mjmooney Posted November 30, 2013 VT Supporter Posted November 30, 2013 Sometimes. Depends if they catch me in a good mood.
coda Posted November 30, 2013 Posted November 30, 2013 No. I've had this discussion a few times as I feel bad about not giving any money particularly at this time of year when it gets cold. Charities advise us to give them the money directly (that's my excuse). I don't ignore them, though, and used to give them cigarettes when I smoked. 1
chrisp65 Posted November 30, 2013 Posted November 30, 2013 (edited) No. I'll buy a Big issue, in the past I've handed over my sandwiches once or twice (literally once or twice). But actual cash feels like a bad idea. ....yeah, as said above, happy to have a chat and a laugh and not ignore people.... Edited November 30, 2013 by chrisp65
villarule123 Posted November 30, 2013 VT Supporter Posted November 30, 2013 No, and this sounds twatish but I'm getting tired of 100s of charities harassing me too. Everywhere I go, to do the shopping, to fill up petrol, there's always someone standing there along the way to sell me something/ask for money. I just walk past and pretend they don't exist. I give away all of my spare change on my own without being prompted by a charity worker, but it takes the piss a bit when they expect you to always have some when you walk past. /clearing in the woods 1
hogso Posted November 30, 2013 Posted November 30, 2013 There was this guy in town when I was at college, me and my mates saw him often. He'd be in different places, and played a guitar, really odd tunes hence his name - random guitar guy. One afternoon a friend felt particularly bad for him and gave him like a quid or something. We turned to leave, only for the coin to fly past our heads and random guitar guy roar 'I don't need your stinking money'. It's important to point out this chap was by no means a busker. So that put me off. When I was at uni in Liverpool there were a lot, and unabashed as well, they'd just ask you for money. Sometimes offering an excuse, usually not. I didn't ever give them $ though
BOF Posted November 30, 2013 Moderator Posted November 30, 2013 Sometimes. Depends if they catch me in a good mood.This. Or drunk. 1
maqroll Posted December 1, 2013 Author Posted December 1, 2013 I'd drop a quarter in a cup from time to time, but I stopped doing it a while ago. I got the inside story on a couple of well known panhandlers in the Boston-Cambridge area. One was offered a job at a movie theater, and she turned them down cuz she made more money begging. Another guy used to make the rounds of all the bars and restaurants in an area of Boston where I used to work, a real character who shuffled and smiled all day to the tune of $200-$300. He had an apartment, a car, etc. A bunch of con artists or drunks who unfortunately make life harder on the real legit desperate cases out there.
CrackpotForeigner Posted December 1, 2013 Posted December 1, 2013 On the rare occasions where they somehow manage to treat me like slighly more than a potential source of income, I don't mind giving cash.
Risso Posted December 1, 2013 Posted December 1, 2013 Yes I do. Especially those with dogs. Note to homeless people in London, get a dog, it pretty well guarantees that I'll give you all the change in my pocket. Hopeless sap that I am. Although I never give anything to those people who come up with the "just need two quid to get me train home mate" nonsense. 1
Kingfisher Posted December 1, 2013 Posted December 1, 2013 (edited) I walked into Tesco last night, and they had a member of staff on the door stopping customers to hand out leaflets to them. I got stopped, and this lady handed me a leaflet asking me to buy an item of food listed on the leaflet, to drop off at my local food bank to help people in crisis. ...Tesco. Doing their bit, selflessly asking people to buy more stuff off them to help the needy. Edited December 1, 2013 by Kingfisher
chrisp65 Posted December 1, 2013 Posted December 1, 2013 You've got to take your hat off to somebody that would go for an interiew about doing your bit, volunteering, without considering the tiny possibility that Eddie Mair might ask what you personally do. Another sad example of how politicians say 'us' and mean 'you'.
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