I can truly relate to your feelings. I lived in a city and came across all sorts of beggars, with all types of stories. Boy did I get burned a lot before I started to learn how they all operated. Half of beggars are mentally ill and may have addictions. Those people should not even be on the street. They can get SSI and have a payee take care of them. They need help from the community. Others are stone cold Drug or alcohol addicts. I really don’t feel sorry for them. They can make up the most creative lies to try and get your sympathy. Like you said the “proper bums” that are out on their luck, or struggling to get back on their feet, are ignored the help they need with a donation, because the street CONS have taken for granted that they can benefit by pretending that they are good people, who are struggling through no fault of their own. Good article!

Seems things aren’t so didn’t there across the sea than here. I didn’t think you came across harsh at all, and not condescending either. Good piece.

giving alms to the needy is fine but with people who’re obviously making it a source of living or worst,making it a way to finance their vices-it’s certainly not,thta’s why i always make it a point that the alms I am giving goes to people who really needs it,

Good work, i was once in london and saw 2 men exchanging places at teh end of thier \’shift\’, one got off of an expensive bike and gut under the blanket and the other man went off on the bike and it sickend me, they must make a fortune by conning people

I love this.
I’m from New York, and I’ve seen just about everything. The guy who every morning claimed his house had burned down the previous night, and needed diaper money. The guy who needed gas money to get home and, curiously, was always out of gas in the same place, each week. It’s a numbers game they know how to play. In a big town, you can find a lot of new suckers. But as you said, it jades us for when the truly needy ask for help. And that’s a shame.

I must admit that I live in a small town. I have never lived in a big city. However, I have traveled much in my life, and seen the \”will work for food\” \”homeless and broke\” \”just lost my job\” \”help me get home\” signs. I used to give these people money. Not much, just a few dollars. However, I this changed after I was sitting at a red light and was approached by a man claiming he was a vet and didnt have anything to eat. I gave him a five dollar bill and expected to see him head off to Mc\’d\’s. But, no he sat back down and pulled out a carton of cig\’s from his backpack. I remember thinking if he had 40 bucks for a carton of smokes, then why the hell did I just give him five dollars that i actually really needed. I am still a soft heart, but now I go and buy the burger and bring it back to the person. I never give them money anymore.

I do understand what you are saying. I got to a point where I wouldn’t give them the money, but offered to pay for their bus ticket, or phone call, or even a meal – but they never took it – always some excuse why they needed the money. Of course for alcohol and drugs.

There is a bigger issue though – these people are still left on the crap heap of society – they have a problem, and I like most people lose perspective of this when, like you Phill, we are barraged with the same lame excuses from them. As a society we need to be doing more to help these people – truly help them! No matter how you look at it – it is a horrible existence.

Interesting story which has provoked a great response, I think this kind of experience is universal.

Thought provoking article, great use of words for pulling the readers in. At some point I think we all have experinced some sort of begger agenda.

Very interesting. In these hard times it’s hard to know who is in need and who makes a career of begging.I try to carry a few apples, a box of crackers and a jar of peanut butter in the car at all times. If I am asked for money I hand them the bag. I’m always afraid the person might be in need. About a mile from our complex someone has a makeshift tent set up in the woods just off the road and I know he has to be in need. In our part of the woods many are without work. I have a son out of work and another one who is on short time. You never know when it will strike home.

I like the word career beggar. good article.

You really do write what most people only dare to think. Very interesting way to put things. I totally agree that as long as a begger has the right to choose to do this as his job you also have the right to choose whether or not to give him or her money. I remembered watching a begger that used to pretend he was taking money to help one of the causes. I saw him take the money out of the donations box to pay for his lunch and travel by train. I always used to see him everyday when I was traveling to college, it was his full-time job. Begging has become a business for some, and a way to get by in life. I suppose the question to ask is this, is this really anything different compared to the way other types of business takes money from the average man and the way tax is utilized? There are various ways of bleeding money out of a person, just that if a person is wearing a business suit they are considered more eligable than a begger who never baths or cleans their teeth.

Personally, I donate to local food banks. To give to the individual (unless you know them) is not helping anyone: your rewarding their actions. There is no incentive to get cleaned up and apply for a job if you make more, tax free, on the street. That said, mental illness lands many folks on the street to fend for themselves. Tough problem, but like I said I’d rather support local food banks and shelters than the individual. Now, I sound harsher than you!
Thanks,
Clay

you have done really well to display this to bring it to attention!

I understand totally, it gets really irritateing but at the same time i feel really bad for them. I live in one of the fastest failing cities in the world (Totally my opinion) and i see it alot.

Very good and appropriate rant. Some people seem to be habitually exploiting other people’s benevolence. On the other hand, if we harden our hearts and start becoming really selfish, it’s our loss. You can never tell when misery strikes home to you. Ranting helps, especially if it’s something we, as individuals can’t do anything about.

Inspite the fact that I live in a small town in Georgia I see a lot of this. I think the breaking point for me was when one came into my job where I was a third shift waitress at the time working for pennies to support my son and claimed his car was broke down up the road. I watched my co-workers give him what little they had. Two weeks later I was at the grocery store across the street from my job with my then baby son. I was out of uniform. He didn’t recognize me and gave me the same story. When I called him on it he ran pretty quick. So I understand where you are coming from.