Nearly everytime i head downtown in this city, i - more often than not - get stopped by someone asking for money.

I do not like how there are so many people out there begging for money so they can buy crack, or marijuana or whatever drug it is they want. So much so that i never believe anyone on the street anymore. I used to be nice and maybe give them a dollar or something, or at least some cents, but it just annoys me how it is always a different sob story, using hte same tactics to get the magic number of 6 dollars. Whether the story be about some lady telling me she needs 6 dollars so she can get a bus ticket (yeah, 6 dollars for that?...hmmm), or that these people ended up in the cold state of michigan after driving here from texas and have no money and only want enough money to get a bagel and coffee from a coffee shop i was entering. I just do not believe them, and i probably should not...but it sucks because for those people who really are in need of help that i would like to give money to in aid of their troubles...i will never believe them because so many people have cried wolf so many times.

The other day i was at this place called Alibaba's in downtown, and this lady was patrolling from table to table asking for money, and the owners of alibaba's do not allow begging to go on inside the store because it takes away business, etc. And, she came to our table, and was like "excuse me, i am trying to collect enough money to buy baby formula for my child, if you all could spare a few for me that would be much appreciated." If she really did need money for her baby i would have given it to her, but i did not believe her. I was in a saucy mood that night so i was being rather asinine to her. Everyone else at my table was being all nice and were like "i'm sorry i do not have any money" and stuff, lying and saying they did not have any money just so they did not have to give it to her. I was annoyed she was there so i was like "no, not any for you even though i have this huge wallet that probably has money in it somewhere" (i do have an incredibly thick wallet, ask anyone) "you probably do not even need money for your child anyway, i do not believe you, if you were actually being honest then i would probably give you money" and she was like "if i could please get some money, my baby is very hungry." She was holding a burger king cup and drinkign from it, and i waw slike "you can give your baby that" and she is like "this is just water" and i am like "your baby needs water as well, you do not want it to be dehydrated, you are not even supposed to ask for money in here, if you are going ot ask for money you can leave" and i pointed to the exits. I started asking her questions one after another to try and see if she was lying or not, "where is your baby now?" "what is your baby's name?" "when was your baby born?" "where was it born?" "how much does baby formula cost?" "are you married?" "where is your husband?" "where are you going to buy baby formula from?" "are you just going to buy crack or something?"

She just started walking away and towards another table and i was really annoyed she did not answer any of my questions, not even one, she was probably lying and as she was walking away i spoke louder and say "that is not the way out" and point towards both exits. She stops and is like "are you the manager?" and i say "yes" and she just continues walking knowing that i was lying hehe, and then she goes to the front desk and i see her talkign to the actual manager (as he came up to her) and she left.

Anyway, i was not that polite to her, but i do not like it when people beg for money from students, who do not have a lot of moneyt hemselves to begin with, and put on a mask and say teh money is for something good (like for feeding a baby) and it turns out it is just for some drugs. Oh yeah, her eyes were glazed over it looked like too, like she was high or something, maybe that is why she did not even try to answer many of my questions either.

Anyone have any experiences with beggars? how do you deal with them?

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Long messages do not equal aggravation of any sort,
rather they reflect nothing more than a response of insight
that should always be read in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Those womyn that seek equality with men, lack determination."

"I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be wrong."
-Cromwell

Last edited by PsychoSnowman on 12-25-2003 at 08:33 PM

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when I was younger, I'd feel so bad and would give the beggars some money but this one time, I was walking with my cousin [he was 23 at the time], some guy stopped us and asked for money. I wanted to give him something but my cousin kept on walking. he explained to me that people usually buy drugs and alcohol with the money people give them. he also pointed out the fact that the guy had a gap inbetween his teeth, probably from doing drugs...had to do with a straw or something [I don't remember this part too well]. ever since then, I, too, have a hard time believing what they tell me so I just say I don't have money or just don't say anything. I hate how people ask for money in the streets, where cars are. they'll come up to the cars one by one on a red light and ask for money. I try to avoid eye contact and just mind my business.

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bums should be using them money to buy food and what not but instead they buy beer

me and coupel of friends were at frisko i told my friends not to look at a bum what did they do? they looked at one and that bum came to them and said you got change and he started digging in my friends pocket and got change for me i wasn't looking so he didn't bother to touch me LOL

i was walking down ashby near university ave in berkeely bums always ask for money i just walk pass them and ignore them or say don't even ask me

i rem i saw this bum ask this white guy for 75 cent and he gave him a dollar and the bum gave him 25 cents then i heard the bum said common lemme get that 25 cents so the white guy gave it to him then some old lady ask him and he gave her a dollar -_-;

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quote:

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Originally posted by niggoreanboi


i rem i saw this bum ask this white guy for 75 cent and he gave him a dollar and the bum gave him 25 cents then i heard the bum said common lemme get that 25 cents so the white guy gave it to him then some old lady ask him and he gave her a dollar -_-;

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i used to buy bagels and orange juice cartons for them.

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anger management problem.

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quote:

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Originally posted by twinkie
i used to buy bagels and orange juice cartons for them.

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quote:

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Originally posted by kryogenix
"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he eats for a lifetime"

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__________________
ni pour ni contre; ça m'est égal

"The weight of this sad time we must obey,/ Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say./ The oldest hath borne most; we that are young/ Shall never see so much, nor live so long."
King Lear (V.3.300-304)

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quote:

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Originally posted by twinkie
i used to buy bagels and orange juice cartons for them.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Crazydeb8ter
well he needs a fishing rod first

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quote:

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Originally posted by kryogenix
or he can make a net

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__________________
ni pour ni contre; ça m'est égal

"The weight of this sad time we must obey,/ Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say./ The oldest hath borne most; we that are young/ Shall never see so much, nor live so long."
King Lear (V.3.300-304)

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i have noticed strategies that people have come up with and many people use as well.

They will work in pairs, and have one person come up to you and another one far off who is somehow connected to the person asking you for money (husband, brother, friend, etc.) and the person will ask you for money and explain their sob story and if you do not give them money they will be very disappointed and then holler all the way to the guy across the street something like "hey man, they are not going to help us" and try and put the prospective giver on guilt trip, by screaming it loudly so everyone can hear including the person far away that is in need as well while they are just pacing about doing nothing instead of asking others for money.

Anyone ever see that?

__________________
Long messages do not equal aggravation of any sort,
rather they reflect nothing more than a response of insight
that should always be read in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Those womyn that seek equality with men, lack determination."

"I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be wrong."
-Cromwell

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quote:

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Originally posted by PsychoSnowman
i have noticed strategies that people have come up with and many people use as well.

They will work in pairs, and have one person come up to you and another one far off who is somehow connected to the person asking you for money (husband, brother, friend, etc.) and the person will ask you for money and explain their sob story and if you do not give them money they will be very disappointed and then holler all the way to the guy across the street something like "hey man, they are not going to help us" and try and put the prospective giver on guilt trip, by screaming it loudly so everyone can hear including the person far away that is in need as well while they are just pacing about doing nothing instead of asking others for money.

Anyone ever see that?

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"Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable. " - Bruce Lee

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quote:

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Originally posted by Crazydeb8ter
not if he's homeless

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quote:

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Originally posted by kryogenix
you can't get a net if you're homeless?

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__________________
ni pour ni contre; ça m'est égal

"The weight of this sad time we must obey,/ Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say./ The oldest hath borne most; we that are young/ Shall never see so much, nor live so long."
King Lear (V.3.300-304)

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o man..that was so cool

anways..i used to be nice to them and gave them a dollar or two whenever i bumped into one. now i get really pissed off how people want to get things without working for them and even thoguht thats not the case with a minority of homeless people, it is for the majority so i just stopped caring about them.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Crazydeb8ter
bringing the question out of the analogy (net being the means to get food), then no, it is not very likely that they can get a stable job, or source of income. There is a good reason why they're on the street.

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quote:

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Originally posted by kryogenix
didn't know the price of a net was the same as the price of a house

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__________________
ni pour ni contre; ça m'est égal

"The weight of this sad time we must obey,/ Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say./ The oldest hath borne most; we that are young/ Shall never see so much, nor live so long."
King Lear (V.3.300-304)

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quote:

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Originally posted by Crazydeb8ter
I never said anything about a house

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quote:

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Originally posted by kryogenix
if they had a house, they wouldn't be homeless on the street

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__________________
ni pour ni contre; ça m'est égal

"The weight of this sad time we must obey,/ Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say./ The oldest hath borne most; we that are young/ Shall never see so much, nor live so long."
King Lear (V.3.300-304)

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? what the fuck

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