One time I was at a friends' apartment drinking. We walked down the street to get some late night grub from a street vendor and a guy approached us and repeatedly asked for a 'cellophane'. Turned out the guy wanted a 'solid five' for food. We decided to get an extra hotdog and a muffin for the guy. When we offered it to him he got all upset and stormed off saying he just needed a 'solid five'. I'm pretty sure a meal wasn't his top priority.
One time I was at a friends' apartment drinking. We walked down the street to get some late night grub from a street vendor and a guy approached us and repeatedly asked for a 'cellophane'. Turned out the guy wanted a 'solid five' for food. We decided to get an extra hotdog and a muffin for the guy. When we offered it to him he got all upset and stormed off saying he just needed a 'solid five'. I'm pretty sure a meal wasn't his top priority.
It is bit of a twisted line of thinking but it's how my thought process goes...If I start feeling pity and empathy towards a homeless man so much that I feel the need to give him money....then I need to do that for all homeless people I see. I am not a big fan of people leeching off society as I am one who thinks that no matter what, a person should always be striving forward to better themselves. Oh sure their circumstances could have been out of their control, but they are still living which means their future is still there to snatch for themselves...the lot of them that aren't mentally handicapped just need to make the effort to grab it. As for the ones that are mentally incapable of doing just that...(and here comes the point in which I will probably get some flak)....well...I am not going to be obliged to support their continued existence. Hey...I never accosted myself to being a saint...
I always had a guy giving me the exact same story on my campus parking lot, a few times I gave him money, but now if I run into him I just say I have nothing on me. So now I am much less inclined when a beggar has a really complicated story. If I was asking for help, I would not make a big story of it, I would just ask for the help.
Otherwise, I may consider giving someone money, but I usually don't have much on hand, or don't want to help someone's destructive habits.
Otherwise, I may consider giving someone money, but I usually don't have much on hand, or don't want to help someone's destructive habits.
I don't usually carry cash on me, but on the rare occasions that I am, I would give to someone begging from the side of the road.
Now, if they were following and harassing me, then no I wouldn't. If I told you that "I don't have any cash," I meant what I said.
Now, if they were following and harassing me, then no I wouldn't. If I told you that "I don't have any cash," I meant what I said.
No, because I give to charity and help out fairly often enough at the food pantry.
Not to mention, usually people asking for money don't really try to help themselves, so whatever.
Not to mention, usually people asking for money don't really try to help themselves, so whatever.
No, since that's just not cool. Plus, I've encountered enough homeless people that weren't really, and/or were just assholes, so I'm wary enough as is giving them money.
On top of that, it seems that a lot of them just keep spending the money to fuel their alcoholism.
On top of that, it seems that a lot of them just keep spending the money to fuel their alcoholism.