The homeless

[bighit8]

So I have a question? About 2 years ago I gave a homeless guy my old Ironhorse with a cracked rear triangle.He was a local homeless guy,( I gave him my first name) but now for some reason I am the local homeless charity guy. I have turned down all local homeless for change lately because now it seems excepted. Has anybody been in this situation before?I feel bad turning people down, but come on. Am I wrong to tell them to kick rocks?

[mottmcfly]

Originally Posted by bighit8

So I have a question? About 2 years ago I gave a homeless guy my old Ironhorse with a cracked rear triangle.He was a local homeless guy,( I gave him my first name) but now for some reason I am the local homeless charity guy. I have turned down all local homeless for change lately because now it seems excepted. Has anybody been in this situation before?I feel bad turning people down, but come on. Am I wrong to tell them to kick rocks?

I would assume that word got around. No good deed goes unpunished. Not a bad rep to have either. You are not wrong to turn people down. Do what you can.

[Pain Freak]

Give only if you feel like giving.
You're not obligated.

[spookydave]

oh I know just how you feel.

I start off my day @ the AM/PM. You know, to fill up my 44ozer. Anyway the same dude is always asking for money. Sometimes I would be feeling spunky and flip him my change. Then I walked up and noticed his cell phone was nicer then mine. And this time he didn't ask for money, he said "you got a quarter"? I quickly replied, yeah, a pocket full, hey can I use your phone? He said "no, give me a quarter". I replied "F off".

So now everyday if he sees me first he askes for a quarter and I tell him to f off. If I see him first I ask to use his phone and he tells me to f off.

[Winger]

One year I was feeling the Thanksgiving spirit and gave $7 for 10 meals to the L.A. Food Kitchen(whatever it is called), the one that gives out free meals to homeless.

Now I'm on their mailing list and they send me all sorts of stuff to guilt me into giving again. At this point they've wasted my donation 2X over by trying to get me to donate more.

Then there's the MS Society, which is a great cause that I fully support. I raise money and take part in the MS150, which is a 2 day, 100 mile bike ride. My gripe with them is that now I'm on their mailing lists and they hit me up probably 8 times a year now for money. Isn't raising $500+ and biking 100 miles enough for them?????

My point is....once you show you're a piggy bank, people will form a line with their hands out. Don't let them guilt you into giving more than you want to.

[Pain Freak]

I started to get bombarded from MS just like you, but I emailed them and the stuff went way down from what it was. I was thinking the same thing.....how much money are they spending on all these mailers?

[sdyeti]

On a related note...

Yesterday, I arrived at the chiropractor and parked on the street. A homeless man (or I perceived him to be homeless due to his clothes, etc) walked very quickly up to my car window and stood there waving his arms pointing at a cigarette butt in his hand. He was talking so incoherently that I couldn't understand him.

He FREAKED me out, though! I mean what has happened to those who need money harmlessly standing on the street corner? Don't go busting up to my window and getting in my space! I was ready to put it in drive. I kept saying "I don't have money. I don't have a light (for the cig)".

Finally he walked away and when I got out of my car, he stood on the street corner and stared me down. I told him not to do that to people (walk right up and stand outside their car door). Then he started making rude gestures and such. Told him if he didn't keep walking I would call the cops. I did. Called the non-emergency SD PD # and reported him.

Jezuz, I kept thinking he could've tried to do something to me. BE careful and always be aware of your surroundings.

[denmother]

Alot of homeless people on the streets have mental problems. My mother would be one of them if she wasn't institutionalized and on state aid (she is one of the lucky ones). She is a manic depressive (bi-polar) and when on medication can semi-cope with life and act like a human being. When her meds are off she is just like the local bag lady you see on the street.

The ones talking to themselves and jesturing are probably in the same boat. As to the others that hang out with their signs, it seems to be more of a racket than anything else. There were 3 of them with a dog at Jack in the Box Sunday morning. Arguing over the free food they got from patrons.

I let my heart dictacte when and who I give to. I refuse to feel guilty when I don't give.

[Abui]

My reward is a drawer full of personalized address labels. But who uses snail mail?

[CalEpic]

It could be worse. When I had my kid in private school it wasn't enough that they were getting $5K of my money every year. They put the squeeze on me at every opportunity. And I'm not talking $10 or $20. It better have at least another 0 behind the number. F them.

We contribute to several charitable orgs but I never give money to homeless people on the street. Sometimes it's hard to say no but I really think it encourages a life style that is difficult for them to break.

C

[northshore]

You shouldn't feel obligated. As others have said, "Do what you can." For me, do what I can when I feel it's legit. On two seperate occasions I give a homeless guy some change. He returned to the very same corner with malt liquor in his hands. Pretty pitful if you ask me. On a second occasion, I was walking out of a Japanese store with bags of groceries. A homeless man struck up a conversation with me asking what I purchased. I briefly explained what it was and he asked if I had change. I said no and his response was I killed you f'ing nips back in the war, stood up, and got in my face. Unfortunately security arrived before a UFC cage match could erupt. Am I basing my experiences on these last two bad ones? No. They are all different situations but if they are truly able, they need to find a job.

[Fired Yo Momma]

Once I was driving away from work and a homeless girl came up to me and asked me for money (she was missing a leg). I gave her my lunch that I did not eat at lunch time, she kept asking for money and I told her I did not have any. As I drove away she threw my lunch away in the waste basket.

Once when I was in Vegas I bought a homeless dude a six pac of bud light just because he was honest with me and told me what he wanted the money for.

[Pickettt@aol.com]

Something to keep in mind. There are also so many people in this world that work so much harder for so much less than we've got. Therefore, we have to assume it's a matter of blessing. I know we all think we are worth every penny, and the world is fair. We're not, and it's not. I'm not encouraging anyone to give anything to anyone. If you can, do. If you can't, don't. Just consider our self righteousness as we ride around on our 1...2...3...4...5...6,000 dollar bicycles. I hope none of us are ever any less prosperous than we are right now.

[boludo]

Not sure if guilt is strong enuf of a feeling. You should feel downright low. How could you give him a bike with a bad rear tri? Reading between the lines it probably had biopace rings, square taper BB, plastic pedals, threaded headset, canti brakes, 1.95 tires, gumwall none the less, and most likely a steal frame.

shame on you. how is that charity. If it wasnt your current/main ride, then its not charity. It has to hurt to be charity.

So yes, feel guilty.

By the way, I'll need your address and the date when you next expect to buy a new ride. I need something new even it its used.

[cjwally]

Homeless are worthless....I say we drop them over in Iraq and make them feel like they have a purpose in life...

[BSki]

I have run into much to many false "homeless people" to care. All too often they are aggressive and make me uncomfortable.

Much of our tax dollars go to providing facilities and meals for homeless. Giving them money, just enforces them to continue begging.

At one time I sat down and started talking to a guy down in Hermosa. I asked him why he was homeless and what his story was. He explained that his parents were very wealthy and took care of him well into his 30s. Because he was being pampered by his parents, he didn't have any reason to get a job, learn a trade, etc. When his parents died, he learned that they had not left him a fortune and he was broke and turned to the streets. I felt for him, and tried to help with what I could, but silently I was upset that he is on the streets because he was just lazy.

With exceptions, I believe most homeless can find a way to get out of their situation if they tried. I know illegal immigrants that live a nice life here. They do what they can and work where they can, and save what they can. They contribute.

I donate through a program at the office. No emails, no mail, and no phone calls. I contribute what I can to what I know is a good cause.

[speckledtrout]

I used to live in NYC so I've given my fair share of money to people on the street. I used to walk by the same 4 crackheads every morning on my way to work and I was a smoker then and would give a cigarette to the woman in the group every day. Every day, without fail. For years. Well, one day I didn't have any cigarettes on me and when she asked me for her daily cigarette I told her I didn't have any. So she yells, "**** you, you fat bitch!". Yup. All those years of giving. This was just too much. So I yelled back, "FAT??!!".

That was the last cigarette she ever got from me.

[kevinator]

I've had too many hassles from too many homeless in too many cities to bother anymore. Last time I gave enough of a sh*t to respond was, "need directions to the food bank? Looked for work lately?"

[Pickettt]

All ideology aside, I would advise against antagonizing the homeless. I shouldn't have to warn about people who may or may not be unstable and may or may not have anything to lose. If I don't feel like giving for whatever reason, I just ignore them. While in college, I had a few friends assaulted in the streets of Berkeley after spouting off at the homeless with offensive comments. Best to let it go and stay safe.

[foofighter]

were you listening to Lykis last night? he was talking about the homeless and people were just saying the most off the wall things as to what they would do w/ them.