Stop giving Kurado your change.

Skexis will like this one.

What are your views on giving bums money? Do you give them any, or do you act like they don`t exist and keep walking? What do you do with extra persistent beggars?

My view here has changed over the last few years since I first saw this thread. Nowadays I`ll give a bum a quarter or so if I have it. But he better be a humble motherfucker about it. If he tried to shine my SNEAKERS or any other favor before asking me if I can I`ll let him do what he wants and not give him shit for it. If he smells like piss or alcohol I won`t give him a damned thing either. If it`s female I can look past these things though.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Depends on why they are a bum. Honestly, I don't give money to bums even if I think they're on the street for a shitty reason (IE: got laid off, got kicked out, had no where to go).

I just find that a vast majority of homeless/broke/charity case people got themselves into the situation and expect everyone else to help them out of it.
I don't give money for the very reason that I assume they're going to buy drugs with it.
And I know that's a shitty thing to assume, but seriously, it happens. A lot.

How ya doing, buddy?

I tend not to give money to bums. They always look like the only things that keep them going is drugs and booze, yes I know that this is wrong of me and that some bums don't live for this stuff, but most do, so I tend not to give them the change for it.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I give my money out to people all the time when I see them asking for it, but I think I'll save it for people in other countries(Bolivia, anyone?).

Then tomorrow I'll see someone on the street and give a dollar...

Sometimes I pass right buy. But I don't do that a lot of times.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I live in a town where a man would play his guitar on the corner for change. He was such a part of the community you couldn't help but give him change.

He passed away not too long ago, though .

As for someone coming up and asking for money...I don't.

I was speaking idiomatically.

If someone is doing something to earn it, like playing guitar or offering some sort of service, and I had money, I'd give them some spare change or a dollar or whatever.

There was one time that I actually paid for a dinner for a bum and ate with him. That was quite an interesting experience and I felt kind of good doing it. I was in L.A. several years ago for E3 and I was starving after getting off of my flight. So I started walking towards Denny's and this guy asked me for money for food. I told him I was going to eat myself and asked if he wanted to come with me and I'd pay for him. I would do it again if given the chance and had the money.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

My parents always tell me that if they really are asking for money for a coffee, you might as well buy it for them to make sure they don't divergently waste it on drugs.
If I have change and if I see a bum (a stationary one though), then I'll donate it. Although if I get a slightly above decent paying job of my own in the future, then I'll be sure to give as much as possible. It seems to make me feel nice when the bum is genuinely appreciative.

FELIPE NO

Only occasionally do I give change or bills to guys who are just asking for it. I'm much more partial to clever signs or some demonstration of talent--not that they have to earn my money or anything, just that they need something to separate them from the numerous guys who just want a drink.

I give out to street performers fairly regularly if I like their schtick, but that's a whole 'nother category.

Oh, and the "treat a bum to dinner" idea is pretty cool; I might have to try that sometime.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I've never been asked. I'd give a homeless dude a few bucks, though. Even if it doesn't help at all in the long run, I've never been very good at saying no. I guess I'd become more discerning if I was asked all the time.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I've seen some awful looking homeless people since I've been in the Orlando area... and I really do feel bad for them but I stop and think of how hard I've worked for myself and I can't help but feel apathetic.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I get asked about 1 or 2 times everytime I go to a certain mexican restaurant in Augusta Georgia. They are usually humble, or try to offer me something in exchange for money. Im usually generous. If its just some bum, ill give them a 5 spot, but if its a wife and a kid, or something like that Ill drop a 20 on some ocassions.

I never give money to anyone who looks drugged out, or smells like alcohol. Ill make an excuse of some sort.

How ya doing, buddy?

It depends on my mood and if they look like they're just down on their luck or if they're just assholes.

When I was in China, my mom gave away all our cash to street beggers and by the 5th day, we were all out of cash and a million miles away from any American bank. Thanks mom, but I love her because she's got such a big heart.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I bought a bum a burrito once. I was behind him in line at Taco Bell and he seemed to want something to eat, but couldn't scrouge together the change. He seemed very grateful, and I felt good for about an hour.

I come from a town with a huge amount of drunkards who wander the streets, and you can bet they'll take any change they can get and use it towards alcohol. I've stood behind people like this at Albertson's, who buy the cheapest by volume liquor and pay in crumpled-up ones and coins. You can usually smell this sort a mile away. I won't grant 'em anything.

I was speaking idiomatically.

It's kind of a mixed bag for me. I do try to give once in a while, unless I'm in a bad mood for whatever reason at the time, or I simply don't have much/any money on me (I largely use debit/credit cards now, but carry a small amount of cash for those times when making small purchases).

I sometimes feel guilty for not helping though, particularly if I could have, but chose not to (so much for giving to those who ask, bleh ), but on the other hand, sometimes I wonder, "are they really going to use my money to buy food to eat, or are they just going to waste it on drugs/alcohol/cigarettes?"

Maybe I should volunteer more in soup kitchens, that way I can help the poor without just throwing money at them (not like that solves the problem anyway).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I like it when a bum acts like he really wants my money. When I see guys sitting on a box reciting some line about he's homeless and cold, I turn a blind eye. However, if he looks straight at me, and is all like "hey you with the glasses, can I have some change?" then I just can't say no. I even smile for him and everything.

Once, after I gave a guy some money, he actually put his arm around me and thanked me. We were both pretty drunk though so it was cool.

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In high school, I used to give money to any bum I came across as I came to and from the Metro station. It's usually some change up to a dollar or two. The most I've given was $20 as it was a challenge in my Social Justice class back then. These bums can act how they wanted (humble, yelling, playing an instrument, whatever), and I'd still give them something.

I haven't encountered as much soon since I've been out of high school, but there have been a few times, like when I'm out in the city at night, where I'd give some change.

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I don't, usually. Sometimes a person is just so pathetic I have to try and do something for him, (I've never actually come across a female begging who didn't look perfectly capable of earning her own lunch ... dunno why.) Like the guys with like, no legs, or looking like they're 100 years old. There are ways, usually, out of a situation like that but for some people I'd imagine it would take more energy and creativity than they have.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I don't give money to beggars. I donate to charities like Unicef, though. If people want help, there are plenty of opportunities and shelters and soup kitchens for them. Begging is probably actually more profitable than actually getting a job, for them. By giving them money, you're actually giving them incentive not to get a job. Donate that money instead to a charity.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'll usually toss out money if I have it handy, just some loose change or whatever, but I'm not going to take out my wallet or anything to give this bum money. And as long as the bum doesn't expect anything more from me,

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Fucking bums, go steal your own pennies!

Most of the time I tell to go and ask help from the local parish church since they have lots of coins over there.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I should preface this with a short story.

When I was maybe 19 or so, I was working at the hotel. A young man around my age came in, but could not afford a room. He wanted to crash on the lobby couch, since his car had broken down on a local highway. We got to talking and he explained how he had to meet his friends in Portland, ME for a Phish concert the next day. I should have taken a hint there.

I offered to drive him to Portland after I got off my shift. He seemed like a nice guy and all, and I figured it would be an adventure. He gratefully accepted and slept in a handicapped room for a while until my shift was up.

by the time my shift was up at 11pm, he complained of being famished. I took him to Dennys where we ate and then hit the road.

In the middle of the night, I drove a perfect stranger from Marlboro, MA to Portland ME. Approximately 2 hours away. I felt bad, alright.

We amused ourselves on the trip up with writing down movies - the BEST movies - ever. He was a friendly guy, and I was happy with his personality. We talked about the movies we were writing down, but he finally got around to asking for my address so that someday soon, he could send me money to thank me. I gave it to him. My address, that is.

On the way, he helped himself to busting out some pills and some pot. Immediately, I regretted. The entire way, I tried to discourage him from these things, since, you know, it's MY car and I was responsible for HIS drugs if I got pulled over.

This didn't phase him. I figure he thought that I wasn't going to dump him on the side of the road.

We finally reached Portland, and I gratefully unloaded his freshly-drugged-up ass at his friend's house.

I left and made it home just before sunset.

A week later, I got a post card from him thanking me. Telling me my karma would come back to me ten fold someday - but with no money. While the comment made my day, I will NEVER do that shit again. So naive.

So, in conclusion (ha ha), I will never give someone something they don't deserve. It gives the wrong idea and breeds the wrong ethics.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by OctoberOmicron

If it`s female I can look past these things though.

(It's? They're people, you know!)

I'd give 'em my spare change if I had any. I can understand why people would be sour about poor folk if any of 'em were rude or whatever, but I've never had that experience. Don't really like it when people are all "oh but they'll use that money for THE DRUGS" I don't think fifty cents is going to buy them much of a high, you know! But like buying food for them, that's reasonable.

That reminds me. Awhile back, Lizeris CNH, if you guys remember him, once made a post about poor people. About how he spent all his lunch money on two McDonalds lunches, one for himself and one for a poor guy. He then proceeded to sit with the dude and try to get the dude into some deep intellectual conversation. I guess Lizeris thought he could buy enlightment cheap. He was very bothered by the fact that the poor person did not have much to say. I think my point in retelling this is fuck the teenagers who glamorize poverty.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I don't really like giving money out, due to the fact that I'm not 100% sure that it's actually helping them. If you give them money you give it to them in the hopes that they'll buy food to eat or something warm to wear, but it's just as likely they'll spend it on beer or whatever.

I'd rather help the homeless by volunteering my time at a food bank or doing other community service type stuff. It makes me feel better than just chucking change at a stranger, and I imagine the end result is more helpful.

FELIPE NO

I don't mind giving homeless people money or cigarettes or such. I figure if they are willing to stand outside or sit on the street and ask for money, they probably need it. Even if they don't, I figure they'll just use it for the same kind of things I'll use it for (alcohol, cigarettes, food, ...drugs).

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Ever since my trip to Berkeley, I've just walk past these guys. If you stopped to give out change to every person that asked for it, you'd be out of money by the time you get to where you're going. Every day I was there I was hit up for change.

There was this one time I was walking around the downtown area and this dude asks me for change. I say I don't have any change, just a 20$ and he goes, "No problem, I have change." and I'm like... what the fuck. So he proceeds to show me his stomach where he "got shot" talking about how it hurts and shit and by then I'm already in too deep. I go to a store, buy a drink and give him a dollar. The employee and the homeless dude are looking suspiciously at each other.

He goes, "What'd you say to them?" "Nothing." "WUH'D DYU SEH?!" "Nothing." "They's tryin tuh brainwashes you." By then I'm irritated so I just leave. No more of that.

Jam it back in, in the dark.