How do you respond?

2/2/2011 10:48:14 AM

How funny is their sign?

2/2/2011 10:48:51 AM

no sign. I was at Amelie's (a coffee shop in Charlotte) the other night talking to a friend and this homeless couple came up to our table and asked for money.

2/2/2011 10:49:57 AM

I would like to say I offer to buy them some lunch, but I rarely ever do. Mostly because NYC area bums have been very creepy so far, and I'm not very tuff.

Don't usually give money, as I don't know if they are just gonna go blow it on booze or other such things.

2/2/2011 10:50:24 AM

are they wearing any NCSU paraphernalia or are they hot?

2/2/2011 10:51:08 AM

give gold coin.... chocolates

2/2/2011 10:51:24 AM

Funny Sign $1
Otherwise ignore. I will offer someone food if their sign says hungry and i have any on me, but i'm not giving someone money to go buy meth, because i want all the meth for myself

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

2/2/2011 10:55:24 AM

"No"

2/2/2011 10:58:39 AM

no on the NCSU gear and absolutely no on the hot part. Smelled funny, had crack head eyes, and messed up teeth. I do have to say the guy had nicer gloves than I do, some damn nice North Face mother fucking gloves.

I really want to know how you all respond to the homeless.

I usually offer food for sure. I never give money. I just know most homeless that are ballsy enough to come up and talk with me about their whole damn situation of misfortune def have an incredible sob story to go along with it. I am too good-hearted to be an asshole to them because I do think some situations are def out of their control.
I just have been had like twice. I get really uneasy/anxious around the ones that linger trying to sway me to give up some money. I think I should just be an asshole from now on but it is totally against my nature to spit on the unfortunate; self inflicted or not.

2/2/2011 10:59:06 AM

I give homeless people money all the time, but I have also declined - usually with a sorry, I don't have any cash on me. I rarely give money if they are being real pushy, cause that shit pisses me off.

A homeless person coming up to you while you are eating strikes me as slightly pushy, but if they had a good sob story and I had some small bills I might have given them some.

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 11:00 AM. Reason : it really just depends on teh situation I guess.]

2/2/2011 10:59:21 AM

typically say "sorry all ive got are credit cards"

which is USUALLY true, unless I only have 20s

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 11:01 AM. Reason : ]

2/2/2011 11:00:44 AM

Ones with sob stories are ALWAYS lying. Especially the ones who just look like normal people who haven't had a chance to shave in a week that say they "have a family, car broke down, yadda yadda"


I know a guy who heard this story once from a guy, helped him out then heard it again FROM THE SAME GUY over 6 months later took him to the middle of no where and left him there.

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

2/2/2011 11:02:15 AM

part of the reason I don't carry cash is because I know I would give a homeless person a $1. I have to say these jokers were absolutely ballsy. When I told them I don't carry cash ever, they said "There's an atm in the store next door." At that point I was fairly angry. I also told them that it was against the shop's policy to solicit for money on the premises and they might get in trouble continuing to do so.

I did notice that they did not speak to anyone else in the coffee shop. Maybe my friend and I looked like easy targets. "Hey, let's hit up the really pregnant one over there...she prob will give us some money."

2/2/2011 11:02:57 AM

Don't give people money. Should've offered to buy him a water or muffin or something

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

2/2/2011 11:03:57 AM

Quote :

"typically say "sorry all ive got are credit cards" which is USUALLY almost never true"

2/2/2011 11:04:39 AM

Quote :

"I know a guy who heard this story once from a guy, helped him out then heard it again FROM THE SAME GUY over 6 months later took him to the middle of no where and left him there."

This is how I knew I had been had. Did this guy need gas at the gas station over on Gorman St near 40?

I only gave the guy $5 dollars in gas but damn...

2/2/2011 11:05:41 AM

i bought hobo a beer once and he told me stories of how he had a good paying jerb at GM in 70s-80s and how awesome it was back then.

2/2/2011 11:06:40 AM

Give them small bills, not food

Not anymore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBUbJhFmTPc

2/2/2011 11:07:40 AM

I def offered to buy them some food and the guy started to talk about how blessed they always were to get food but he had acid reflux and didn't need food. Just needed $15.

I am lame and ridiculous. I shall get more bitch like in the future.

2/2/2011 11:07:56 AM

not sure what he needed but it was detailed/scripted enough for my friend to recognize it. I think it happened at two different gas stations in north raleigh. haven't heard the story in like a year or so.

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

2/2/2011 11:08:04 AM

If some bum said "There is an atm [somewhere]", I would turn into an uber-bitch on the spot. You don't get to be an obnoxious beggar, especially to a pregnant woman. That's crossing a line.

2/2/2011 11:08:40 AM

I predict within 5 years bums will have smart phones with apps that led you scan your CC and deposit money into their accounts

2/2/2011 11:09:42 AM

Quote :

"How do you respond?"

by giving them a bit of money

2/2/2011 11:10:02 AM

i always say i dont have cash which is usually the case. but they usually ask me while im outside smoking a cig so that is usually their second question. i give them one just to get rid of them.

2/2/2011 11:10:32 AM

Quote :

"If some bum said "There is an atm [somewhere]", I would turn into an uber-bitch on the spot. You don't get to be an obnoxious beggar, especially to a pregnant woman. That's crossing a line."

2/2/2011 11:11:48 AM

hahaha....Slave Famous, I acutally had a friend that gave a guy on Hillsborough St (this guy always played finger cymbals if anyone knows who I am talking about) some twinkies when he was asking for money and the homeless guy threw the damn things at my friend as he walked away. He said something along the same lines as that guy in clip. hahahahahaahaha

/memories

2/2/2011 11:11:51 AM

Quote :

""There's an atm in the store next door.""

I would have been like "and pay a $2.50 convenience fee? no thanks"

2/2/2011 11:11:53 AM

Quote :

"How do you respond?"

Offer food only.

2/2/2011 11:14:42 AM

id tell a bum to fuck off if he told me to go to the atm

2/2/2011 11:16:15 AM

always a simple 'no'

2/2/2011 11:18:24 AM

I don't give them shit. I do put money in the salvation army pots and whatnot though.

2/2/2011 11:18:43 AM

you people offering food, do you really carry around some sort of food with you all day, or do you actually plan on walking with this person to the nearest fast food joint and take 5-10 minutes out of your way to get them something

2/2/2011 11:18:56 AM

Fast food? These people aren't heathens. I take them to the nearest chain sit down place, like Applebee's, Chili's, etc.

2/2/2011 11:21:07 AM

if i did that, i would sit down w/ them, order a big meal, then go "to the restroom" and not return, and watch what happens from the bushes

2/2/2011 11:22:14 AM

I always start with a simple no. Most don't stop at no.

I give money to homeless charities, I help support my church's efforts to help the homeless and i also give to the Salvation Army buckets.

I do carry food sometimes but it is for my type I diabetes so I guess in retrospect I am risking my life giving them my aids-ebetes foods. But like in the case that I was in a coffee shop, I offered to get them something there.

2/2/2011 11:22:47 AM

I don't give them anything, since most of them make more money begging than I do working.

2/2/2011 11:23:22 AM

Dweedle buys them food but limits what they can get.

No cheese, no bacon, no extra sauce, and if they even think about getting dessert, he stares daggers.

2/2/2011 11:24:46 AM

I always tell them no and they don't ask again. I might say I don't have cash but I don't really give a damn about hobos anymore.

2/2/2011 11:25:04 AM

I really hate when they try to make me feel threatened. I used to live behind Bruegger's on Hillsborough and they would always come up to me there on my way to class. Even though it's right next to campus it can still be pretty deserted at times and could be scary. Another time a guy on a rolling scooter cart cornered me in a ghetto grocery store in Durham. I did give him money (hoping to get him to leave me alone; that was dumb) and then he told me it wasn't enough. Another guy heard me say I was going to get a haircut and said, "I know if you are getting a haircut you have some money on you."

2/2/2011 11:26:57 AM

the funniest i saw was when i was leaving I <3 NY Pizza on hillsborough once ... the guy had diamond earrings and was asking for money

in fact, before going in to eat, i had noticed a couple parking meters were busted and they were like a small bucket holding a plethora of quarters if you just reach into and grab them (think of Thurgood taking money from the homeless guy's cup in Half Baked)

i should have pointed the guy into their direction

2/2/2011 11:27:21 AM

Quote :

"some damn nice North Face mother fucking gloves"

gosh punchmonk, such language!

2/2/2011 11:27:44 AM

^^^crap like that and the whole retelling their story for several months is why I don't give a fuck about hobos

2/2/2011 11:30:05 AM

the most scared ive ever been was after a guy near Picadilly Circus was asking me for spare change...he was like "cmon, man 10p! 10p is all i ask!" and i go "i dont have it" and tried to keep walking

dude goes "YOURE A BLOODY DEAD MAN!" and scurries away into the crowd

i was about to shit my pants (this was 1998, my first trip overseas) ... i hid in a nearby mcdonalds and was watching my back for the next 2 hours





and lol @

Quote :

"I really hate when they try to make me feel threatened. I used to live behind Bruegger's on Hillsborough and they would always come up to me there on my way to class. Even though it's right next to campus it can still be pretty deserted at times and could be scary."

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 11:33 AM. Reason : ..]

2/2/2011 11:30:44 AM

Try giving a Euro bum US currency if you want to see a funny reaction

2/2/2011 11:33:31 AM

seems silly not to pitch a bum a little bit of money -- much rather would have them happier and less likely to rob me

many of them are schizophrenic or otherwise mentally ill

for the others, who cares if they spend some of that money on booze

2/2/2011 11:40:09 AM

I normally ask them for money first. It really throws them off their game. Then I keep on walking run away.

[Edited on February 2, 2011 at 11:44 AM. Reason : .]

2/2/2011 11:40:17 AM

If I've got something small I'll usually give it, especially if they don't try some bullshit story or some Jesus speech.

However, during Hopscotch this kid who was clearly just chillin' down from Boone/Asheville asked me for some cash and I said no. He had a dog with him that he had tied to a tree next to where he was sitting.

He said, "Come on, man, my dog is hungry." I proceeded to go off on him about how the dog could probably fend for itself just fine if he'd untie it so it could get away from his stupid, broke ass.

The guilt trip never works.

2/2/2011 12:13:29 PM

I used to give money to homeless people almost invariably...but there's this one dude whom I have to pass every single day, and he always asks me for money...he just sits in this same spot all day, every day. eventually I changed my route, because I got sick of passing him and being asked for change

he has prejudiced me against all homeless people

2/2/2011 12:16:30 PM

He always begs in that spot because he makes more money (tax free) begging than he would working. You need to quit giving to bums and try to give cash to the poor shits actually working, if you must give to someone.

2/2/2011 12:24:23 PM

Ask to se begging permit. That usually sends them on their way. If they have it then offer to buy them food.

2/2/2011 12:27:46 PM