Public Solicitation

gollum ~ I know that here in Florida we have places called 'sharing centers' all over the state. Women with children can get diapers, formula, food, etc. at no cost.

Medicaid also offers free medical care and a certain amount of money that can only be used towards food, diapers, etc.

I don't know how to answer your question. If it made you feel good to give the lady money, then be done with it. But, before you do it again, look into the programs available in your area and have brochures or cards ready to hand out next time. Your tax dollars are already paying for these services for the indigent.

It's an impossible question to answer gollum, let me give you two glaring examples, one for each side.

I'd been in town drinking with a pal, we got the bus home, two "homeless" guys got on and promptly shared out the money they had begged that day it came to £37.50 each (about $70) I heard one of them say "it wasn't worth getting out of bed for"

However, consider this tragedy. A few years ago in london a teenage girl was found dead, she had been raped and strangled.

After a few weeks had passed the cops appealed for anyone who had seen her on whatever day it was to come forward, several people did to say that they had seen the girl asking passers by for money because she had lost her purse and didn't have any bus fare. Thinking she was begging for drug money they declined to help. If they had raised a paltry £1.50 between them she wouldn't have had to walk home at midnight and she wouldn't have met the filthy animal that killed her.

Since then if it's a female or a young boy I give them my change, I'd rather be screwed out of a quid than read about their demise.

gollum- How do you know that the money that she wanted were for diapers? That is one of the oldest scams in the book. I wonder what would have happened if you had told her that you would walk to the market with her, and buy her a box of diapers?

I won't give to bums, ever.

I'm with phoenix on this one, usually. On my way into a gas station a couple years ago a kind looking man asked if I could give him enough money to get something to eat. Not liking to look at suffering, I came out of the gas station with two hot dogs. He said "I don't eat hot dogs". I took a bite out of one and said through my mouthful "then you're not very hungry are you?" The bums here are usually claiming they're hungry... and I offer to buy them McDonalds. I'm usually ignored after the offer. Occasionally, they are quite grateful, and that makes me feel better about me. If in a hurry, I'll use my judgment and sometimes give them the benefit of the doubt.

Though I'm from a very small town and don't venture into big cities, lol... I've never met a real life beggar!! BUt if I had, I think Id agree with kev.

That's what I used to think... There are places in West Palm Beach where each and every intersection has a bum on the median of all four roadways leading up to the intersection. Some of the bums have staked out the same spot for several years. Others rotate, but you get to recognize the regulars. Would you continue to help these bums each time you passed by?

Hmm.. no.

No Bill of course you wouldn't if you recognized them as professional scroungers, but when you look at say a 14 year old youngster asking for bus fare how can you be sure?

Just because a kid doesn't speak very well isn't anything to go by,his clothes aren't anything to go by, lots of kids came from humble beginnings and rose to prominence.

I'll stick with my odd pound every now and then, if nothing else the Lord might just be taking note.

Did you miss my previous post Kev?

Hi Bill,

Yes I know what you are saying if the guy is genuinely hungry he wont turn down a hot dog, your example checks out whether the guy is truthful in what he is telling you.

In my example the kid needs bus fare to get home which is uncheckable, so I can either pass and leave him in a big city where he might fall foul of paedophiles, or worse (if there is anything worse) or I can give him the bus fare which is the equivalent of two bags of potato chips.

If your daughter was in this situation aged 14 and god forbid the worst happened, how would you feel about the people who wouldn't give her the price of two bags of chips to send her to safety?

I probably get shafted out of an average of £0.50 per week, I can live with that, even though if you look at my original comment about the two turds who are making $70 each on a bad day, I could cheerfully kick those two all over Leeds town centre on a daily basis just for fun.

Thats a normal stance to take Jarlaxle, what I would ask you is this:
what do you describe as being "a bum" and more importantly do you differentiate between "bums" and people who's lives have been destroyed through no fault of their own?

We have a lot of professional beggars here. Now, here is where logic fails me....there are a group of them who share a begging spot right outside a LIQUOR STORE. Still, naive folks still give them money, although I really don't know why.

I will not give to panhandlers, not one cent, not under any circumstances, period.