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Tue 26 Feb, 2008 06:49 pm
This has now happened 4 times to me.
I went to Home Depot to pick up a toilet seat for my house. I was in and out as fast as possible. It was nearly a flawless trip. I didn't talk to a single person (thank you, self-checkout!) and I didn't make eye contact or smile at anyone. I was 10 feet from my car when I heard someone saying, "Excuse me, excuse me, sir!" I thought maybe I had forgotten something, so I decided to stop and turn around.
I saw an emaciated black girl, about my age, and shaking violently. Immediately I assumed she was a drug addict or something. She told me an obviously rehearsed sob story about how she was stranded in that parking lot because her ride didn't pick her up, and she just moved to town a few months ago and doesn't know anybody else and needs money for a cab. Her voice was shaky and she was stuttering. At this point my only thought was whether it was cocaine or meth.
So I basically tell her that I've now heard this exact same story 4 times now, 3 times in that very parking lot, and that I didn't believe her. She mumbled something like "Well why would I make up a story like that" at the exact same time that she turned around and walked away. I watched for a few seconds and saw her walk straight towards her next victim. I thought about going back inside and telling security, or just calling the cops myself, because I'm sure she would have tested positive for at least one drug, possibly several. But I decided it wasn't worth my time and went home.
Dang these lowlifes. It's ridiculous. If a person were to keep a steady job and then waste all their money on drugs, then that would be perfectly acceptable to me. I really don't care, as long as it doesn't affect me in any way. But these morons who go around with a bulls**t story begging for money just make me sick. Complete scum of the earth.
Plus, she ruined my otherwise flawless trip.
Discuss.
I have a tendency to have more compassion for the women. Usually they are victims of some sort of abuse and haven't had much of a chance at a real life.
That woman, with proper guidance, could turn her life around.
Im a victim of violence gus.
Many times over. Scouts honor..
Can i have 35 bucks?
My car is out of gas...and I dont get paid for another week
Re: Parking lot lowlifes
Jeremiah wrote:This has now happened 4 times to me.
I went to Home Depot to pick up a toilet seat for my house.
Soooo... How many toilets do you have in your house, anyway???
Buy, why did you need 4 toilet seats?
None of my business, of course. . . .
Jeremiah, step back and compare your attitude with that of Gustav's compassion. Well, maybe that's not fair. After all he is known to be a swamp saint.
And it can happen to anyone. One day I was in the parking lot of Sacks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills, and a well dressed man approached me and asked me with a shaking voice, "Brother can you paradigm?"
<writes check in amount of thirty five dollars, payable to shewolf>
Jeremiah, Nobody is more low life then the people who introduce the most addictive substance known to man (crack) to a frustrated, impoverished and desperate people for money power and greed.
You wouldn't know anything about that.
Last year in early December, I'd just gotten out of my car in the parking lot of a shopping mall when a woman in a beat-up ride called out to me. She told me that she, her sister and her niece were new in town, they were waiting on a moneygram but in the meantime, the manager of the hotel they were staying in was threatening to put them out and they were trying to get into a church-sponsored shelter and they had no money and no food, well, I ended up buying food, salami, crackers, cheese, juice and cookies and then I gave her 30.00 in cash.
She cried and thanked me and it wasn't until afterwards that she told me she was pregnant, which was obvious when I looked. I was sorry that I hadn't bought milk.
I spent about fifty bucks and never told my husband about it. He would have thought I'd gone insane. But I made the choice to give to her although I was perfectly aware that she could be scamming me. Because what if she wasn't, and there was a child out here hungry?
An obvious junkie is one thing but I didn't get that from this sad woman.
eoe, God bless you. When I was young I was in some bad positions and I had to ask strangers for money and I was telling the truth. It's very degrading and when somebody does help you it really does mean more then the money. For a minute when somebody beleives you, you know somebody cared and it helps you carry on a little bit longer and you get a little hope.
You have no idea what you might have done for that women. I have seen alot of poverty.
Coming from a large city, I watched homelessness on the street grow to incredible numbers back in the 80's and 90's. Many in downtown Chicago had their special spots and streetcorners and you often saw the same people. After awhile I decided who I would support and give my change to on my way to and from work. It freed me up from having to go through the whole are they/are they not in need struggle every day. I figured if everyone did that, hopefully we'd have the whole downtown area covered.
I always give money to women, or try to help them otherwise. They're the most vulnerable out there, and they will buy food with the money, I've seen them at the groceries. I can't imagine being out on the streets just
for one night, let alone live there.
The last woman I approached, screamed at me like crazy. She was afraid and thought I would harm her, as probably many have done so. When she saw the money, she quieted down and took it, always on guard though.
It's a pity that the system fails these people.
eoe, you did the right thing. It's far better to err on the side of being taken than to turn away a person in need.
lol. thats my everyday my friend.
Re: Parking lot lowlifes
Jeremiah wrote:I went to Home Depot to pick up a toilet seat for my house.
What color was the toilet seat?
I have to say, I'm partial to a simple white one.
I like the stained woods myself.
As someone who has worked with the homeless and food pantries, I have to say it is better not to give money. People who do this scam are either drug addicts and/or are being forced to beg by a pimp. By giving them money you are either enabling them to do more drugs or making their pimp wealthy. People who really need food or assistance have a hard time asking for it. Drug addicts are compelled by their addictions to do things plain ol' poor people would never do - ie: make up sob story to get pity and thus money. If being approached by these type of people is an ongoing problem for anyone, I suggest printing up some slips of paper listing where the person can get help in the area. You can either check on-line or in a local phone book for a food pantries, church/gov't programs, abuse shelters etc. Tell the person that you want them to get the kind of help that will free them from this kind of behavior and give them the information. Some will get mad and call you names, but after many years of doing this kind of work, I can testify that every now and then they will use the information and get help.
If you really feel the need to feed them, go to a local fast food restaurant, buy some food and give it to them - just never give them cash.
I should prefer that the drug addict suffer rather than have a moment of relief? Or are you saying that by denying him a fix I'll enable him to recover from his addiction? Puritanism. I have, however, bought food and near beer for some homeless people in a park. They too it.
I WOULD like, however, to see the pimp off the street.
I simply ask them "what do you need and not what do you want as I have limited resources" I then usually (within my limited resources) give them what they ask for.
Green Witch wrote:As someone who has worked with the homeless and food pantries, I have to say it is better not to give money. People who do this scam are either drug addicts and/or are being forced to beg by a pimp. By giving them money you are either enabling them to do more drugs or making their pimp wealthy. People who really need food or assistance have a hard time asking for it. Drug addicts are compelled by their addictions to do things plain ol' poor people would never do - ie: make up sob story to get pity and thus money. If being approached by these type of people is an ongoing problem for anyone, I suggest printing up some slips of paper listing where the person can get help in the area. You can either check on-line or in a local phone book for a food pantries, church/gov't programs, abuse shelters etc. Tell the person that you want them to get the kind of help that will free them from this kind of behavior and give them the information. Some will get mad and call you names, but after many years of doing this kind of work, I can testify that every now and then they will use the information and get help.
If you really feel the need to feed them, go to a local fast food restaurant, buy some food and give it to them - just never give them cash.
This is totally true. Accept I buy bums beer, sometimes it is just good just to have a beer and forget about everything in the shade.
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