February 26, 2007
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Homeless
I was in this situation recently so I want to throw it out to you. I had a homeless guy ask me for money.
We talked for awhile and he told me he was a fireman during 9/11. He told me that he was there when the towers fell and that he worked at the site for 28 days. He said he caught cancer from working at the cleanup of the site. He said he had three months to live.
His story was difficult to believe. But he was pretty convincing as he was telling it. I spent about an hour and a half speaking to him. He said he needed gas money to get back to another state. He wanted $130 to pay for the gas. He said he couldn’t take a train because he had to take his car back. I had more than $130 in my wallet.
Would you give the homeless guy the $130 for the small chance he might be telling the truth?
Comments (193)
picture broken
No.
Errrrrrr…. Nope.
Holy crap.
I hate myself for saying this.
Second.
I was almost first.
Stupid Mcon.
Does he drive a Hummer, or what?
Probably not but it would depend on the actual guy in question and whether or not I had the money.
probably not since your from chicago
nope!
once i took a $1 back from a homeless guy.
i gave him a $1 as i was walking out the supermarket…and then noticed a brown paper bagged drink in his hand. he said he needed milk for his kids…so i said…hey lets just go into the store and get you a groceries and milk for the kids. He said no thanks…so i said hey then give me my $1 back. and he handed it back LOL
another time a couple was scamming me and saying they just needed gas $…..later in the week saw them at the same motel pulling the same scam.
im sure they have family…that can help out.
I personally wouldn’t, because I don’t roll like that. But if I had the money, I’d consider it. It would depend on my gut feeling.
meaning, what is he doing in chicago if he was working on the towers*
no
too many hobos have lied to meh
so no
call me a bastard
i’d give him $30. or somewhere along the lines of.
somewhere in my archive i have a pic of a homeless guy holding up a sign that said “why lie. want beer”
my sister’s friends took a pic of him when they saw him on the highway. haha. even tho it was bad, i commend him on his honesty.
Two months ago, gas for the entire trip from Kansas City to Colorado Springs and back cost about $130 which makes me wonder how far he has to drive and what he drives.
that’s really hard to believe.
i’m too compassionate. i’d give him some money but not enough.
maybe do as luke did, tell him to get up and walk.
If I had the cash, I very well might.
I give food, buy them lunch or groceries or medicine. Only on very rare occasions will I actually give money, and then only if I feel I’m being prompted to by God.
I’ve taken to carrying several extra sandwiches and sodas with me when I’m in Manhattan.
No. What did you do?
no, but i usually don’t have more than 130 CENTS in my wallet.
I’d take him to the gas station to get him some gasoline, but I wouldn’t give him money.
and no, i wouldn’t give a stranger even a dollar. maybe i’d give him a dime, but that’s the maximum. if they can get 1300 dimes from 1300 people, great.
i work hard for my money and there are plenty of no brain labor jobs out there. i know since I’m a trades person, I’ve seen the homeless vagabonds working without begging.
maybe i’m just an asshole, i don’t care.
I might give him something, but not the whole $130.
No I wouldn’t give him any money. But I would drive him to the unemployment office or hook him up with some job applications. More than that, I would share the love of Jesus with him.
i would.
if the guy used it inappropriately, then he did. i can’t do anything abt it.. it’s horrible enough to say you’ll be at the mercy of God in a quarter of a year.. it is pretty screwed up to lie like that..
i wouldn’t be hurting my conscious [my wallet, YES!] so yeah.. i’d help him out if i could.
Maybe I would have walked with him to his car and pushed it to a gas station and filled the tank for him? But that’s a lot of time and effort, and I don’t know what else you were doing that day.
If I felt compelled to
Tough… I was faced with that same exact question in Sunday school this week… it was open ended, and I don’t think I quite got what our response should be. It would really make a huge difference if we knew he wasn’t just going to spend it on liquor. If I was faced with the same situation repeatedly, then I think it’s a sign that I should just give if I have the money.
No..
Might give him $5 though.
i would pay for the gass myself or something like that, jsut so i know he doesn’t spend it on drugs. Or you could buy him gass for the first leg of the trip.
No… not likely.
I’d probably give him $10 or so if I could manage to pull it out without him noticing the rest of the money. Knowing me, he’d probably see it and start bothering me about giving him more… and then I’d go on a guilt trip. >_>…
nope but I’d give him a few dollars to add to the fund
No, and I doubt many people honestly would.
I would give him between 20 and 40 (maybe 50) dollars to help him, be it whatever reason he would use it.
I don’t carry around that kind of money. However, if I did, knowing me, I would.. I’m a sucker for sad stories and my spiritual gift is mercy(to the point where I have to consider, “Is this reasonable? Do I need to draw boundaries?”) However Dan now you really got me wondering.. Did you give him any money, or not?
I once had a guy ask me for money to buy “food”. I had a muffin that I had not taken a bite of. I offered it to him. He got angry. I offered to buy him lunch, whatever he wanted. He refused. I seen the tracks on his arm. Enough said.
I dont think so.
It’s hard to believe that a cancer could develope in 28 days. Or maybe I’m retarded.
NO-too many lying crooks and druggies out there. I might however actually pay for a tank of gas (and watch it get filled) should he produce the car.
How did he lose his job as a fireman? … And his family?
Maybe not $130 because I don’t carry that much but I would at least give him some to guy buy a decent meal.
I definitely wouldn’t. I am not that trusting me people.
DID YOU GIVE HIM THE MONEY!? It’s killing me lol.
i’d rob him :]
It depends on how much I have there, if the dude asks nicely, and stuff.
But then, I never carry more then 3 dollars at a time=/
No. I don’t trust any person on the street who claims they’re oh so unfortunate anymore.
In Chicago theres a couple that will sit on the road with their baby and be all “OMG we ran out of gas. Give us money. Blah Blah Blah. Our baby is sick.” and they’ve done that a few times in a row. My mom almost ran them over when she was yelling “ITS A SCAM” when they jumped in front of our car.
No.
No. But if he was willing, I would drive him myself to where he needed to go. The fact that he asked for gas money is a little fishy.
One time a homeless man asked my father for money and my father refused. However, he did offer the man a ride to the nearest shelter. The man accepted.
Instances like that, I believe, are genuine. Also, one time a homeless woman asked my mother for some change to buy food and water for her and her dog. My mom didn’t have any money on her, but she came back the next day with a whole case of bottled water for the woman which she’d gotten from the cafeteria at her work. She said the woman was so grateful. One thing that touched me was the fact that the first thing the lady did was open a water bottle and pour it out for her dog.
There was one instance, though, when my mom ran into some trouble. In the city where I used to live there’s a “homeless man” who’s been saying he’s “homeless” for almost ten years. One day my mom decided to follow him (stupid, I know, but bear with me.) Turns out he lived in a pretty decent-sized home in a different town. The next time she saw someone giving money to that man she confronted him and told the person giving him money not to do it ever again. He almost attacked her in the street.
Basically, the only way I’d consider them to be genuine is if they accept what they say the needed (for example, food instead of money for food). I’d give that man some gasoline and then see what he says.
I would give him a small amount for help.. but not $130. I always say that there is a chance that they are telling the truth and I would give up $5 for that chance.
It really depends…(and it’s pretty unlikely I’d have that much on me lol…)$130 sounds a little much, maybe $5, or, $10?
I had cars.
Oil drilling.
All that.
It’s hard to say what I feel in my heart without thinking.
Were I in the same position… I would never BE in the same position. Though my ideologies differ from so many not only on this site but he, they world! …common empathy and my own pride tell me how I would never even allow myself to get NEAR a position where I would be stranded, needing 130 dollars in gas money (why ask small if you are going to put so much effort into it?) cancer, someone else’s car and 28 days picking American body parts out of smoldering rubble behind me…
Who couldn’t say yes?
Would you or I honestly ever get cancer, have someone else’s car and need 130 dollars all on the same day? The day I lose my job and have no money and no savings and precious little possessions…
Would I ever end up in that situation and ask strangers to please hear this heartfelt plea of my unfortunate circumstances? I think I would be working somewhere if I could, or with family or the closest thing to it.
It is romantic to think of a hero nomad dying person traveling the dusty roads of the US in his last days, counting on you and me to pave his ways… the generosity of the heartland…
Dan, on this you and I agree. I wouldn’t give him 130 dollars either.
i’d give it to him. I’d always wonder what he actually did with the money though…
no, unless i went and put the gas in his car… there’s this “homeless” guy who lives in our community… he always comes up to chris when he’s getting gas or at the grocery store, which are right next to each other… we have offered MANY times to go in and get some food for him, but he always just wants the money… he always tells us the same story, that he walked all the way from raleigh (25 minutes away) and is tired and needs food. but yet he’ll never take the food that we offer him. so oh well. at least we try. it’s hard to tell with people, you know?
*Jac*
Hell no. There are very convincing liars out there. I hardly doubt that if he was a freaking fireman during 9/11 and caught cancer from it, that he wouldn’t be on some sort of governmental support. It’s a good sob story, that’s why he thought it up.
I’d give him some cash, but not the whole amount. But then again, I don’t carry cash.
Homeless guys accost me all the time just off of campus. I always just offer to buy them something to eat. Sometimes they refuse, and their real motives become apparent.
Ehh, no.
I’d like to, but it’s someone I don’t know and I don’t trust easily.
I have paid $50 bucks for a ticket to go see the Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesties Theater in London. Prestigious play at a prestigious theater–but I basically spent $50 bucks to be entertained for a couple hours. Now $130 is a heck of a lot more than $50, but even if he did scam you, can’t you appreciate a really good story? (and if you actually had that much money with you at the time, then I have to think that you have some money and it wouldn’t hurt you to help out someone who needs it–even if it is just for drugs or booze).
i’d feel really guilty for not, but i’d probably give about $10.
mann.
Maybe…depends on my first reaction. And if the guy was creepy…na way.
If he was VERY BELIEVABLE, I’d give him $50.
‘Course, I’m just a jobless kid who has no idea of the value of a dollar.
I don’t think I would.
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I wouldn’t actually give him the money…but I’d offer to take him to the gas station to fill up his tank for him.
I’d do what many people are suggesting- take him to a gas station. Course, free gas would be nice anyways and he’s a creepy stranger, but…I’m tired. Just trust your gut.
That’s creative enough to almost be true, but it still sounds like a load of crap. Probably not.
Did you give it to him?
I think him pouring out this whole story makes him suspicious.
I think him having an exact dollar amount for what it would cost to reach his destination makes him suspicious.
I think him having health care enough to know his health issues and how long he has to live, but not having housing assitance, makes him suspicious.
I think him saying he got cancer from 9/11, yet not claiming benefits for survivors of 9/11, which he would surely qualify for as a man who worked four weeks there, is suspicious.
His being a former fireman, makes his story suspicious. I’ve worked with the homeless a lot. Never met a homeless fireman ever. Plus, they have such a tight fraternity and so many benefits of their own for victims and survivors. Very suspicious. I think I’d have offered to give him a ride to the nearest fire station. Certainly, his brothers would have taken him in!
Sounds to me that he saw a sympathetic face that looked like it belonged to a Republican and decided to use the ol’ 9/11 trick. If you’d looked like a Democrat, he’d have been an Iraqi war vet.
I’ve worked with the homeless a lot. And, I’ve heard some really good stories. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have compassion and offer help. We should. However, I think it might be wiser to go through an organization that is on the streets full-time. Somebody Cares comes to mind. Put your money where you know it will be well invested in solving the problem, not just addressing the symptoms.
I think you gave it to him…did you?
i just gave a homeless man 10 dollars this weekend, and was surprised by how many people chastised me for it. but he needs it more than me, whether or not he’ll buy drugs or beer and maybe save it to actually help him.
nope. I’m not heartless, though, I might give him a little. I’ve had people try to con me before and the thing about a good con artist is that he is very convincing.
yeah…um…no. if he asked for a smaller amount of change, i.e $3 for bus fare so he could get to another part of town then yeah definitely, but not $130.
if i had the extra money…i guess i would
he could have just been a con man
or he could have been a saint.
what did you do?
so most of you are saying, “only help the authentic poor.”
pretty compassionate. way to be.
$130 for gas?
We have a suburban, and it doesn’t even cost that much.
But then, I don’t live in the city.
So my accountibility partners and I (4 of us) would meet every Wed from 10pm-3am and numerous times we’ve heard the same pitch over and over. I’ve heard the same story only his destination was to go back to mexico to be with his family. The guys only asked for $5 though.
I also did an ethnographic study of the homeless and the income they acquire from panhandling. Weekly income on average from spare change here and a dollar there is an average $250 a week, which is a lot for a homeless guy but not enough to escape poverty and homelessness. Which is why most of them stay homeless. I guess your $130 guy knew what he was doing; the amount is outrageous enough to dispel thoughts of deception or “fakeness”. Did you fall for it?
Maybe, if I had the money.
I couldn’t even give him a dollar, since I don’t have that much on me. XD
I would probably give like around $30, but not $130.
I would contribute to the cause, not pay for something. I’ve gotta live too ya know.
I would not give him $130 “for the small chance that he might be telling the truth.” I might give him the money, but it would not be for that reason. If I gave it would be because of Luke 6.30a, 35a: “Give to everyone who begs from you…But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” So often we allow reason to dictate our decisions because Jesus’ teachings are just too hard for us. Truth is, whenever I refuse a beggar, I feel guilty. But that doesn’t mean I’ll give the next time I’m asked. I’m selfish.
I’d say,”sure, let’s go buy you a gas card.”
I give homeless people food and clothing. That way, you know they are atleast living, and aren’t spending it on booze or faking it.
If they are really homeless, they will thank you just as much for the food and a coat.
Nope, but I would go to a gas station and buy him gas.
In my current circumstance, no. If I were rich, quite possibly. So what did you do?
no, id give him maybe like 20 or so
That’s a really lame story. Having 3 months to live from cancer caught over 5 years ago? I mean, come on.
You could get him to paint your house for 130 bucks or something . . . Hmm. But no, I would not give $130 to someone with that story. Make him walk.
Then again, Jesus said that what you do to the least of these you do to Him. But He also says that a man who doesn’t work shouldn’t be paid. So yeah, make him do some sort of work.
did you do it?
I think I’d pay for him to get a haircut, and then find him a job.
So much better than giving him money.
I don’t know, I’m still imagining what it’d be like to have 130 buck to spare in my wallet. Maybe I should hit the streets and wait for someone kind-hearted to come along.
No way!
IF anything, I would drive with him and pay for his gas but I wouldn’t just lend him the money. Maybe its a personal trust issue I have but I wouldn’t be willing to squandor 130 bucks if I didn’t know for certain it was going to the use I think it is. It’s just like donating for charity in those little boxes at the end of the cashier lines at supermarkets. Wouldn’t you be outraged if there was a scandel and the supermarket was just taking that money for themselves?
No. I would not trust him. I would direct him to teh nearest shelter or church.
probably not, unless i am a millionaire
No. I wouldn’t. I’d tell him to take me to his car and offer to fill the tank for him while he sat in the passenger seat.
I wouldn’t give him $130 if I KNEW he was telling the truth (I have given a homeless guy $20 before though).
I’d give him SOMEthing (I don’t really have much money myself..)
If I could I’d give him a ride!
I’m not sure. I know that in NYC I have to walk past homeless people with my head focused away from them because I knw I’d probably give in. But I’m not so sure if I’d give 130 out.
yeah! homeless people rock!
He was lying
I feel sorry for the genuinely down-and-out, but the story he told you is a standard con game story, one that I have seen worked a dozen times or more in Toronto. If you hang out much in any area where you have seen this worked, you will sooner or later see the same con man running it again with someone else, maybe even you, as it is hard for them to remember the hundreds of faces they talk to. I once had the hilarious experience of having the same guy approach me three times with the same story over several weeks. That was in Leeds, England, which shows how international scaming is. Usually the amount is just a few dollars, or even cents.
no, I’d drive with him to the gas station, fill up his car tell him good luck and send him on his way with an arm full of convenience store chips and pop… but not cash… that leaves room for him buying alcohol or cigarettes or drugs… so buy stuff for him.
hell no! He can sell the car and buy a train ticket, then buy a car whenever he gets to where he’s going.
only a fool would
a very nice soft hearted fool
maybe I doubt it!
Did you??
I wouldn’t have been talking to him in the first place because of safety concerns. I would have referred him to someone who could really help and who has more wisdom than me.
No.
No.
It depends on what mood I’m in. If I had faith in the human race at the time, yes. If I was feeling very Hobbes-ish and thinking all men are naturally wicked, then no.
I usually just throw quarters at them until they leave me the fuck alone.
I don’t know.
What did you end up doing?
that guy looks like saddam…
i probably would…just so i wouldnt feel guilty if he were telling the truth…
if i could afford it, i would. i once gave a woman $20 to pay for her train ticket to get home from newark,nj because she was stranded there with her daughter. i had the money then, and if i had the $130 i would probably give that up as well…
No….did you?
not 130$ but 20$..that can get you a good distance..
I liked IssyMae’s answer. That is what we were taught when I worked at the church. Don’t just hand over the money. Go with them. Buy the groceries or the gas. Go to the bank with them to help them pay their Consumer’s bill, etc…
Id give him 50
you must have one sweet (sucker) face, dan.
seriously, what nerve to ask for SO much. sad story or not. didnt he have relatives or friends?
on a generous giving day i limit myself to no more than 10 bucks.
so did you give him what he wanted or what?
if that guy is homeless, he has a pretty nice jacket.
nope. they even come to my house with wild stories about needing money to pick up Rx’s for sick kids or needing groceries. I always offer to meet them at the pharmacy or buy them coupons for mcdonalds (never buy them groceries, they just return them and get the money or buy booze) and they back off.
What were you doing with over $130 cash?
Um, wow. $130 is a lot of money. I think I’d rather fill his car with gas or buy him a meal.
What a line that guy was handing you! No I would not. That man’s story is so full of crap, it stinks.
I would… have to. I’m kind of known as a sucker, in that small time high school way you can be known in a school cafeteria, because people do need, and you never know who is who, you cross your fingers and hand out dollars and hope they are who they say they are…
and I usually have dollar bills in my pocket.
If confronted, I would probably give a few bucks, but sitting here I would say no. This may seem a little harsh, but it’s not my fault they’re homeless and/or poor, and I have my own finances to worry about.
If I had the cash, yes.
No. But I might offer to fill his tank with gas.
Nope. I got conned that way one time (guy begging me for gas money) – but for $10, not for $130 – and not letting it happen again.
I would certainly do it. If his story was true, you could have just saved his life. If it wasn’t true, the worst that could happen is that he buys himself some food.
I’d take him to the gas station to get him some gasoline, but I wouldn’t give him money.
Posted 2/26/2007 7:36 PM by IssyMae
I agree. I would potentially fill his tank if I truly felt he wasn’t lying. Normally I don’t give cash or anything. I went & got gift certificates for Tim Hortons after seeing a young guy standing on the divider in the road in the pouring rain with a sign asking for money, food or a job. When I got back, he was gone.
no. but he only needs to tell that story to maybe 13 or 26 people. i would probably still give him ten bucks…
im just very untrusting.
wow and no!
No I’d take him to a gas station and fill his gas tank then I’d give him the rest on a gas station gift card just cuz you can’t buy dope with gas cards dealers prefer cash…… or so I’ve heard
Probably not. But a few bucks won’t hurt. And if the guys a liar? You just gave a stranger a few bucks, feel proud.
One of my issues with this is I am not sure our giving should be contingent on what we think they’ll do with it. I’m over 99% decided that this was a hoax. However, my love for people shouldn’t depend on whether they are sensible or not.
Some of my thoughts on giving them money are that you may not be showing them love that way. In some way it makes you feel good for having helped someone, even if he’d take advantage of you. However, just because you feel good about “helping someone” doesn’t mean they are better off for it. If they blow it on booze, drugs, and a lotto ticket (there’s no such thing as a small jackpot; just incredibly low odds), are they any better off? Did you help change them? Did you just encourage a cycle? Should the conclusion about your action depend on the result?
I am not sure people’d be as willing to give away their money as they say they would while posting. However, even if it were a tenth of that and he asked enough people, he’d make some money.
One of my least favorite things about people like this is that they try to earn the money with some fabricated sob story. Part of me would want to grill him about his story, asking for more details and pointing out flaws. At least call him out on the carpet.
I’d hate to think I’d let my feelings on how truthful he was being dictate my actions. The ones who are the best at sounding truthful are the ones who get the most money.
I’ve bought people food before. I’m not sure this is the best solution. I’m still unresolved on the issue. One of the reasons I’m so hesitant to act is because I doubt any of them will ever be moved by the kindness someone shows them. If you show them kindness, they don’t get moved, they get paid. I’m leaning towards the idea that whatever you did would have to be something pretty radical and not exactly what they asked for. I guess driving behind them all the way to whatever state would somewhat work. Who knows?
I think these people (I called them “these people”; I’m so insensitive) thrive on the fact that people are pretty easily parted with their money and will opt out of the awkwardness and discomfort of the appeal by handing over some cash. The people may even feel good about it.
Lastly, after reading this, “I would certainly do it. If his story was true, you could have just saved his life. If it wasn’t true, the worst that could happen is that he buys himself some food,” I’d like to say a couple of things. If he’s got three months to live, him getting to another state with his car is not going to save his life. If it isn’t true, him buying food is not close to the worst that could happen. Not close at all.
One more thing. To the people who are pretty certain they’d do it, where would you draw the line? He could ask for a lot more money; he could ask for other things as well. Where would you draw the line? Why?
Would your giving be contingent on the story? Let’s imagine he had said, “Look, I’m from Mars and need to put fuel in my spaceship. It’ll take me $130 to fill it up. Can you help me out?” Would you help then? [To me, the original story is only slightly more believable.]
No. I’m sure there are other ways than soliciting strangers for money to get somewhere.
No.
no. i would give him money but not $130. i can’t afford to give $130 to homeless people.
I’d probably refer him to an organization that could help him, like Salvation Army or something. I’d help him that way, not financially. Or, like some people said, help him push his car to a gas station. Giving money to strangers is not the best way to help them.
not that much….. its to self-protect if its a fraud.
I’d take him to the gas station to get him some gasoline, but I wouldn’t give him money.
Posted 2/26/2007 7:36 PM by IssyMae
I agree with IssyMae. I hang out at the church office and I’m amazed by the people that come in asking for money. One day a couple came in. The guy was in a wheelchair and the lady was pushing him. They asked for money and was told no, because they were given money the week before. After they left, someone looked out the window and the guy was walking and pushing the wheelchair himself.
i probably wouldn’t, regardless; i’d probably brush him off. what i should do is offer to go with him to fill up his tank or something like that…
no, did you?
did you?
no
no.. he’s not ur responsibility.. and besides, do you really think he can be trusted and does he really deserve the money??
umm i would give him a little bit so if he really was tellign the truth, so he could ask the next person he asks would be more willing to give him money, for his car.
if hes lying, then he could buy himself sth to eat
I personally once encountered a VERY similar situation, except that before it was over I had been conned out of almost $600.00. I’m curious what you, Dan, ended up doing.
What intersection does he live on? I want to hire him as our salesman…
unlikely… i’d want his name and the medical records showing me he has cancer… i’d also want to see his car, and how far out of state he’s going… gas mileage and such… of course, if he really needed the money, i’d be happy to give it to him if he was able to present evidence for all his information…
what car needs $130 for gas? lets guess $3 a gallon, so how many gallons does he intend to use? approx 45? gas and FOOD mightve made more sense… gas, food and LODGING and i wouldve been willing to give him $260…
If he really needs gas… buy him gas… don’t give him cash.
Well, I would never have $130 with me… but even if I did, no, not all that money. Not unless I was Bill Gates or somebody. I might give him something to get started with though.
For everyone who is unsure because of what he would do with the cash… that’s not your concern. The fact is, he DOES need to money. Maybe not $130, but he’s obviously lacking something. It’s not your job to control what he does with it, it’s only your place to be kind to someone.
What did you do?
if i had time, i’d give him a ride to a homeless shelter or something. or a bank. if he has a home somewhere he should have some money in a bank.
I would give him some money, but not all the 130$ and hope that maybe he was telling the truth and maybe someone else would pick up the slack.
I wouldn’t give him $130. I might give him $10 or $20. There are a lot of good options that people posted.
Anyone who’s homeless… is a bum… I’d give the guy a fiver for coming up with such a great story. I’ve met about 5 people like this in Dublin. Usually its the same story about needing a train ticket to Galway.
I feel sorry for them, but short of bringing them home , getting them a job and minding them… money will not do them any good at all.
Its a temporary respite..
i might fill his gas tank with gas. lol
i used to work in dc and had these conflicts of conscience at least once a day. i am impressed that you spent so much time talking with him. you showed compassion instead of judgement.
ever read the book “Under the Overpass”? good read on this topic
There are some people who are actually needy. And there are others who have learned to prey on the compassion of generous people.
I don’t mind helping someone who is needy. I actually enjoy doing it, even when it is inconvenient. But I don’t hand out cash.
I’ve given people rides. I’ve taken people grocery shopping on my tab. I’ve filled red gas can containers with gasoline (sometimes even buying the red gas container!) But I don’t hand out cash.
Generally, you can tell who’s actually needy because they don’t insist that the help come in a certain form … just so long as they get help. Beggars, on the other hand, will insist on cash. They usually have a well-thought-out story about why goods won’t do (I have to walk home, and if I get the milk now it’ll go bad before I get home), or how they need a hotel room instead of a ride to the local shelter (‘we were at the shelter last night, but it was dirty and unsafe’), or how I need to leave the “pay to the order of” line blank (‘the bank requires a special stamp instead of handwriting’). They also usually have a “sob story”, like how he’s a disabled Veteran who was awarded a Medal of Honor but now can’t afford his medication or something like that.
But once they get the cash, there is no accountability for how it gets spent. I’m not cynical, and I’m not lacking in compassion. I just want to avoid squandering the resources that God has entrusted to me by giving them away to liars and cheats instead of truly needy people.
No, all I would do is feed him or send him to a rescue mission or sheltor. Local charities can and do arrange to send people home who are truly in a bad way. They will check it out. The people I know at these places all tell me to never give them money or food. That seems so cold. My wife and I do buy food sometimes.
Frank
Maybe $20 if I had it. It would be on his conscience, not mine if he was lying.
Heck no. I might take him to McDonalds or some food place to buy him food, but not $130….what did you wind up doing?
you dont need $130 bucks to get gas… Hes so trying to take your money. No homless person is going to ask for that much money. I might buy him something to eat and give it to him or buy him some gas but im not handing him 130 bucks.
It wasnt a homless man, but on my way back to school after christmas break, i was stopping to refill my gas and a man asked me for some gas money, so i handed him a $5 bill. Later it occured to me he could have been a man trying to rob me and could have shot me – it was then that I felt a little limp and scared. May christ be with his servants during times like these, when good-hearted people get taken adbantage of – btu at least we are still good-natured in the end and not playing the part of the wicked.
- Daniel (doubledb)
no. I’d give him a 10 though.
No – I wouldn’t have a conversation with a homeless person on the street – they scare me. Nor would I be carrying $130 cash. Just no way.
no
I dunno, Dan. I guess it would depend on the individual situation. I’d definitely pray for guidance on that one…
I’d take him to the gas station to get him some gasoline, but I wouldn’t give him money.
Posted 2/26/2007 7:36 PM by IssyMae
My thoughts exactly. There was a news report here a few years ago on people who do this kind of stuff. The particular guy they got to answer questions on an interview said he makes about $75k a year…BEGGING. It’s absurd.
No…not falling for it. Too many crazies out there making up stuff.
I would put gas in his car at best. If that is what he really wanted. If that was not good enough it would show him to be a con
you should ask him for his car keys. !
tell him he can make 130$ in a day or two working.
ask him how much has he collected.
buy him a gallon of gas and give it to him. HEH.
some study shows that homeless people can make much more than the average if they begged. i forgot where.. that one comment a few ones before mine reminded me of it. trueeee that!
I would give him some..not the whole thing, since I don’t have 130 on me, but some.. we should be helping out those less fortunate than us all the time.
“Need money for tampons” is what this girl held out a sign for. She looked sad.. and well.. I grabbed a couple of tampons from my purse and started to walk over there.. then all of a sudden she switched the sign over and it read ” I bet you a dollar you will read this”. And she herself changed to a happy go lucky girl flirty with the guys. I got soooo mad!!!! I felt like a fool too! I’m so gullible at times. But I still give. There was this man sleeping on the ground next to a store.. I went in bought him orange juice..and breakfast food.. and put it next to him while he was sleeping
I was all happy thinking he would wake up to that.
Christina
As a girl, if I talked to him that long and didn’t feel endangered, I’d offer to pay for his lunch only, and if he accepted, then I’d probably send him on his way with $30. If he didn’t accept lunch, then I just believe that he wouldn’t spend it wisely. Why would he be begging money if he could sell his car?
In San Francisco, there was a very persistent homeless man with a guitar who kept yelling rhymes to each person that walked by. You couldn’t ignore him. He sounded so joyful and looked so happy that I wondered if maybe he was one of those people who pretend to be homeless to make an income. Anyway, i found him enjoyable as an entertainer and I gave him $5 and asked if he’d mind posing in a picture with me.
“Ever’ time I HOLLA its cuz I want a DOLLAR”
“Your friend tinks I’m FUNNY, tell her to give me some MONEY”
“Now dat man thinks I’m STRANGE, Hey mon, do you got some CHANGE?”
Nope…I wouldn’t. It’s a lot safer just to give to a local charity where you know your money is going toward a good cause and what you intend it for.
That would be a hoax… 130.00 for gas? Maybe he’s a drug addict… did you see his marks in his arms, Dan… 9/11 story? Come on! No one should ever be homeless because of that, no matter what. So the cancer thing? It’s also a hoax, no one could ever get cancer by smelling debris and dead corpses. That was a good thing that you didn’t give to the bastard the 130.00. If he wants money, He should get a fuckin’ job, Period!
No, sorry.
Perhaps. Most likely a little bit. I’d love to know what the Dan Man did, though.
No. That man is either a) a civilized well-off person who is exceedingly greedy
or
b) a bum who wants that money to pay for crack.
I doubt he’s that good of a guy.
no.
homeless people alwayz tell good stories.
im from the philly area, so i know.
If I felt like he was telling the truth, but probably not – I may have filled up his gas tank. Good for you for being a good samaritan, though!
Other than the obvious reason of giving a question at the end of most entries. How the bloody hell did you get so many people to comment on your bloggings? Please don’t say something whimsical. I am a surreal writer and love feedback.
Not all of it…I’d just give him something small that would contribute to his fund. So even if it wasn’t true, it worked out for me who is donating and him, and he who is lying, but I guess needy enough to lie.
RYRTMC: Yes, sometimes you do. So DID you help the dude with the implausible story?
I would not give him money but I would attempt to give him food and fill his gas tank for him. That way I would know where the money was going.
Maybe he was lying, the whole ‘three weeks to live thing…’hmm.
i dont ever carry around 130.
I wouldn’t have had 130, either…high school student. ^_^
“That would be a hoax… 130.00 for gas? Maybe he’s a drug addict… did you see his marks in his arms, Dan… 9/11 story? Come on! No one should ever be homeless because of that, no matter what. So the cancer thing? It’s also a hoax, no one could ever get cancer by smelling debris and dead corpses. That was a good thing that you didn’t give to the bastard the 130.00. If he wants money, He should get a fuckin’ job, Period!
They could be homeless. Government isn’t as great as you think. And yeah, you could get cancer from that. It’s already been proven that there were people with major health problems aftewards. There were a lot of bad chemicals in the air. And if he already had health problems…
Being “homeless” myself, I want to say again that giving money directly to a “homeless” person, unless you know them is not good. If you were to meet me on the street, you wouldn’t know I was homeless. I wouldn’t tell you. Real homeless people try to live as normally as they can because they just want to live a normal life(unless they are adicted, and not all homeless people are.) There are all kinds of places that are set up all over the US to help people like the man in your story. If I am in need of help, I have even gone to the police. 2 times the police let me sleep in the station ( I won’t say what precinct or if it was city or county because I don’t want the officers to get in trouble with their supervisors and it was a year ago any way) 1 time an officer said I couldn’t sleep there but he gave me $5.00 and told me to go and have a good breakfast. There are homeless people out there, who, like me, have”out lived” their usefulness to their family and so end up not having a place to live, but there are alot of fakes out there too.
I once gave a guy walking around a busy intersection with a sign that said something like, “Hungry. Need food.” a breakfast bar that I had in my purse and planned on eating myself. He took it from me and looked at it like I was crazy…but at least I contributed something. There are a few people who hang out in the same areas day after day, night after night, with the same story…and its usually around the bars. I’ve given once or twice, but nothing too big. I had to send a boy on a bus trip to Oregon a few months ago. He’d been sleeping under bridges and needed to go there for a fresh start in his life (he was dealing with some MAJOR issues). I bought him new clothes, a bag to carry his stuff in, food for the trip, etc…The total cost was $350 for the ticket and everything. His mother said they’d repay me, but I haven’t seen any of it… It was a dent in my pocket for sure…and even though I know I’ll never see that money again, I felt what I did was right. I’d probably give the fellow in your story a few bucks or fill up his tank for him, but it’s so hard to let go of that amount of cash all at once….I’m still trying to make up my budget from helping the boy.
Hopefully, the Holy Spirit would guide me on the right thing to do and I would be able to discern the truth… What ever I did, I would pray for him afterwards.
Who carries more than $130 in their wallet?! Jeez.
Several years ago I got conned out of $100 in a similar way….different story, but just as convincing. I saw the guy two days later in the same park pulling the same con on another sucker. Never again……………..
Depends on how convincing he was. Did you?
No, I’ve met too many people who haven’t eaten in three days. I would have helped someway though.
If I had enough, I probably would…. but I never do… so no.
Thats terrrrrrrrrrrrible
I might give him something, but not $130.