Homeless Peple on the Street

[Saw11_2000]

You walk by a homeless person on the street. What do you do and why?

 

[Ori]

Sometimes I give money, other times I walk by, but I have never insulted a homeless person and I never would. What do you do?

 

[jimbob]

It kinda depends. if you can see the person is stoned or drunk, there is no way i'll give them money, cause they'll just spend it on drugs or alchohol instead of food or shelter. otherwise i'll ussually give them money or some food.

 

[Saw11_2000]

Sometimes I give money, other times I walk by, but I have never insulted a homeless person and I never would. What do you do?

I do the middle.

 

[BUDDY]

I don't give money, because I have no idea what they will do with it. I kind of have a little admiration for the homeless in Alaska. Not only do they have to survive the elements, but here in Anchorage they have to have a permit to beg on the street corners. Can you imagine the guts it would take to go into a state office and apply for a begging permit? I couldn't do it, I don't think.

 

[Melody]

We don't have homeless on our streets. The cops pick them up and take them to the homeless shelter. The few times I've run into homeless when I'm in Chicago or D.C., it's usually when they come up to me in the train station asking for money for food. I don't usually give money although I offer to buy them dinner.

 

[Ori]

We don't have homeless on our streets. The cops pick them up and take them to the homeless shelter. The few times I've run into homeless when I'm in Chicago or D.C., it's usually when they come up to me in the train station asking for money for food. I don't usually give money although I offer to buy them dinner.

I think thats probably the best course of action, at least you know you have done the best you can for them at the time.

 

[Snowbear]

I don't give money, because I have no idea what they will do with it. I kind of have a little admiration for the homeless in Alaska. Not only do they have to survive the elements, but here in Anchorage they have to have a permit to beg on the street corners. Can you imagine the guts it would take to go into a state office and apply for a begging permit? I couldn't do it, I don't think.

One of those goofy municapal ordinances passed a couple years ago was the one that made it illegal to give money to panhandlers :sarcastic Here in Anchorage, most of the begging is done on the corners of busy intersections.

Each year on the Friday before Labor day from 4-6 pm the Fire Dept does the "Fill The Boot" event in major intersections all over town (Money goes to Muscular Dystrophy Assoc.). We have to have a permit to do it and boy howdy do we mess up rush hour traffic for that afternoon! Most folks are pretty tolerant of it and some are quite generous.... but there are always a few who get pretty irate Last year at one of the intersections a couple of the homeless guys took off their own boots and tried to hone in on some of the charity money. The cops put a stop to that.

As for the homeless.... Usually I'm driving, not walking. Encounters almost always mean someone called 911 for someone passed out in the bushes or on the sidewalk. Unless they have an actual medical need, the cops or the CSP van gives 'em a ride to the sleep-off shelter.

 

[Druidus]

I invite them over for supper. Or give them money. Or both.

Even if they do buy drugs or alcohol, at least you've put some small pleasure in their lives.

 

[ayani]

i've noticed something both interesting and sad that corresponds to the socond poll option.

when people assume you are homeless (this has happened before) they will literally either stare right through you or jerk their faces away. as if your presence represented something so alien, scary, or embarassing they were compelled to forcefully look away.

i can't do that to other people- it seems anything but natural. i'll give them some eye contact and a brief apology if i don't have anything on me, a few coins if i do.

 

[Druidus]

i've noticed something both interesting and sad that corresponds to the socond poll option.

when people assume you are homeless (this has happened before) they will literally either stare right through you or jerk their faces away. as if your presence represented something so alien, scary, or embarassing they were compelled to forcefully look away.

i can't do that to other people- it seems anything but natural. i'll give them some eye contact and a brief apology if i don't have anything on me, a few coins if i do.

I agree. People who attempt to do that (and I mean no offense) disturb and sicken me. How can a person ignore a living being in need?

 

[Fat Old Sun]

I was homeless for four months, and it changed the way I look at the situation and the people in it.

Sometimes I give money, sometimes I don't. When a character better known as 'Crackhead Gary' asked for money, which was every time he spoke to somebody, I would call him on his bluff. When he said he needed it for food, I offered to buy him lunch. When he said he needed it for the bus so he could get across town to see his kids, I offered him a ride. He never took me up on anything I offered.

Big Al on the other hand, liked his beer. He was a nice guy. He would sit and talk to people, tell stories and jokes, and most of the time didn't ask for a dime. Every once in a while, Big Al would come up to me and say, "You got 15 cents? The store closes in less than 10 minutes, and I need 15 more cents to get a beer." I gave Al his 15 cents, and he got his beer. Honesty goes a long way with me.

 

[Majikthise]

I see a alot of homeless people whenever I visit Boston. I usually will drop them a few coins or a buck if I've got it handy.My friends always give me hell when I do it citing that he could be going back to his limo after begging for the day.Oh well, I'm a sucker.

 

[Saw11_2000]

im sirry if i offended anyone, i dindt mean to do that. seems like lots of people are giving money to the peopele, which is good. frubals to everyones.!!!! HA!

 

[andyjamal]

I believe we shouldn't support people who choose not to work, and beg for a living. But, how are we supposed to know; should we ask? I almost always give to beggars when I have something to spare, even when I probably shouldn't. Having been homeless myself, I find it difficult to say no.

 

[Saw11_2000]

interesting and well thoughted out ill give u some frubles.

wat if the person is obviusly a crack addict....etc. would u give em stuff then?

 

[Majikthise]

What's obvious about a crack addict.......SAW!! WAKE UP!!WAKE UP!!!


Just coverin' your back man.

 

[Saw11_2000]

lol ive seen peeple so look like crack addicts, i wouldnt give em money cyz then they would buy more drugs. badbadbad

 

[Majikthise]

lol ive seen peeple so look like crack addicts, i wouldnt give em money cyz then they would buy more drugs. badbadbad

What's bad? Drugs or not giving them money?

 

[Saw11_2000]

then buyung dryfs insstread of like food and stuff.