Poll: If a homeless person begged you for money, would you give it to them?

[Rattja]

Well normally not, as I rarely carry cash on me these days anyways.

Where I live we are about to ban begging outright, so that tells you a bit of the situation here.

Now, this may sound odd, but after you have seen people going to a corner, get changed into rags just to sit down and beg for money it's hard to take any of em seriously.

It's not that I don't want to help anyone, but when you walk down a street and you see 5 of them sitting 20m apart you have to wonder what to do.
Should you give to the one you think needs it most?
Should you split what you have and give them evenly?

If some of them started to follow me I would never give anything, that would just piss me off.

Now this might sound ice cold for some, but the sad fact is that we are already so many people in this world that it does not really matter if someone ends up in a ditch. It's sad, and it should not happen, but it does and that's the way of things.
There is a endless list of things one could do rather than begging for money on a corner, if you do not even attempt to do something for anyone, why should anyone help you?

 

[teqrevisited]

No because I don't have any.

Not to sound uncaring but me giving them money would in no way help to solve their situation.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

No, if they're hungry I'll give them food. I figure if they're honestly hungry they'll take the food and if they ***** about it they can go get fucked.

 

[happyninja42]

Harassing and following me? I dunno if the examples in my life would count. I've had them come up to me in parking lots, come to my place of business, etc, and ask for money/rides, and I've given to them before. Not always, but usually.

If by harass you specifically mean "they keep following me after I've said no, and just pester and stalk and nag"...then no, because I've never had that scenario happen. Every person who has asked me for a handout, has either taken my donation with thanks and left, or left when I said no.

So I can't really say much to the core of your question, because over the course of my life, that scenario just doesn't happen.

 

[Phasmal]

I would have done a year ago but now I live in a city where begging is a serious problem.

You have people approaching you on all of the main streets, outside cafés or bars and sitting on every corner.
When I first moved here, I gave out what I could but when you're confronted with someone asking you for money on every street and two or three people asking you every time you get a coffee, you eventually learn to tune it out.

Yeah, when I lived in a smaller city, I probably would've done, I used to feel insanely guilty for saying no, but I doubt that I would now.

Yeah, this is me too. Cambridge has a lot of people asking for change, buskers and people selling the Big Issue.

I'm not used to it even after like four years of living here.
I get picked out a lot because I've been told I look like `a soft touch`, and I am. I feel bad about things like this.

I don't carry cash often, though, so most of the time I wouldn't even have the money to give if I wanted to.

Most of the time I use the phone when I go out so people won't stop me. Go team Socially Awkward.

 

[Muspelheim]

They do all the sodding time. Sometimes, if I've got change I can part with, I will. Although one particular beggar I keep running into keeps hounding me for more. It does get rather vexing at time, but that is how things are going to be from now on, it seems. I'd rather this than having begging outlawed so some towerdweller can beat his chest and claim he's solved bugger-all.

They're likely in a hell of a lot more danger than I ever am around them. Between the crime syndicates taking their tax, regular beatings by irritable drunks and harrassment by the guards, it says alot that this situation is preferable to what they have fled from.

 

[agent9]

I lived in newark, I seen how some of these people are, hence I never give money period. I will buy them food, maybe get them something, but I do not give money. I'll give clothing and materials to shelters so they can continue to aid the homeless but I never give money. I have zero intent on supporting those with bad habits and it is those people that ruin it for the good ones. its a shame but it's the world we live in.

 

[klaynexas3]

Generally speaking, if a person has to resort to begging for money, that means they weren't good at handling that money at some point. If I'm giving money directly, it's to someone that will handle it properly. If I'm giving a begger something, it's not money, it'd be food or clean water or something useful for their plight, not something that could put them further down the path they're already on. I'd rather see $50 of my money in the hands of a charity that I know will use it to help people than make the gamble of giving $5 directly to a begger. It sounds cruel, but it's my decision.

 

[michael87cn]

Okay, thing about homeless people that people don't get is, you get stuck in that position, trapped.

It's kinda like this okay? In this world, to succeed you need money. Either YOU have to have that money or people that raise and care for you have to have that money to give you either in terms of favors or actual money.

'Success' isn't something that you earn. It's something that you are given and yes, you have to ask for it but you are GIVEN SUCCESS by your position, ranking, whatever you want to call it, in this world and by the GRACE of your family, or sometimes, friend(s).

When people do not have help, from anyone, anywhere, of anykind, they become the 'bottom' ranking in the world, and cannot gain ANY headway. Cannot advance. They need help to do that.

There are poor people who 'accept' their 'place' in the ranking of the world and realize they would need what is a fortune to them to make progress (probably around 1-2k for most of 'us') and realize they will never be given this, and get addicted to substances to endure their lives. The pain of living in poverty, hunger, sickness, hatred and death.

I have an interesting perspective about this. It is kind of like being 'black' or 'asian' like a recent thread popped up where white people couldn't understand. You can change certain things about yourself but without help, from someone, how to you go from nothing to something? If no one will give you a job - how do you get a job?

Why do applications for emlpoyment require a telephone number? An address? Why can't someone hire you on the spot? Why does your appearance 'impress' someone into hiring you? Do you really believe, that someone that smells and looks ugly from living on the street will recieve kindness and acceptance looking for employment? Do you think they can attain the money necessary to get an apartment and start living on their own, when having an apartment in this day and age costs around $700, not including electricity for heating/cooling and sometimes running water takes a down payment of $100-300 and also additional monthly payments. This doesn't even factor in the cost of food. How does a homeless person make all this money to 'get a job' and start their life making what will ALMOST ALWAYS BE minimum wage of around $800 a month or so, IF LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET FULL-TIME WORK AS A HOMELESS PERSON.

THEY CANNOT GET THIS ON THEIR OWN. AND NOBODY WANTS TO HELP THEM. SOCIETY HATES THEM AND SHUNS THEM BECAUSE THEY LOOK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY, BUT THEY LOOK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF THE HATRED INFLICTED ON THEM BY PRIVELEDGED PEOPLE.

LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND IMAGINE IF YOU NEVER HAD HELP TO GET WHAT YOU HAVE. DO YOU HAVE A CAR? YOU MIGHT SAY YES I BOUGHT IT MYSELF, I ASK THIS: WHO PAID FOR YOUR FOOD AND RENT WHILE YOU SAVED FOR THAT CAR? OH YOU PAYED FOR IT YOURSELF DID YOU? DIDN'T HAVE -ANY- HELP FROM MOM AND DAD AT ALL? SOUNDS LIKE YOU DON'T REALIZE JUST WHAT HAVING A FAMILY CAN GET YOU IN THIS WORLD..........

I am 27 years old. I work minimum wage. It is all I can do. I don't have a car. I can't make headway. I atleast have a play to live. I have food to eat, I have a computer and I have the internet. I can play video games. But can I ever get a house of my own, a car even? How did I get the things I have now, when 4 years ago I was homeless? I was given them by the grace of people that took me in. Without their help I would have nothing right now.

I CANNOT ADVANCE without help. I am stuck working minimum wage, the prices are rising faster than my pay is, and I CANNOT make headway. I live in an area where the only good jobs are too far away. I live paycheck to paycheck and without help I will be like this until prices rise higher than I can afford.

The reality of this world is, you have money, or you have help. When nobody helps, you don't get anywhere. People have to set aside their greed, their ignorance and understand that they themselves were beggers at some point, were helpless and helped. You don't have to give anyone anything, that's not what I'm saying, what I'm saying is don't hate people and judge people that are homeless. You don't know the life they've lived. You don't know why things are the way they are. And youk now what? You're lucky you have what you do.

 

[agent9]

I don't judge addicts, anymore. They do what we do. They're escapists, trying to escape from their shitty reality.

I've always wondered why people get so hung up on homeless people spending money they get from begging on alcohol or other drugs. Surely if you give them the money, it's already out of your hands so it doesn't really matter what they choose to spend it on.

If they have access to food elsewhere and alcohol, or whatever their drug of choice, makes their day go by a little bit easier, I don't really see the what difference it makes. They're not going to give up their addictions and get off the streets because you chose to get them a sandwich instead.

I mean, I understand it to a certain degree, my friend's dad once bought a guy a pair of shoes instead of giving him money and that had obvious benefits for the guy but I wouldn't refuse someone money on the basis that they might spend it on booze or heroin. God knows, I already spend enough of my money on alcohol and other useless junk, who am I to tell them that they can't?

there is a bit of a difference IMO. the purpose of giving is to help them, not to indulge their addiction that could have gotten them their in the first place. they put a strain on the people and take up resources that could be used for the people that actually want to have their shit in order. once your shit is in order then you can fuck around but until then you need to get your act together and I'm not going to waste my money or time on a petty addiction. if your alcoholism brought you there and you want to continue, by all means you can but IMO you should get nothing from anyone. you made your bed, so sleep in it. there are plenty of families with children who don't have a home that are far more deserving
than you.

note: you is not a reference to the poster or the reader rather to a fictitious scenario.

 

[kasperbbs]

Depends on the person, but usually no(not that i get harrased by homeless people often). Some that asked me for money even slipped out that they need it for alcohol and most of them look like hopeless drunks, i have no sympathy for people who spend each day getting wasted instead of trying to get their life in order.

 

[Wasted]

I assume that the OP does not live in a large city because living in Chicago you get asked by homeless people for money nearly every 5 minutes when downtown.

 

[II2]

IF?

I don't keep count but I'd reckon I get about two to a half dozen a day, depending on what neighborhoods I travel through.

No, for pragmatism and the numbness that high density urban living brings.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Okay, you've followed me because you seem to think I have money to give...

Why?

Why do you need this money? If it is because you haven't eaten in two days, I will take you to a subway or similar restaurant and buy you a meal. If it is to feed an addiction that is slowly killing you and has left you homeless, I will not enable you with my charity. I've taken 3 people into restaurants so far in my life using this philosophy when it comes to begging. The vast majority of the others can't give me a good enough reason for me to just give them the money instead of letting me take them in for a meal.

 

[Little Woodsman]

In the scenario that you present--No.

We have a real problem with homeless people (and people who pretend to be homeless) here, and I've gotten to be really good at spotting the ones who really need help and can be helped, and the ones who cannot be helped or are faking homelessness as a way to get money without working.
When I had some disposable income, I would help those who were legit when I could. My preference was to give them food, and the legit ones were always quite grateful for it.
Now that I have no disposable income, I feel sorry for many of them but I just don't have anything to give.

 

[agent9]

Okay, thing about homeless people that people don't get is, you get stuck in that position, trapped.

It's kinda like this okay? In this world, to succeed you need money. Either YOU have to have that money or people that raise and care for you have to have that money to give you either in terms of favors or actual money.

'Success' isn't something that you earn. It's something that you are given and yes, you have to ask for it but you are GIVEN SUCCESS by your position, ranking, whatever you want to call it, in this world and by the GRACE of your family, or sometimes, friend(s).

When people do not have help, from anyone, anywhere, of anykind, they become the 'bottom' ranking in the world, and cannot gain ANY headway. Cannot advance. They need help to do that.

There are poor people who 'accept' their 'place' in the ranking of the world and realize they would need what is a fortune to them to make progress (probably around 1-2k for most of 'us') and realize they will never be given this, and get addicted to substances to endure their lives. The pain of living in poverty, hunger, sickness, hatred and death.

I have an interesting perspective about this. It is kind of like being 'black' or 'asian' like a recent thread popped up where white people couldn't understand. You can change certain things about yourself but without help, from someone, how to you go from nothing to something? If no one will give you a job - how do you get a job?

Why do applications for emlpoyment require a telephone number? An address? Why can't someone hire you on the spot? Why does your appearance 'impress' someone into hiring you? Do you really believe, that someone that smells and looks ugly from living on the street will recieve kindness and acceptance looking for employment? Do you think they can attain the money necessary to get an apartment and start living on their own, when having an apartment in this day and age costs around $700, not including electricity for heating/cooling and sometimes running water takes a down payment of $100-300 and also additional monthly payments. This doesn't even factor in the cost of food. How does a homeless person make all this money to 'get a job' and start their life making what will ALMOST ALWAYS BE minimum wage of around $800 a month or so, IF LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET FULL-TIME WORK AS A HOMELESS PERSON.

THEY CANNOT GET THIS ON THEIR OWN. AND NOBODY WANTS TO HELP THEM. SOCIETY HATES THEM AND SHUNS THEM BECAUSE THEY LOOK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY, BUT THEY LOOK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF THE HATRED INFLICTED ON THEM BY PRIVELEDGED PEOPLE.

LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND IMAGINE IF YOU NEVER HAD HELP TO GET WHAT YOU HAVE. DO YOU HAVE A CAR? YOU MIGHT SAY YES I BOUGHT IT MYSELF, I ASK THIS: WHO PAID FOR YOUR FOOD AND RENT WHILE YOU SAVED FOR THAT CAR? OH YOU PAYED FOR IT YOURSELF DID YOU? DIDN'T HAVE -ANY- HELP FROM MOM AND DAD AT ALL? SOUNDS LIKE YOU DON'T REALIZE JUST WHAT HAVING A FAMILY CAN GET YOU IN THIS WORLD..........

I am 27 years old. I work minimum wage. It is all I can do. I don't have a car. I can't make headway. I atleast have a play to live. I have food to eat, I have a computer and I have the internet. I can play video games. But can I ever get a house of my own, a car even? How did I get the things I have now, when 4 years ago I was homeless? I was given them by the grace of people that took me in. Without their help I would have nothing right now.

I CANNOT ADVANCE without help. I am stuck working minimum wage, the prices are rising faster than my pay is, and I CANNOT make headway. I live in an area where the only good jobs are too far away. I live paycheck to paycheck and without help I will be like this until prices rise higher than I can afford.

The reality of this world is, you have money, or you have help. When nobody helps, you don't get anywhere. People have to set aside their greed, their ignorance and understand that they themselves were beggers at some point, were helpless and helped. You don't have to give anyone anything, that's not what I'm saying, what I'm saying is don't hate people and judge people that are homeless. You don't know the life they've lived. You don't know why things are the way they are. And youk now what? You're lucky you have what you do.

I don't find this to be every single case, could be a good number though, and I'm 50/50 on the use of the term given. as much as success is given it is not given without earning it. you don't walk into a local walmart and just get the promotion. you work for it. for some people there are lucky enough to have access to some of the tools we provide through charity and taxes. my local church makes every effort to reach out and get homeless people and ex criminals jobs. we can debate all day about circumstances (and for as much as you can say no, I can say yes. too many hypotheticals) and I think we can all agree that more help is needed, but it's not an end all final nobody can escape poverty type deal. there is always opportunity and the only person that truly makes it impossible is you, it's when you convince yourself that there is 0 hope, thats when you lose. A lesson I learned from my father and grandfather, both homeless at one point and my father abandoned. both stories are a bit long, but in the end they never gave an inch, still working hard today to make things happen.

I don't live in glory nor squaller. I have a small apartment (I pay part of it) and I work a job at walmart that should be the work of about 5 people. I fix computers on the side for cash and in the mornings I work at and go to college. only a few classes at a time but the more I learn the more I can do, and learning doesn't stop at the end of class. I actively search for new things, information that can aid me. I am blessed and lucky to have the family that I do, but a lot of the stuff I do is on me. as for those before me, they weren't so lucky, but they paved a way for me to have a better life and I intend to.

this isn't gloating, and it's really not to say that people don't try. it's just my/families experience. I don't believe that things are impossible (within reason, no dumbassery like galactus or laser eyes). as far as judgment goes, for most it isn't to be an ass or because they're greedy. a lot of people give to shelters and programs because they want to help, but they don't want to waist that help on a gamble. the single mom without the roof over her head is far more deserving of help than the guy who decides to squander what little he has on a battle. for most that means giving things that you know that can be used for the betterment of that person (food, cloths, a place to stay for a bit, teaching people) because 1000 bucks isn't going to help a person who doesn't want to help themselves, but utility in the hands of a person that does can (feed a man or teach him to farm, etc).

anyway, I hope things work out better for you, I make no presumptions. I only wish you all the vigor and strength to elevate yourself further.

 

[Nieroshai]

Money tends to find its way to drugs or alcohol. Food and clothing tend to be much harder to do with this. So often, homeless people I've met have refused food, trips to a supermarket, some of the clothes I was taking to a shelter anyway, etc. It seems to me now that most "homeless" people aren't homeless but want free drug money, or ARE homeless but care more about getting wasted than survival.

 

[Nieroshai]

Okay, thing about homeless people that people don't get is, you get stuck in that position, trapped.

It's kinda like this okay? In this world, to succeed you need money. Either YOU have to have that money or people that raise and care for you have to have that money to give you either in terms of favors or actual money.

'Success' isn't something that you earn. It's something that you are given and yes, you have to ask for it but you are GIVEN SUCCESS by your position, ranking, whatever you want to call it, in this world and by the GRACE of your family, or sometimes, friend(s).

When people do not have help, from anyone, anywhere, of anykind, they become the 'bottom' ranking in the world, and cannot gain ANY headway. Cannot advance. They need help to do that.

There are poor people who 'accept' their 'place' in the ranking of the world and realize they would need what is a fortune to them to make progress (probably around 1-2k for most of 'us') and realize they will never be given this, and get addicted to substances to endure their lives. The pain of living in poverty, hunger, sickness, hatred and death.

I have an interesting perspective about this. It is kind of like being 'black' or 'asian' like a recent thread popped up where white people couldn't understand. You can change certain things about yourself but without help, from someone, how to you go from nothing to something? If no one will give you a job - how do you get a job?

Why do applications for emlpoyment require a telephone number? An address? Why can't someone hire you on the spot? Why does your appearance 'impress' someone into hiring you? Do you really believe, that someone that smells and looks ugly from living on the street will recieve kindness and acceptance looking for employment? Do you think they can attain the money necessary to get an apartment and start living on their own, when having an apartment in this day and age costs around $700, not including electricity for heating/cooling and sometimes running water takes a down payment of $100-300 and also additional monthly payments. This doesn't even factor in the cost of food. How does a homeless person make all this money to 'get a job' and start their life making what will ALMOST ALWAYS BE minimum wage of around $800 a month or so, IF LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET FULL-TIME WORK AS A HOMELESS PERSON.

THEY CANNOT GET THIS ON THEIR OWN. AND NOBODY WANTS TO HELP THEM. SOCIETY HATES THEM AND SHUNS THEM BECAUSE THEY LOOK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY, BUT THEY LOOK AND ACT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF THE HATRED INFLICTED ON THEM BY PRIVELEDGED PEOPLE.

LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND IMAGINE IF YOU NEVER HAD HELP TO GET WHAT YOU HAVE. DO YOU HAVE A CAR? YOU MIGHT SAY YES I BOUGHT IT MYSELF, I ASK THIS: WHO PAID FOR YOUR FOOD AND RENT WHILE YOU SAVED FOR THAT CAR? OH YOU PAYED FOR IT YOURSELF DID YOU? DIDN'T HAVE -ANY- HELP FROM MOM AND DAD AT ALL? SOUNDS LIKE YOU DON'T REALIZE JUST WHAT HAVING A FAMILY CAN GET YOU IN THIS WORLD..........

I am 27 years old. I work minimum wage. It is all I can do. I don't have a car. I can't make headway. I atleast have a play to live. I have food to eat, I have a computer and I have the internet. I can play video games. But can I ever get a house of my own, a car even? How did I get the things I have now, when 4 years ago I was homeless? I was given them by the grace of people that took me in. Without their help I would have nothing right now.

I CANNOT ADVANCE without help. I am stuck working minimum wage, the prices are rising faster than my pay is, and I CANNOT make headway. I live in an area where the only good jobs are too far away. I live paycheck to paycheck and without help I will be like this until prices rise higher than I can afford.

The reality of this world is, you have money, or you have help. When nobody helps, you don't get anywhere. People have to set aside their greed, their ignorance and understand that they themselves were beggers at some point, were helpless and helped. You don't have to give anyone anything, that's not what I'm saying, what I'm saying is don't hate people and judge people that are homeless. You don't know the life they've lived. You don't know why things are the way they are. And youk now what? You're lucky you have what you do.

I've offered homeless people clothes, food, and sundries, and transportation to anywhere they need to go within the city, and you know what? Just because I did something more valuable than give flat cash, I've been attacked and spit upon. What does this tell you? Do you still feel sympathy?

 

[MysticSlayer]

No, I wouldn't give them money, and I say this as someone who has been pestered by a homeless person for money. Considering homeless people normally hang out in relatively populated areas, I shouldn't have any trouble buying them food and, if I have enough money, getting them a motel room for a night or two. From my experience, most people who are actually homeless and are really looking for some support will take the food and temporary housing any day. Many of them are also understanding of why you don't want to give them cash.

With that said, though, I never like turning down homeless people asking for cash. However, I've had some bad experiences with homeless people and have heard even worse stories. As a result, I can't really give them cash anymore.

 

[Whispering Cynic]

Depends on how they ask, if they provide a good reason for me to give them something. Sometimes I make them work for those few coins, ask them to tell me something interesting, some nice morsel of information they might have overheard. You'd be surprised what these people sometimes come up with.

As a general rule, if they make me smile, I'm generous. If they act clingy, lie, or try to manipulate me emotionally, I feel only contempt and give them nothing.