:mad:I know what they teach them: it is ok to lie to get things esp to the government. My bil (i call him the bad bil) and his wife live off the gov. He is legitably on disability now, lost both legs due to diabetes but for a long time he was not. They have lied to get meds, which they sold, help on thier house. They had a porch and a new floor better than mine. They knew which churches that would help them pay thier utilities and give them food.
She has 4 dds. One is a drug addict and lost her child and dances on a pole for money at times her "friend" does not give her drugs or money. Her twin is a mom to her sister's kid and 3 of her own. Finally married and seems to be doing good. The youngest had a kid at 14 gave it up, and has at least 1 more and also dances. They only one doing good is the oldest. After running away numerous times, she moved out of state with other family and has a nursing degree, married and just had a kid.
They lie all the time if it will benefit them. The one with all the kids? She named her sister's "friend" as the father so the baby will get the guy's ss benefits (he is that old, and she is 25). They told so many lies on me, i did not talk to any of them unless i had a witness to what i said who would tell the truth.
So i am seeing the 3rd generation living off my money. I have nothing to do with them and they are not allowed on my property after one egged my dd's car. I put my foot down with dh as family is everything to him.

I am giving type, I take presents to elderly folks at the home I never see getting visits from others... But a couple weeks ago a young girl was standing in a parking lot where I shop holding a sign saying "Boyfriend left me homeless have no job, food or money please help" now here's the problem... I am lucky myself and Ryan have good jobs and so does my dad who spoils me so I know for a fact that the jeans she was wearing are around $80 a pair her boots around $200 the two kids in a stroller wearing nice new clothes and she was on her iPhone 5... So I nicely pulled over and for her to speak with me she had to stand on the step on my truck she just starts saying thank you thank you thank you I nicely cut her off and said "hey if you need money I know your phone is selling for $200 on eBay right now and those boots could get you another $100 depending on how much wear they have".... Oddly enough she just called me a b***h got off my step and went back to her kids... Yes that was cold and heartless of me BUT if things are that bad and kids need food ummm you don't need the latest fashions and an iPhone!!

Tis the season:mad:

I'm exactly the same.....:)

We don't really have too many of them over here....but there's a man who sits outside one of our 'very nice shops' :p with a dog, a kind of Staffie cross.

I NEVER give him any money...but every time I come out of the 'very nice shop'....his dog gets a box of doggie biscuits and a tin of food (with a ring-pull, just in case he doesn't have a can-opener!!! :D) from me....with a cuddle. I sometimes wonder if the man ever resorts to eating it....:eek: Sally x

I have no problem getting someone food. I will never give them money. I was in the Disney area a few months back. A homeless guy was asking for food. He took a banana and I knew he was serious. So, I brought a whole bunch of pop tarts from the convenience store. However, I opened every box so he couldn't return them. Then I actually had to search for the guy and found him under a bridge.

I learned a long time ago never to trust most of these people that do this. Majority of them are scamming people.
I once was nice and offered money and then had my purse stolen by one of these thieves. Now I totally ignore these type of people.

We have this same thing said by a variety of people every Sunday outside our church. (Ran out of gas, my girlfriend is pregnant, etc.) So sad, but they are panhandling. It is a tough thing knowing what to do, when someone approaches you like this.

Unfortunately, my area of Northern Ky. has a huge heroin problem right now and I think a lot of this panhandling is about getting money for this drug. Sad.

I hate going shopping around the holidays because of these people. Last week we were stopped in front of Target by a guy with some crazy story about a car accident. The weird part is he said we could "verify" the sotry. We ignored him but I wonder how it would be verified, do they have someone on hold pretending to be injured? The lengnths these people go through, if they spent half that energy on actually getting a job or doing some entrupeneur work they wouldnt need to beg!
I just hate that you cant go anywhere without someone hitting you up.

One never knows...

This happened to me a few times. Most recently near work. My office is in a very bad neighborhood, and have stopped at the local McDonald's to get a coffee or something before heading to work. A man inside asked for any change for some food. I honestly never ever have cash on me, so I offered to buy him something along with my food. He cussed me out in front of everyone in the McD's. I just left. I'm a big softy, and as much as I'm disappointed by the things people do, I always want and try to help. After my experiences, I'm honestly TERRIFIED of these people. As much as it pains me not to help, I just don't do it because I'm afraid.

I did hear on the radio, a police officer was being interviewed. He suggests we do not give anything to these people. The same ones we encounter, they encounter and give them information and can take them to places that will offer them help.

I never give them money. I will however give them food- DH always says not to but if they're really hungry they'll take it and eat it. I'm not rich by any means, I make 10$ an hour, DH makes 11$- so we're fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads, utilities, internet, a car and so on. Once I was driving home from work by myself and I had a cereal bar, a bottle of water and a banana (my snack from work that I didnt eat) in the passengers seat- I pulled up to an intersection and there was a guy there with a "Hungry & Homeless" sign so I rolled down my window and offered them to him. He gladly took all 3, promptly opened the cereal bar and ate it while I sat at the light. He tucked the banana and the water in the back pack he had with him. He legitimately was homeless I think, He was dirty, his clothes were worn and his he was scruffy/unkept. I drove down the street, bought a 10$ mcdonalds giftcard, went back and gave it to him. He cried when he thanked me. I know it wasn't much but that 10$ made a difference in his life. I always keep little ziploc baggies of dog food in my car too and if I see some one whos begging with a skinny dog I give them a couple baggies- so at least their dog has something in its belly.

Even paradise has this problem. My cousin worked in Waikiki and took the bus to and from work. She told me of a story where she spoke to a local boy who begged for money at a red light everyday. She passed him when going to and fro. He told her that he gets over 100.00 within an hour. He then moves on to other lights an hour at a time for a few hours.

There is also a story here about a guy who begs at lights everyday and lives in a mansion!:eek:

But the best is this guy who I see all the time not to far from my town. Begging at a light walking with a limp(a really bad limp). One day I seen him RUNNING with his girlfriend to a bus stop because he didn't want to miss his bus. No limp, no nothing! ugh!

Give what you can when you can.

But beAware, you may be funding a drug addiction etc.

You may be truly helping someone in need.

People often do need help, seldom is it the help they are seeking.


After reading some of these posts I think I need to go to good will get the kids some used cloths and start hanging out on traffic corners, we'd make serious $...

I was just talking to my boyfriend about this over the weekend. A woman came up to me before I went into work and asked if I could spare some change for the bus cause she was 25 cents short. I only had 1 quarter so I gave it to her. Later in the day, saw her down the street peddling for money. I'm like ok you should be home by now...I told my boyfriend it's people like that, that give actual people in need a bad name.