Oh thats mean... just remember the next time your sitting at a light and you hear a scratch and see a penny riding down the side of your truck in that bums hand.

 

Just like whoever dropped him off in the middle-of-nowwhere in the first place!
They probably bought him a 64oz glass of tea and when he finally HAD to go relieve himself, they drove off w/o him.

I've had gasoline panhandlers hit me up for $$ for gas before and I've turned almost every one of them down... Gut feeling was not right...
Earlier this year I was filling up with diesel and talking diesels with a guy driving his business PowerStroke at the other pump. Had a guy walk up and asked us for $$ for gas and I recognized him as one I've rebuffed before. (Same EXACT sob story and he didn't recognize me!) I decline, but Powerstroke guy fishes out a $5 and gives it to him. I watch as PanHandler thanks him, quickly runs in the store and pays for gas and comes out and fuels up. After he drove away, I walk over to the gas pump and look on the display... $1.00 !!! I go in to get my recipt, and I ask the store clerk and he said "P H" bought a couple lottery tickets and gas!
I mention it to Powerstroke guy and he just shrugs and says: "Yeah, maybe so but it's on his head now!"
There are just too many of them to blindly throw $5's at them.

That being said, a few years back I was in the process of filling up the two tanks in my old beat-up GMC gasser one night when a thin hispanic guy sitting in an old, dusty, chevy impala with Texas plates, approached me for enough gasoline to get home to Premont Tx... My first instinct was to rebuff him but something told me to hold my tongue and just listen...
He explained he had picked his elderly mom up from the Hosp where she had been admitted a few days previous. While he said he still had a little gas in his car, he had no more money to buy enough gas to safely try to make it all the way home again in one stretch. I had not a penny cash to my name that night and I explained I couldn't give him cash since I was using a gas card, but I could put SOME gas in his tank if he could back up within reach of the hose. After I topped off my truck, I started filling his car. I could see "granny", propped up in the back seat of the car, was quite frail and had those unique plastic hospital ID "bracelets" on her arm. Even before it started approaching 10gallons, he kept saying that was MORE than enough, and I didn't need to put any more in as it would safely get him home with what he already had in the tank... As I pumped gas, we talked and I could tell by this time he appeared truly sincere and was embarrased to beg and was apparently just caught in a really tough situation. So, I kept filling it up until it clicked off. All the while, he kept thanking me profusely and said I didn't need to put that much in for his trip to the valley. I would have filled up his other tank if he had one...
Those truly in need are not haughty lying schemers like "P H" above. I was taught a lesson that night that there are some out there that really ARE in a tight spot and NEED the generosity of others to make it by. The problem is there are so many of those like "P H" that make it tougher on spotting those that are truly in need.

K

 

I have offered to give one a case of lead poisoning if he didn't back the eff up from my truck.

 

You have a truck?
(Okay, we're even now...)

 

Its as much truck as just about any other 1/2 ton truck on the market 5 years ago.

 

My son was at a burger drive-thru the other day. Saw a panhandler approaching, so my son rolled his window down and asked the guy if he had 50 cents he could borrow.

The guy was stuned!

 

ok i got a couple of stories, first and latest;

some bum rings my doorbell at midnight 2 nights ago and asks for money, i told him i have no money but i can give you food, he says no i need it for gas, so i said i got a red tank of gas full you want it, NO, i rather just get some money if you dont mind, i said how about some beer, yea ill take it, so i says wait a minute ill go get it, i call the cops go out with him with a six pack in my hand and stall him until the cops get there.

about 3 years ago, i was at a dairy queen drive thru when a bum comes up to my window to ask for money, i said i dont have any sorry. i proceed to order and my wife tells me what is that guy doing back there, i look back and he is peeing on my tire, i get out with a baton in my hand and he runs across the street with pants around his ankles, funniest thing i ever saw.

 

this one is freaking original, i need to use it, mind if i borrow that line

 

You are darn lucky you didn't get car (truck) jacked!! What would have stopped this guy from knocking you in the head, kick you out of your truck in the hot desert and drive off in your $40k truck??

 

If they really need help, there are shelters and soup kitchens that are available to help them. If you want to help then my suggestion is to go donate your time or money at one of the many many organizations that really try to help the needy.

It may make you feel good to give some money to one of these bums.....but it is because of people like you giving to them that they ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT STOP.


I don't take humor from their "suffering". I take anger with them for making our cities look bad, placing themselves and others in danger, littering, urinating and defecating in public, committing petty and major crimes, and generally being a nuisance.

I just know that help is available for them if they want it. They don't want that kind of help. They want YOU and OTHERS to keep enabling their freeloading lifestyle of drugs and booze and no responsibility. I hope you consider that next time you try to "help" one of these bums. They are like stray cats and will never go away as long as bleeding hearts keep falling for their con games and giving them what they want.

 

I understand this point of view, and I beleive that 99% of the time you are right. I am not arguing your point, but I also know that there are people that run onto hard times and could use a hand. I also know that I won't starve because I gave ~$2-3 to someone else. Also, out here in the sticks, shelters and soup kitchens are a ways away, and beggers are much less common than in urban areas.If I encourage scammers, I am sorry, but maybe I did help someone.


Again, I am not trying to start an argument, just playing devil's advocate a little bit and expressing my view.

 

LJ, I apologize for coming across a little strong in my argument too. I wasn't intending to call you out. I just wanted to strongly press my point that giving these bums a buck or two does more harm than good.

See, I am a police officer with a tremendous amount of experience in dealing with these bums. I know you mean well. You are a good guy just trying to help your fellow mankind. But I am telling you.....as somebody who sees the other side of it.......you are misled.

Good luck and God Bless. and can you spare a dollar?

 

Case A:
I've watched an exit ramp "beggar" near my house walk into the local gas station bathroom after his "shift" was over, change clothes, and walk out with his 'normal' street clothes, climb into his car and drive off.

Case B:
Friend of my Wife worked as a bank teller.
She told us of one 'Beggar" who would walk into the bank where she worked every day and deposit $200-$300 in change and small bills in his savings account.
Just something to think about.

 

It's tough because you want to help people, but you don't want to encourage any bad behavior.

I generally pass on giving cash. If they are hungry, they will eat my stale turkey sandwich.... yeah, that's the same one I eat every day.

Spend some time traveling the country and you will get people banging on your window in the middle of the night ... I MEAN LIKE 3AM when you are fast asleep... asking for cash. 1 hour later the same idiot will bang on your window. This one made me really mad....

Fell for the fuel thing once, although I went into the store with him, and paid for it myself. $5 on pump #whatever. Not sure if that makes any difference.

This brings the question what are you doing this year for Christmas to help others. I am writing a check to a non-profit my wife's family picked but it doesn't really feel like I am doing much. Easy to write a check and forget about it.

 

The bums over on this side of the pond will either just sit on the cold sidewalk with a pathetic look on their face and hold their hand out (not saying anything) or they will actually do something to entertain you ...one guy that I saw downtown plays the harp. He's dang good too !! Another one (possibly more than one) will get dressed up in big fancy, formal dress and paint his/herself solid gold or silver ..... and then pose like a statue for the picture-takers. They are very cordial and thank everyone who donates.
We have jugglers and musicians and artists ... you name it.

I don't have a problem dropping a few coins to those types ... sure hate the "Will work for food" beggars.

"Oh yeah ... you say you will work for food ??? well I just happen to have a ham sammich and a 3 story house that needs painted ... you interested ??"

PISTOL