Outrageous Panhandlers

[JonSnow4President]

I don't want this to be about the ethics or implications of panhandlings and the failings of society vs that individual.  Instead, my drive home made me wonder about other people's experiences with outrageous panhandlers.  

Getting off the interstate, I pulled up to the intersection and there was a relatively young man (early 30's), who appeared to be in perfect health.  I'm about the third car back.  Once a few cars settle in and get stopped at this particularly long red light, he starts snaking back and forth between the two left turn lanes, walking up to the window of each car.  At the car in front of me to the right, he spends several seconds banging on the window and signalling for them to roll the window down.  When they don't, he walks around the passenger side of my car, and loops back behind me.  

I get a little worried about this point, because he slips his hand inside his jacket, and starts walking up to my window with his hand in his jacket.  When he gets out to my window, he pulls out an Iphone 6 with a picture of his child on it.  He actually incorporated his Iphone 6 into his routine.  

Has anyone else come across anything that just didn't fit right in a similar situation?

[JonCon's Red Beard]

There was a girl who asked for money in a main avenue close home. She carried a baby with her. Always. She was there for years with a baby that never grew.

(she was later found in a club at night, having fun. We stopped giving her money)

 

[Hutch]

I live in a relatively small town, and you constantly see the pan handlers in the bars and casinos. Its one thing if they're honest. One guy in town always has a sign reading "just need beer money". I'll gladly throw him a buck or two once in awhile. The ones that get me are " single mother of two. Anything helps. God bless" then you find her buying her boyfriend shots in the bar a few hours later. We've even got one guy in town that rolls around in a wheelchair, until he's had his fill, and will just casually get up and stroll to his car. Things like that make it tough to try to want to help anyone.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

 The Iphone 6 is a bad move. Reminds me of this guy who always sets up at the side entrance of our local Target. He wears camo and has a dog and is kind of working the old combat vet vibe. The parking lot is huge, so no one parks on that end, as it is the furthest from the store itself. Everytime he's there, there is an immaculate, late model, black escalade parked about 25 yards away. The only time I see any car parked out there is when he's working that exit.

[MercenaryChef]

i often give whatever i have in my pockets to panhandlers as i walk around dc. to not hand someone a dollar or some change when i can in fact spare it seems callous. 

mind you this is a new thing for me. when i lived in portland, oregon i rarely helped out. i was younger and had a few bad experiences with the needy.

once it was a dude with a dog holding a sign asking for food for his pooch. i walked into a nearby store bought a bag of dog food and walked back to give it to him. the dude was not happy at all. it was obvious he would have preferred the money. 

another time after a 14 hour day at work i stopped by a liquor store for some beer (it was a bomber of lagunitas ipa, i have no idea why i recall this) a couple young gutterpunks asked me for some money outside the store. i simply said 'no.' the kid of about 18 or so told me 'no need to be rude.' it set me off. i started yelling at them. i certainly said some things about 'get a fucking job. fuck you' etc. 

the willingly homeless you experience in some cities is something very interesting to me. 

[The Fallen]

Not a smart move, with the iPhone. Although maybe he's claiming he's recently unemployed?

Growing up in a poor neighborhood kind of desensitizes you to panhandling. You come across so many of them that you just ignore them and walk right past them.

Now that I'm older I'll give spare change to whoever happens to ask. It doesn't matter whether it's for beer, drugs, or whatever. I also don't worry too much about whether the person is lying or not. If it's blatant that they're bullshitting then I won't give them anything. Otherwise, it doesn't matter to me.

I also had an experience with a homeless guy on the train that gave me a different view of the homeless. I was riding the 1 train home and had a couple of bucks in my pocket. This homeless guy gets on and sits on the floor near the doors that lead to the next train car. I'm just watching him out of interest. He pulls out a foot-long Subway sandwich, catches me staring at him, and offers me half. (I was coming from work and looked a little rough so maybe he thought I was also homeless?) I politely declined, but was touched by his generosity. So I gave him my last two bucks and he was psyched about that. So I will happily give my spare change to people who ask.

[Theda Baratheon]

I feel so bad walking through the city and kind of ignoring all the people asking for change but I work 15 hours a week and like...just stopped being a student and don't really have the money to give...and then I might buy myself a starbucks every once in awhile?  I ignore anyone who talks to me when I'm walking to and from work anyway. I also never carry change and feel too awkward to buy someone something instead of giving them money in case that would annoy them.

[Dr. Pepper]

What's with the outrage about someone having a cell phone?  Panhandlers aren't official charities and they aren't employees.  There is no oversight over how they spend their money, nor means testing to determine what sort background an individual needs to beg for money from strangers.  There are all sorts of reasons one might pass judgement on panhandlers.  But a cell phone?  For fuck's sake.  Cell phones are practically necessities.  Nearly everyone has one.  Further, while some panhandlers do this in lieu of more typical employment, many are actually homeless.  It probably makes a big difference if they have a means with which to be contacted as well as a way to interact with the technological world.  This outrage is just one step away from being outraged that panhandlers are wearing clothes, or are bathed.  

 

[JonSnow4President]

Not a smart move, with the iPhone. Although maybe he's claiming he's recently unemployed?

Growing up in a poor neighborhood kind of desensitizes you to panhandling. You come across so many of them that you just ignore them and walk right past them.

Now that I'm older I'll give spare change to whoever happens to ask. It doesn't matter whether it's for beer, drugs, or whatever. I also don't worry too much about whether the person is lying or not. If it's blatant that they're bullshitting then I won't give them anything. Otherwise, it doesn't matter to me.

I also had an experience with a homeless guy on the train that gave me a different view of the homeless. I was riding the 1 train home and had a couple of bucks in my pocket. This homeless guy gets on and sits on the floor near the doors that lead to the next train car. I'm just watching him out of interest. He pulls out a foot-long Subway sandwich, catches me staring at him, and offers me half. (I was coming from work and looked a little rough so maybe he thought I was also homeless?) I politely declined, but was touched by his generosity. So I gave him my last two bucks and he was psyched about that. So I will happily give my spare change to people who ask.

If you have an Iphone 6, I'm not giving you a dime.  You're not at the desperation point (the cheapest used one on Amazon is $430, or about $400 after buying a cheap phone and putting your sim card in at target).  If you're not capable of making yourself an easy $400 bucks while still having everything you need to do, why should I give you any of my money, even if you are 100% legit?

 

[Dr. Pepper]

If you have an Iphone 6, I'm not giving you a dime.  You're not at the desperation point (the cheapest used one on Amazon is $430, or about $400 after buying a cheap phone and putting your sim card in at target).  If you're not capable of making yourself an easy $400 bucks while still having everything you need to do, why should I give you any of my money, even if you are 100% legit?

 

I paid a penny for my smartphone during a sale.  My SO's iphone costs them an extra $5 on their monthly bill as their provider offers the phone on credit with a contract.  I know a lot of people who receive certain electronic items as gifts.  

You don't have to give anyone money at all.  But this outrage over a fucking phone is absurd.  It's a cell phone, not a Lexus.  

[JonSnow4President]

I paid a penny for my smartphone during a sale.  My SO's iphone costs them an extra $5 on their monthly bill as their provider offers the phone on credit with a contract.  I know a lot of people who receive certain electronic items as gifts.  

You don't have to give anyone money at all.  But this outrage over a fucking phone is absurd.  It's a cell phone, not a Lexus.  

A phone you can sell for $400 bucks.  It's like someone owning a $30,000 truck, losing their job, and not selling it and driving a $5000 car, albeit on a smaller scale.  

I don't give them money, and outrage isn't the right word for this thread.  I'm more amused at the set of balls it takes to flash something one could easily sell for $400 bucks (net the cost of a replacement) as an added "selling point" to their begging.

[Dr. Pepper]

Selling things and buying cheaper isn't as cut and dry as you seem to think it is.  

But again, we aren't talking about a vehicle.  We're talking about a phone.  You know, a device people use to keep in contact with the world.  So they sell their phone for $400 and then, what?  Buy a slightly cheaper one for $375?  What if his phone is on contract and canceling the contract to buy a phone assholes approve of ends up making costing more money in the long run?  Or do you think that only certain types of people should have access to communications?  

There isn't means testing for panhandlers.  They can be poor, they can be addicts, they can be middle class people who make several hundreds a day at lucrative intersections because they find that type of work more enjoyable than other types of work.  There are all sorts of judgements you can make about panhandlers but this bullshit about them owning the basics is bullshit. 

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

I paid a penny for my smartphone during a sale.  My SO's iphone costs them an extra $5 on their monthly bill as their provider offers the phone on credit with a contract.  I know a lot of people who receive certain electronic items as gifts.  

You don't have to give anyone money at all.  But this outrage over a fucking phone is absurd.  It's a cell phone, not a Lexus.  

It's not the cost of the phone itself, it's the fucking plan. If you have $40-120 bucks a month to blow on a luxury (I'm sorry, but a cell phone is not a necessity, I've never owned one) then you don't need to be begging for money. Or at the very least, don't expect to get any from me. 

[JonSnow4President]

 

There isn't means testing for panhandlers.  They can be poor, they can be addicts, they can be middle class people who make several hundreds a day at lucrative intersections because they find that type of work more enjoyable than other types of work.  There are all sorts of judgements you can make about panhandlers but this bullshit about them owning the basics is bullshit. 

Please do not compare standing at a street corner asking people for handouts with the millions of hard working Americans who actually bust their asses trying to scrape together a living.  It's insulting.  

[Dr. Pepper]

It's not the cost of the phone itself, it's the fucking plan. If you have $40-120 bucks a month to blow on a luxury (I'm sorry, but a cell phone is not a necessity, I've never owned one) then you don't need to be begging for money. Or at the very least, don't expect to get any from me. 

So you have no way to communicate with the world?  I'm guessing you have internet. Perhaps a landline. A work phone. A stable residence with a mailing address.  You seem like you can afford to consider certain basic things luxuries.

If your assumption is that the people panhandling should be poor and in desperate need, then I'm guessing you're the sort who desires that panhandlers be also looking for work, then they are going to need a way to be contacted.  A phone of some sort is pretty important.  

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Please do not compare standing at a street corner asking people for handouts with the millions of hard working Americans who actually bust their asses trying to scrape together a living.  It's insulting.  

Right, because judging someone for how they choose to earn money or how they are forced to get money isn't insulting.   I don't particularly care for panhandling but I'm not going to pretend that it's not actually hard work nor am I going to pretend that someone who busts their ass on street corners is somehow a lesser being just because it's a nontraditional way to get money.  

[Tyrellius]

Jesus, its like fucking bizzaro world in here.

[All-for-Joffrey]

Honestly I hear about these supposed fake panhandlers all the time but it just doesn't jive up. I see people treat your average homeless person like shit and people usually refuse to give anyone money -- regardless of whether or not one has an iPhone6 -- so how much money can you actually make off of panhandling? It seems like you'd get very little profit at the cost of sacrificing your dignity -- seriously, if I became homeless and was reduced to panhandling, I'd have a very major shame complex and I don't see how I could ever do it voluntarily.  That's why I generally give panhandlers the benefit of the doubt, even though I hear these egregious stories all the time, but I've never encountered any myself. 

[Wise Fool]

This is a lot of right-wing outrage over the fact that poor people -- according to rich, right-wing pundits and politicians -- have it super good in the US. They eat "steak and lobster" using their unlimited EBT funds, they have "anchor babies" and live the high life off disability, they have working toilets or a refrigerator so they're "not really poor." In this case, the OP assumes someone with an iPhone is a lying liar and can't possibly need any of his hard, hard-earned money because the thing is worth X amount of money. Of course, the same, stupid, argument can be made for literally anything a homeless person might or might not have. I've seen homeless people with dogs - hey, sell the dog! No? NOT REALLY HOMELESS THEN! Homeless people with children -- hey, sell the child into slavery for a quick five hundred! No? NOT REALLY DESPERATE AT ALL THEN! I've seen poor people who -- get this -- have not just one, but TWO functioning legs. Pfft, like I'm supposed to believe a two-legged person can be poor. You can't fool me, poor people!

Basically the right wing collective delusional mindset requires that poor people (who would, ordinarily, be the recipients of all the love and care from self-proclaimed Christians) are actually evil and morally inferior, and therefore, undeserving of charity or even charitable thinking. Otherwise they'd have to actually care for the poor and the needy, which is of course out of the question for people who are Christians in name only and are actually worshiping money as if it were a god. No amount of facts or evidence (ie about how EBT actually works, about the amount of voter fraud in poor neighborhoods, or about the fucking reality of economics for the poor, or common sense, etc) can outweigh the psychological need for rationalization. 

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

So you have no way to communicate with the world?  I'm guessing you have internet. Perhaps a landline. A work phone. A stable residence with a mailing address.  You seem like you can afford to consider certain basic things luxuries.

If your assumption is that the people panhandling should be poor and in desperate need, then I'm guessing you're the sort who desires that panhandlers be also looking for work, then they are going to need a way to be contacted.  A phone of some sort is pretty important.  

 

I have internet, a phone at my work (not a cellphone), a stable residence with a mailing address, no landline. Yes, I can see how you would need a cellphone if you had no stable address, but you wouldn't need a smartphone. That's a luxury. If I was struggling to get three square meals a day, a smartphone would not be high on my list as far as necessities go.