Homeless people

[phil]

I was walking down a road in London today and a man was sitting on the curb in a sleeping bag. It was covered with bird shit etc. He asked me for some money, but I didnt give him any. Is it wise to give money to homeless people? I always think back to the story from the bible where its says it's better to teach a man to fish so he can get his own food. What do you do, when the man knows how to get food but can't afford any?

[tsr_robban]

i always try to give small change wich i dont need anyway. i have a big jar of coins at home.
i dont care if it goes to liqour or drugs as i think it often do.
is it right ? i dont know. i cant stop and tell him not to drink or whatever.

[invisibleplanet]

The asking for change by street dwellers has always filled me with a response which I feel I should quell at all costs. I don't think they want the comparison to their own great need for a change in their circumstances 'preaching' to them, but once I did tell one person some relevant welfare benefits advice, and walk them round to the local Housing Aid Office. They seemed quite pleased, but a little shell-shocked by this.

[spencer]

Buy the big issue. Its a way of helping homeless people help themselves.

[thetonewrecker]

If I give some change, I'll always ask for some words of wisdom first. You'd be amazed at what you hear!

[spencer]

Hey there invisible planet. There is allways a reason that people end up homeless. Fucked up life when younger. End up hopelessy addicted to drugs or alcohol and then cant cope with life and end up on street. They need support not hand outs. The resources just arnet there though.

[JE:5]

Give them some money to perform crazy stunts like Rufus the stunt bum.

[invisibleplanet]

I don't doubt there's a reason, but they ask for change from us, because they don't have the power to bring this about themselves.

When I said I felt I must quell my natural response, it's because I doubt they want me to gush philosophy at them, so I control myself and try a different tack.

[owain_k]

Me thinks helping people to help themselves is one of the best ways forward and the Big Issue certainly do a grand job in my opinion, simple because they provide the means to help individuals break the cycle of dependency and re-establish some kind of sense of
self-worth in the process of doing so....

[LEFTHANDLOU]

I usually pay up, but it depends on the person. The older, handicaped, or mentaly troubled folks will get my change everytime. I really don't care wat they do with it, thats not my choice, I'm simply trying to help someone in need. If they want to use it on drugs, then thats on them.

Now on the other hand these young motherfuckers who are younger and healthier than me and are panhandeling get the ballzak. You get no loot from me. get your shit together while you still have time. As i mentioned in the past, I went to school in Oregon, and there is a scary number of teenage beggars there that just rather beg than get a job. fuck that, get the fuck out my face with that shit.

[piscaries]

:!

[7875]

yeah, here in P town there seems to be an overabundance of gutter punks and crusties who sit on the sidewalk, beg for change and then curse you when you dont have a cent. what i wonder is, how can they still afford to have a dog and/or continually buy cigarettes?
once i was on a lunch break and went into a convienient store to get some water. when i came out this guy was standing out front and said "hey, you got any change?" i gave him my last dime, that was all i had. nothing more. then he says "gee, thanks, a whole dime." muthafucker. here i am with some shit job, on a break from shit job, have only a dime left, i give it to this dickhead and then he gives me guff about it.

[Small Paul]

I reckon the best idea if you don't want to see your money going on booze and drugs is buy them some food and give it to them. At least you know you're helping them that way. Although I've done this before and you should have heard the abuse I got.

[platinumray]

i don't give them anything unless i know them. at first i felt unkind but so many people work shit jobs and pay their own way. why should you reward apathy? many junkies/drunkards have a go at you i you don't cough up any money which makes me glad that i don't give them anything. the big issue is the way forward for sure. have you noticed how most big issue sellers (not beggars) are nice to you even when you don't buy it from them.

[pille'ocheoni]

i always thought the same thing in portland. squatters everywhere. id help a couple, and then i might not help some. my concern is not for their peace of my but my peace of mind. i also become very sinical about the issue, but find myself being pleasingly humble sometimes too. i grew up around these people wanting something for free and not willing to give anything back. everyone has the right to better themselves. and not saying i would never help anyone and i have, but the fact of useless money going a to a useless cause, puzzles me. now if i gave hundred dollar bills and million dollar checks that would be a differnt issue all in its self. my dream since a little boy is to go to the major cities and give away thousand dolllar bills to random people, never caring if it was a rich man or a poor man, just the act of giving. death and poverty is not scary to me, neither is money and life. its all cycles, and how ever you choose to go about that is your choice.

[decadnids]

I have known quite a lot of people who have squated, get benefits, and beg. most are ex-trustafarians...

there are homeless people that need help, it is a shame that a load of blaggers see an oportunity to do fuck all.

[arar]

Not all people begging on the streets are homeless, and there are plenty of homeless, (though not necessarily roofless) people, who dont beg, anyone can end up homeless..I did for a very short period of time (I was illegally evicted whilst I was out of my house and my stuff left outside) and it was bloody scary..one of the scarist things that has ever happened to me

[wheezer]

Originally posted by arar
I was illegally evicted whilst I was out of my house and my stuff left outside and it was bloody scary..one of the scarist things that has ever happened to me

that does sound seriously fucked up! how did you get things cleared up?

[ischo]

a friend of mine's a "homeless" or "drunk-bastards" photographer in Hamburg. he buys beers for them, gets drunk and ends up taking loads of pix of the bums performing all sorts of more-or-less funny activities. the sickest pic he has is a shot where some junk-head pumps the needle right in his, err, *halsschlagader* (the arteria in the neck)

sick

[arar]

@ wheezer, well my stuff was in the street, luckily I didnt have that much so I got it dumped at someone's I knew for a while...althought illegal eviction in Scotland is actually a criminal offence (carrying a £5000 fine potentially), your average police division's knowledge or interest in such matters was then (15 or 16 years ago) very limited...There wasnt really much comeback against the person responsible I just had to put that one down to experience....I slept on couches for a while until through a process of fixing up people's bicycles (I kid you not) I got an offer of a room in a flat..which was fine I ended up staying for 12 years! Being homeless is crap and put a lot of things in perspective..ho hum..ironically several years later I was threathened with arrest for trying to stop the illegal eviction of one of my friends...I hope that our local polis are a bit more clued up nowadays..

[mr franks]

i used to give change to homeless, then i moved to brighton and the amount of smackheads put me off. give to charity instead.

[amble]

i often give some money to street musicians or artists or anyone doing something creative. but only if i like what they're doing.

as for people just begging, i usually give them nothing. i bought some kind of homeless people' newspaper a few times, i would maybe give more if i had more money myself (being the music/film addict that i am is expensive enough).

one thing fucks me off though: i saw it various times that dozends of beggars were stepping out of a van or something and placed themselves on a rewarding position, all looking more dead than alive but kind of faked. that sucks!

a funny thing is watching people walking past of homeless. they usually stare at them while they are still a few steps away and look in another direction when they pass them.

[Sheridan]

for me it really depends on the situation. a few years ago when I had a steady job making good money I was a bit more inclined to give away a few bucks if the person was cool. now that I am in a transitional period and really needing to save my pennies I probably wont give them anything. I'll help if I can. but then it really depends on who it is. Washington DCs homeless population are for the majority extremely mentally ill. meaning suffering from schitzophrenia, etc. so a lot of times it is really best to just keep away from them for saftey reasons. that and a lot of them are on crack so their behaviour can be quite eratic.
and to what was posted before: don't bother giving your money to charity. only 2% of all donations go to the cause you are trying to help. look for more grassroots charities in your own town. or volunteer, you can make a bigger impact that way.

[wheezer]

@arar

crazy stuff...

@topic
I think the most uplifting experience I've had is the toughest game of thumbwar EVER, on ghb with a bum once. we had good fun, but I defended my title as thumbwar master in the end.

[jukka]

Originally posted by tsr_robban
i always try to give small change wich i dont need anyway. i have a big jar of coins at home.
i dont care if it goes to liqour or drugs as i think it often do.
is it right ? i dont know. i cant stop and tell him not to drink or whatever.

i am with you on this one____it makes all a bit easier for the person....even if he buys alcohol, so he maybe fall asleep easier.
i just don't give any money to all the h-junkies !!