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Off-Ramp Panhandlers!

Do you give money to panhandlers?

  • Sometimes

    Votes: 6 54.5%

  • Never

    Votes: 5 45.5%

  • I like cheese

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    11
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It has been disappointing to see that most of our freeway off-ramps are now being occupied by organized panhandling groups. It's one thing if a random drunk or heroin addict decides to ask for money on the off-ramps, another when groups organize shifts to cover the off-ramps. It was like this when I spent a few weeks in Austin. You sometimes saw "shift-change" when a new panhandler would walk up and relieve the person sitting there. You never see multiple people competing for handouts, one per corner or sometimes a couple working the same corner together. This year the off-ramps that are being worked now have 24/7 coverage. It wasn't like that last year.

Last week I watched a panhandler leave the State St. off-ramp from I-215 and get in his car in the Sam's parking lot. Probably had to go put his nice clothes on and get ready for a dinner date or something.

I live near Jordan Landing and now there is all-day coverage of the Wal-Mart parking lot by panhandlers. Once they showed up they were always there. Not the same people, mind you, but that is now the territory of some panhandling group. Maybe it's just a bunch of people who frequent the same crack house or something, but it's clear that the Jordan Landing Wal-Mart parking lot is claimed panhandling territory.

I despise panhandling almost as much as door-to-door solicitors. I do my part by not giving them any money. I know people are free to encourage this industry if they'd like. Maybe they even tell themselves they're helping these folks. I think it's bad and makes the areas in which the panhandlers operate more dangerous. I know I'm less comfortable with my 10yo son going to school by himself and I had anticipated he and his friends going to Jordan Landing by themselves in a couple years or so, but now I'm not so sure.

So does anyone feel sorry for these folks? Feel like they're honest people who just need a little cash? Or do people give them money to appease their own guilt? If you support panhandlers with cash donations please tell me why. I just don't get it.
 
I saw a dude juggling his *** off on an off ramp the other day so I have him a few bucks. My wife gives money to all of them, I just give money to the respectful ones that sit there with a sign and don't bother anyone. Or if they have a dog.
 
My sister gives money to the ones who tell a good story, or tell it in an interesting way. She sees it as paying for a performance.
 
When I see them pull out a pack of Marlboro reds, there's no chance they're getting my money.

I used to give money to a guy downtown who dressed like Jesus and walked around with a couple of women. I haven't seen him for a while, though. I do give money to Eli the Cellist outside of the Capitol Theatre because he's ****ing great and I give my Jazz ticket stub after a win to a guy collecting them so the homeless can get Big Macs. Other than that, I don't give my change to panhandlers.
 
For performers, or those who entertain, I don't have a problem at all. I don't even have a problem if people want to give any of them money. I just don't like that these guys are working shifts and the off-ramps are being worked by professional panhandlers.
 
Not the quick and goes. No cash. I feel like if you're asking for something, I have the right to go CIA on your *** and do little prodding because I don't want to be contributing negatively to anybody if I can help it. Like if they said they needed it for a motel room for the night or whatever, I'll go there with them and pay the full $30-40 or whatever they need if that's what they are going to use it on. Did it quite a few times before Provo actually got some decent overnight homeless housing. Or I'm more than happy to buy them lunch or whatever....but I don't want to fuel any bad habits directly or anything. If they take the motel room or whatever...and then spend any other cash I helped them free up on negative things....that's their business. I've got to leave thinking I did something positive though.
 
So does it matter who they are and what they do? I mean, is it all in how good the story is? If all they can really do is beg for change and they're not in a panhandling syndicate then they're probably an alcoholic or heroin addict. Anything you give them, food, a room for the night, whatever, frees up the money they do have so they can feed their addiction. But even if they aren't an addict, I'm of the opinion that hand-outs don't really help the person receiving them. Now, if someone is on the verge of starving to death then some food will absolutely help them continue to live, but a person who is not starving doesn't benefit from your generosity in my opinion. I also find it quite distasteful to have a person prove how miserable they are, or how impotent they are as a human being before I toss them change that I might otherwise forget about. Being pathetic isn't a qualification for anything, not even my charity. I'd rather help someone who was not pathetic, like my family and friends, then toss change to some stranger who's only appeal is how much of a failure they are.
 
We have lots of them. Most of them are rogues. But there are legitimately helpless ones too, I help them without hesitating. But I don't give anything to the ones that are standing up healthy enough to walk and work, especially the male ones.

Organized panhandling groups, that's totally a different thing and there are too a loads of them on the streets of Istanbul.

As a flavor to the thread...

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This guy had almost 3000$ when he got caught by police. He didn't even care the money and said to the police "Take the money and leave me alone!" They say he earned! that money just in the first three days of the Ramadan.

I feel like I really have to make a career choice at this point of my life.
 
I work in Rose Park & know the crazies on a level I don't want to. The real loonies are too stir crazy to occupy an off ramp corner for more than 4 minutes. The people you see there are nothing more than opportunists. A team of them have showed up in Orem for the very first time. :(


The real crazies have plenty of help but choose to avoid it because they're insane. You could feel sorry for them & give them your money out of pitty if you think feeding a meth addicted handicap is helpful. After all, they are where TheSilencer & northeast get their conspiracies from & where would this forum be without your help?
 
northeast said:
G what are your thoughts on the youths who beat up the homeless for the fun of it?
Click to expand...
It's completely disgusting. I expect most of those youths will grow up and realize how disgusting they were. I know I did.
 
To the shopkeeper I say "was'sup?"
And I'm thinkin' about the man who's holdin' up the cup
I pay for all the stuff and get a pocketful of change
Should I give it to the man's the question in my brain
What's gonna happen if I give the man a dime?
I don't wanna pay for anotha brotha's wine
What's gonna happen if I give the man a quarter?
Will he find a dealer and try to place an order?
What's gonna happen if I give the man a nickel
Will he buy some food or some pork that's been pickled?
I'm not responsible for the man's depression
How can I find compassion in the midst of recession?
How come all these questions keep ****in' with my head
And I still can't rememba why I need a spool of thread.
 
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