Because i live in NYC, i'm constantly reminded of the homeless and less fortunate. Every time i go out, there will be someone standing outside the grocery store or food place crying for help. In the wintertime, there will always be people sleeping outside by the vents(the only place they can find that's warm). one particularly memorable moment was when i was stepping out of the bank after depositing my pay check and I was accosted my a middle aged woman asking me to buy her some food for her son. what to do?

LightRailCoyote

United States982 Posts

October 28 2008 09:24 GMT

Well, she's asking for food, not cash. Go for it, man. It'll make you feel good.

Pholon

Netherlands6142 Posts

October 28 2008 09:26 GMT

We have the same here, whenever I walk through the bigger trainstations here I see several homeless people and whatnot. I refuse to give any of them money because it would be hypocritical to give just one person some and not all others. I've seen 2 or 3 documentaries on the matter and most people don't want to be helped. I mean, how much money would it take for the government to help put one person back into a home? Not much I think, and there's plenty of jobs out there (I worked temp jobs that require no qualiification whatsoever for a year or so) that they can do that make money. Also, when they say they have a son they could be lying. And how dyou know they;re not spending it on drugs or a pack of cigarettes. Whenever you ask them what they'll do with it I doubt they'll strike up a conversation and rather be off and ask someone else.

DownMaxX

Canada1311 Posts

October 28 2008 09:28 GMT

Move to a rural area. Or even suburbs.

I never really had much sympathy for those people because I worked hard for what I have in life.

Nytefish

United Kingdom4282 Posts

October 28 2008 09:29 GMT

On the other hand, once there was this homeless guy begging on the streets.
It was a really cold day and someone felt sorry for him.
When offered a coffee he replied "I don't take decaf."

Jizz

Australia224 Posts

October 28 2008 09:31 GMT

If your going to be nice don't give them money. Though theres not many situations where your carrying spare food/clothes. hmmm.

gee you are in quite a pickle

Wysp

Canada2299 Posts

October 28 2008 09:48 GMT

I lived in East Vancouver for a bit and going down east hastings street (pretty long stretch is completely covered in junkies, like rushhour amount of junkies) everyday gave me lots of time to think. I'm positive a very significant percentage of all big city homeless are mentally destroyed beyond rehabilitation. There is nothing left to do for their minds. Perhaps put them in institutions and give them the drugs we give our 'regular' insane.

The sheer volume of the poverty forced me into some conversations with these people. Their brains are melted. They are just drug seeking missles dipping into the well of tricks that have worked before, playing them in a loop. They always start by just talking, telling stories to you without you acknowledging them. I'd always try to cut it off as quickly as possible, but when some extremely fucked up crack woman comes up to you and starts talking in words you don't understand, social ques don't exactly work. One guy told me all about the natural gas powered bus that used to go only around his home block. His rhythm of moving, speaking and decision making was so sporadic that it was clear his mind was gone.

fight_or_flight

United States3988 Posts

October 28 2008 09:57 GMT

I say help them out as long as they are truly homeless and not scammers.

Even if they are in their situation because they have drug problems, made bad decisions, or are simply too lazy to work, I still consider it a type of mental illness.

KaasZerg

Netherlands927 Posts

October 28 2008 09:57 GMT

If you want to help a particular person buy something pratical. Food clothing etc. Like you said.

If someone gives them money theres a good chance they will get their fix or go straight for the liquorstore.

Jizz

Australia224 Posts

October 28 2008 10:04 GMT

#10

moral of the story.

Drugs r bad kids

Wysp

Canada2299 Posts

October 28 2008 10:08 GMT

#11

On October 28 2008 19:04 Jizz wrote:
moral of the story.

Drugs r bad kids

drugs are so good

byChris

United States99 Posts

October 28 2008 10:09 GMT

#12

ehhhh here in berkeley too many crackheads for me to feel sympathetic...maybe if I hadn't seen the same bum dragging him/herself around cursing/talking/motioning/screaming to nothingness earlier the same day. however i have to say that if I was asked to buy food, i'd probably do it if I wasn't in a rush. i hate just giving bums money cuz 90% of the time you see them begging again week after week in the same sorry ass state.

TimeShifter

Singapore235 Posts

October 28 2008 10:17 GMT

#13

is it really that bad in america?
what is the government doing then?

XCetron

5226 Posts

October 28 2008 10:36 GMT

#14

On October 28 2008 19:17 TimeShifter wrote:
is it really that bad in america?
what is the government doing then?

waiting for winter and the wolves

I dont mind that

Fen

Australia1848 Posts

October 28 2008 10:49 GMT

#15

yeah, I rarely give homeless people money simply because they are not going to spend it on something worthwhile. (I know im making a generalisation here).

If a homeless guy came up to you and asked you to buy him a pack of smokes or a bottle of booze, youd turn around and say no way.

If they ask for food, then id be much more likely to help them out.

29 fps

United States5724 Posts

October 28 2008 12:16 GMT

#16

i think if you donate, it shouldnt be in money form, and it should go to a gov't agency that helps homeless. the homeless people who go to the govt for help are less likely to be druggies because druggies will get arrested. so the money would be put to better use.

[X]Ken_D

United States4650 Posts

October 28 2008 12:26 GMT

#17

Give food, clothes, etc.. but avoid giving money.

Suggestion Box

China115 Posts

October 28 2008 12:32 GMT

#18

I try not to give anything directly to 1 person because it rewards them pestering, following, harassing you etc. If I am on top then I will trickle down, otherwise, I don't bother. I have heard, when you give them any money, they will follow you home. Where does it end? I'm working for my money, I basically have no qualifications, I eat as poor as anyone else, so am I supposed to rip off my leg because some other guy don't got one? IDK IDK. It seems lose/lose either way the only variable is guilt. If you let guilt drive your life you can easily end up with nothing so that can't be the answer, unless Buddha is right...

LemOn

United Kingdom8629 Posts

October 28 2008 12:42 GMT

#19

Give homeless people useless change. Why not.

Also the term 'less fortunate'... wtf? I am less fortunate, because my gf is not as hot as my friends, and I don't want money from nobody.

gchan

United States654 Posts

October 28 2008 20:41 GMT

#20

I don't think it'd be fair to say all the homeless are the same type of people (ie. lazy, druggies). From my experience, the homeless people I tend to meet are either unlucky, crazy, or lazy. I wholeheartedly agree with not giving to the crazy or lazy, but the unlucky ones do strike a sad chord with me. That being said, if you really want to help, donate money to some nonprofit organization that helps the homeless as they have the infrastructure and knowledge to help them. Also, the homeless going to those organizations are actually seeking help and not just buying booze with their money (ie. those that are unlucky and trying to get back on their feet).

On another note about homeless, one time I was sitting at a bus stop reading a book and a homeless man (~30 years old) comes up to me and comments on my book. Apparently he's read it before and we discuss it a little bit. I ask him why he's homeless and he told me that he got hooked on drugs when he was in college (at Berkeley, where I was). It took him years to get off of it and that left him homeless and broke. At first I was skeptical of his story, but what convinced me there was a kernel of truth was the fact that at the end, when I was leaving and during the time I talked to him, he not once asked me for any money. He actually even said, "You seem like a smart kid. Stay off of drugs." and walked away. An interesting story, but by far not the norm.

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