Panhandlers

[agrahlma]

How do you deal with panhandlers - especially the aggressive ones?

[wolverine]

I just say I don't carry cash. Sometimes, I'll have change ready and even just 35-50 cents is enough for them to be satisfied and move on.

[firstandten]

Not recommended for everybody, but depending on how I feel I'll tell them if they don't get out of my face I will kick their ass in no uncertain terms.

[Crumbled_pavement]

I just say I don't carry cash. Sometimes, I'll have change ready and even just 35-50 cents is enough for them to be satisfied and move on.

I gave a panhandler a penny one time. I don't think he was too happy with that.

[Gsgeorge]

I totally ignore every panhandler that approaches me. If you give them an inch they try to take a mile, so I literally do not answer, do not entertain their questions, do not even look at them, and just keep walking. It works every time. Some people find it hard to just ignore a human being right in your face, but after a few years of being conned by these guys and dealing with their fake stories and agressive behavior, I've had enough and now I choose to not even acknowledge their presence.

Also I love this one: "Do you have 33 cents for bus fare?" or "do you have 17 cents?" Where do they get these insane numbers? Like I'm gonna be like, "oh yeah buddy, it's your lucky day, I just happen to have exactly one quarter, one nickel, and three pennies in my pocket with your name on it." The stories for bus fare are fake 95% of the time; they just want money for booze or drugs. I have absolutely no sympathy. Stop harassing people and spend your energy at the unemployment office or doing something useful for your community.

[Django]

It completely depends on my mood. Some days Im walkin in the store to get a coupla 40s or a bottle and I feel the guys need for a buzz so Ill give him a buck. Other days Ive got nothin.

Its to simple minded to think that they chose that life of being addicted. Karma rules all, and someday I might not be so fortunate to be able to afford my drugs.

It really depends on my mood though, if a buck outta my pocket can help a bro get off and I have an extra to spare no prob, I helped someone get what they wanted/needed.

[Meddle]

I have absolutely no sympathy.

At least they're asking. Would you rather they just knock you down and take it or break into your car?

[Wingnatic]

I remember seeing a report on tv [[maybe Channel 7 hidden camera) of a panhandler , when the person was done panhandling for the day they walked around the corner and got into Lincoln and drove off lol ! I'm sure most of the panhandlers don't own a Lincoln or even a car , but it makes you wonder when maybe 10 years ago when I saw it on tv the economy was good .

[socks_mahoney]

Sometimes I say yes and give them some change or a buck, and sometimes I say no. It really depends on my mood and they're schtick. If someone tells me they need money for booze i'm likely to appreciate the honesty and give it to them. Or not. Really just depends. I don't give money to anyone who looks like they are smoking crack. Putting your money into the crack economy is like flushing it down the drain.

In either case I always look them in the eye and treat them like a human being, I say yes, no, sorry, or call them my brother. Homeless folks deserve to feel like humans too. Besides, if you recognize someone and just say no they are much less likely to harass you or, worse, hurt you.

[ghettopalmetto]

When they ask me for money, I start speaking to them in Polish. That usually gets them to piss off pretty quickly.

[gnome]

it depends ... but usually I speak german to them. More times than not, that ends the discussion.

[Django]

Ive recently noticed a little scam. Ill walk into a party store and a dude will walk up and be all excited "Hey man, how you been?I havent seen you in a long time, whats goin on" When I dont recognize them and ask them where we know eachother from they get real quiet, usually say "you know, down the street" or something vague like that, basically depending on the common idea that all brothers look the same to white ppl. It sometimes ends with them asking for a few bucks and a story but other times he will walk away frustrated that that the game didnt play..

[Russix]

How do you deal with panhandlers - especially the aggressive ones?

Just ignore them. I know it sounds rude, but it's pretty damn rude to hustle people as they try to enjoy their daily lives. If you engage them, you only encourage the aggression, if you give them some change, they'll always pick you out of a crowd to hustle you some more.

[sturge]

When they ask me for money, I start speaking to them in Polish. That usually gets them to piss off pretty quickly.

LOL yeah, my wife's grandparents came down from Sweden. I took them to a Tiger's game and of course we started getting hit up a lot. So they only responded in Swedish. That really confused them.

[yaktown]

I used to give them all my Canadian change. Can't do that any more though, damn loonie is worth more than American!

[East Detroit]

Reminding these sub-human panhandlers and bums, many of whom have the audacity to not get themselves mental health help, that I have a busy life of posting online and gorging myself of all America has to offer usually makes me feel pretty good about myself. Then I hop in my Toyota and sprint off to Walmart where I giggle inside about all the deals I just picked up for myself while those jerk homeless can't live this high life because they or their stupid families weren't smart enough to plan ahead.

Once in a great, great while I may feel a twinge of subconscious guilt but that is pushed back down by reminding myself and everyone around me that the guy interfering with my high profile celebrity life is probably just lazy or is pretending and is actually making more money than me. The reassurance I get from knowing it would never happen to me is enough to keep that swagger in my stride as I'm off to the next important thing that I do for me. I keep this in mind when I toss the mailings from Gleaners and Forgotten Harvest in the garbage.

Or instead of playing stupid games or being an asshole...
I just politely say, "Sorry, not today" which works wonders.

[Crumbled_pavement]

Reminding these sub-human panhandlers and bums, many of whom have the audacity to not get themselves mental health help, that I have a busy life of posting online and gorging myself of all America has to offer usually makes me feel pretty good about myself. Then I hop in my Toyota and sprint off to Walmart where I giggle inside about all the deals I just picked up for myself while those jerk homeless can't live this high life because they or their stupid families weren't smart enough to plan ahead.

Once in a great, great while I may feel a twinge of subconscious guilt but that is pushed back down by reminding myself and everyone around me that the guy interfering with my high profile celebrity life is probably just lazy or is pretending and is actually making more money than me. The reassurance I get from knowing it would never happen to me is enough to keep that swagger in my stride as I'm off to the next important thing that I do for me. I keep this in mind when I toss the mailings from Gleaners and Forgotten Harvest in the garbage.

Or instead of playing stupid games or being an asshole...
I just politely say, "Sorry, not today" which works wonders.

I really enjoyed this post. I still might give a penny to the next panhandler that walks up to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed this post nonetheless.

[oldredfordette]

This thread has made me sad and depressed, and explains why I don't come here very often any more. Mean spirited, cruel, malicious.

[bartock]

If I don't get the bus fare request [[which I don't respond to), and if I'm heading into or near to a store, I will sometimes ask the person if they want something from inside. In two years of doing this many times I can only recall two occassions where someone actually asked for something instead of declining the offer and asking for cash again. One time was a Gatorade; the other, a Coke.

[Crumbled_pavement]

If I don't get the bus fare request [[which I don't respond to), and if I'm heading into or near to a store, I will sometimes ask the person if they want something from inside. In two years of doing this many times I can only recall two occassions where someone actually asked for something instead of declining the offer and asking for cash again. One time was a Gatorade; the other, a Coke.

I was walking into a KFC one time and a guy approaches me and begs for money for something to eat. So I tell him I'll get him something to eat, but I don't give out money. He said okay until we got into the KFC and then he wanted me to get him something across the street from White Castle. Now I'm supposed to walk with him across the street to get him something from White Castle when he was bumming in front of KFC? I told him no, that if he wanted something to eat I'd get him KFC. I did, but the look on his face when I gave him the food pretty much said he wasn't pleased at all. I guess I'll have to be one of these meanies that drive people off this board, but I'll give out pennies before I get dictated to about how I'm going to spend my hard earned but limited amount of money.

[laphoque]

I say, "no, sorry." Polite and short. If they want to cop an attitude I escalate too. But the "no, sorry," is usually enough.

[gazhekwe]

On recognizing humanity, I do believe it helps whether I say no or give them a quarter or a dollar, to smile and look them in the face. I've had a couple of people ask for my leftovers coming out of Greektown. I always have lots of leftovers, too. Those I give up with a smile. Most of the time I say, 'Sorry, no' or "Not today' when they ask for money, but if they aren't buzzing my jive alarm I might give out some change or a dollar. When I worked downtown, I always put some change in my pockets for the panhandlers, but would walk all different ways to keep from meeting the same ones all the time.

[Neilr]

I never give cash to panhandlers. [[I do often give a dollar or two to buskers – but, to me, they're in a very different category.)
My response when asked for cash is to look him/her in the eye and say, "Thank you sir/ma'am; but not today." And I keep on walking. This works for me.

[ghettopalmetto]

This thread has made me sad and depressed, and explains why I don't come here very often any more. Mean spirited, cruel, malicious.

Sorry. I'm not paying tens of thousands of dollars in student loans, and busting my ass how many dozens of hours per week to support anyone and everyone I encounter on the street.

Yes, many panhandlers are homeless and have some severe mental issues and/or addictions. Then there are those who try to bullshit you with some ridiculous sob story, or flat-out refuse to work because they "don't like people telling me what to do" [[I've actually been told that by a panhandler before).

I'll buy someone a meal if he's hungry, but I refuse to give cash. It's just a sad fact of reality that not everyone is as decent as we'd like to imagine them.

[beanietek]

for years i had money taken out of my gm paycheck each month for my "charitable donation" to a well know major charity only to find out on the news one day that the president of the charity was lining his own pockets with donated money - i would much rather give a couple of bucks to "hobo joe" on the street and cut out the middelman - but that's just me.