[stealthyburrito]

this stuff is getting out of control in my area. i've been solicited at my local shopping center more times the last week then i have in the past 10 years.

I try to politely decline these people, but its getting annoying. And you never know who's telling the truth is just some lowlife druggie/alcoholic like the guy with the golden voice.

Sometimes i feel like helping, throwing a dollar here and there, but my mind always takes me back to the classic "night of the living homeless" episode of south park. I don't want to be labelled a mark.

speaking on that, do bums communicate with one another?? do they ever go up to another bum and say "hey, that guys good for a dollar."

what do you guys says to shoo away unwanted solicitors?? do you tell them to **** off?? do you politely decline?? or do you give into whatever sob story they've presented.

i just tell them i don't carry cash on me. felt kinda bad the last time i did that as i walked out of a panera bread counting my change and in the corner of my i see a bum i declined to give cash to.

all he wanted was a $1 for a double cheeseburger from McD's. allegedly.

[rm18]

Just tell them you need the money to gamble.

[HotStreak]

As soon as you see them coming say...

"Hey buddy can you spare a dollar?"

At that point, they don't know what the fuk to do

[brxbmbers42]

there is a route i sometimes cover at work and it is full of guys walking around asking for spare change. it gets fukkin old. by the end of the day im usually cursing at these fukks.

[Jesus Is Lord]

I usually don't hand money out. I'll buy them a burger first.

[stealthyburrito]

As soon as you see them coming say...

"Hey buddy can you spare a dollar?"

At that point, they don't know what the fuk to do

they always catch me by surprise, but i will try to get the bum next time.

[Ace_of_Spades]

Given them a dollar, no biggie.

[onetrickpony]

Just tell them you need the money to gamble.

thats some shit right there

[Dirty Sanchez]

Just do one of those Warmups that the Sumo Wrestlers do before the fight....will freak the guy out

[ACoochy]

ask the bum if he can spare $2 to your $1....

[MinnesotaFats]

You can ususally get the female bums to give you a hummer for a couple bucks...if you close your eyes it's worth it.

[stealthyburrito]

You can ususally get the female bums to give you a hummer for a couple bucks...if you close your eyes it's worth it.

hmmm.... you are onto something here MF.

i was approached by a bum couple recently.

next time i will tell the male bum that his girl gotta work for their change.

she wasn't that bad looking either, if you take away the shit stained clothing and crap all over her face.

[HotStreak]

Very few female bums.

A lot of lonely dudes out there.

[Mr KLC]

I'll help out at the homeless shelter, but I won't give them money. At the shelter it seems to be a more legitimate way of asking for help.

[mikejamm]

Yeah, well count your lucky stars, it could be your ass out on the street begging for change one day! Just consider how difficult it is to make it now each passing day in this fuk'ed up world of ours, and you lie and deny a homeless guy a fuk'in dollar while you're "counting your change coming out of Panera Bread?" What the fuk do you think a dollar buys today, that is about all it's good for, a cheeseburger at Mac D's! It's all about karma, better hope it doesn't come back to bite you on your selfish ass!

[Dirty Sanchez]

Yeah, well count your lucky stars, it could be your ass out on the street begging for change one day! Just consider how difficult it is to make it now each passing day in this fuk'ed up world of ours, and you lie and deny a homeless guy a fuk'in dollar while you're "counting your change coming out of Panera Bread?" What the fuk do you think a dollar buys today, that is about all it's good for, a cheeseburger at Mac D's! It's all about karma, better hope it doesn't come back to bite you on your selfish ass!

Geez...easy Mikey

[HotStreak]

Yeah, well count your lucky stars, it could be your ass out on the street begging for change one day! Just consider how difficult it is to make it now each passing day in this fuk'ed up world of ours, and you lie and deny a homeless guy a fuk'in dollar while you're "counting your change coming out of Panera Bread?" What the fuk do you think a dollar buys today, that is about all it's good for, a cheeseburger at Mac D's! It's all about karma, better hope it doesn't come back to bite you on your selfish ass!

They feed you three meals a day in prison.

Start committing crimes. No need to hurt anyone. Petty theft.

[mikejamm]

They feed you three meals a day in prison.

Start committing crimes. No need to hurt anyone. Petty theft.

==================
Yeah real smart, let's keep filling the prisons and having our tax dollars pay for it. That dollar you toss a homeless guy might be the first meal the dude has had in days, or it might be the dollar that keeps him from committing a crime and possibly hurting someone!

[HotStreak]

==================
Yeah real smart, let's keep filling the prisons and having our tax dollars pay for it. That dollar you toss a homeless guy might be the first meal the dude has had in days, or it might be the dollar that keeps him from committing a crime and possibly hurting someone!

You think that's smart, and a waste of tax dollars.....

One favorite scam of homeless people is to go into a business and ask them to cal an ambulance because they are having severe chest pains.

They get an ambulance ride to the hospital, and something to eat.

That fuking turkey sandwich they get, just cost about $3000.


Don't give them shit. They use for drugs or alcohol or gambling or porn.

[mikejamm]

You think that's smart, and a waste of tax dollars.....

One favorite scam of homeless people is to go into a business and ask them to cal an ambulance because they are having severe chest pains.

They get an ambulance ride to the hospital, and something to eat.

That fuking turkey sandwich they get, just cost about $3000.


Don't give them shit. They use for drugs or alcohol or gambling or porn.

=====================
Dude, stop being so narrow minded. Not all homeless people are drug addicts. Many are veterans who fought wars or guys who have, yes, serious medical or mental problems. Add to that the newest form of homelessness, the mother or father with kids who lost their job and home because of the economy and bullshit banking mortgage industry and you might have a clue as to what I'm talk'in about, rather than worrying that some homeless guy is scamming a free ride to a hospital.

[emoney]

Kick them in the nuts as hard as you can.

You are actually doing them a favor.

They forget about being homeless for a while because their balls hurt so bad.

[onetrickpony]

===================== Dude, stop being so narrow minded. Not all homeless people are drug addicts. Many are veterans who fought wars or guys who have, yes, serious medical or mental problems. Add to that the newest form of homelessness, the mother or father with kids who lost their job and home because of the economy and bullshit banking mortgage industry and you might have a clue as to what I'm talk'in about, rather than worrying that some homeless guy is scamming a free ride to a hospital.

ok mother teresa

[shari91]

ask the bum if he can spare $2 to your $1....

Do you have a lot of people asking for money up there? It just dawned on me that for all the time I've spent in Australia I've been asked for cash maybe twice. And both times were when I was sitting at a table on the sidewalk outside of a bar. It was one of those funky suburbs too - half hipsters and yuppies and the other half real battlers so it wasn't too surprising. Everywhere else in the city people are usually just sitting down with a sign, creating something ie chalk drawings on the sidewalk, paintings, jewelery or busking.

Wow. Can't believe I hadn't noticed this before.

[stealthyburrito]

so many bums its becoming a turrible problem.

they hassle the college girls and think their cat calls are clever and cute.

round these fukkers up and place em in a shelter.

[onetrickpony]

so many bums its becoming a turrible problem. they hassle the college girls and think their cat calls are clever and cute. round these fukkers up and place em in a shelter.

told u blacksburg is waaaaay better

[stealthyburrito]

Yeah, well count your lucky stars, it could be your ass out on the street begging for change one day! Just consider how difficult it is to make it now each passing day in this fuk'ed up world of ours, and you lie and deny a homeless guy a fuk'in dollar while you're "counting your change coming out of Panera Bread?" What the fuk do you think a dollar buys today, that is about all it's good for, a cheeseburger at Mac D's! It's all about karma, better hope it doesn't come back to bite you on your selfish ass!

no, i doubt i'll ever end up on the streets mike.

again, how do i know the guy is getting a cheeseburger for real?? maybe that dollar is going to his next purchase of crack or some booze.

sorry, a few bad bums ruined it for the rest of them.

[Reload]

Most of the ones I run into are near the TD Garden. "Tickets?...You need tickets?...You sellin' tickets?"

[Glitch]

no, i doubt i'll ever end up on the streets mike.

again, how do i know the guy is getting a cheeseburger for real?? maybe that dollar is going to his next purchase of crack or some booze.

sorry, a few bad bums ruined it for the rest of them.

maybe with your dollar, it gives him enough to buy that cheeseburger in addition to the booze he was gonna buy with the 2 dollars he accumulated earlier.

for gamblers you guys dont seem to care about karma too much...its a dollar or the 68 cents loose change in your pocket...just give it to them.

but i can understand not wanting to perpetuate the problem.

[mrmarket]

The reasons for solicitation are complicated and labeling everyone that solicits for money as a "bum" is ignorant. This does not stop people from lumping things into easily defined categories however. In this case the more appropriate term would be The Homeless instead of bums because it is more encompassing. Society lumps people into these manageable categories because they don't care, lack the mental/emotional capacity to understand, or are ignorant because it is the easiest path to take. I can't do anything about the first two reasons but maybe we can dispel some ignorance.

Most solicitation stems from substance abuse problems. The addicts buy drugs rarely using the money for food. If they don't receive the money by solicitation they will commit crimes to get it.

Also common is solicitation by the mentally ill (ex soldiers,former mental patients or people who have simply always been sick and never been treated) and the circumstantial homeless (Ex-convict,disability,inability to find work,loss of work,inability to earn a livable wage,bankruptcy due to medical/other debts, inability to pay the mortgage/rent,inability to find proper housing,inability to find child care, plain old poverty etc.)

Within these broad descriptions you will see a lot of intermingling. Some addicts are that way because they are mentally ill, some mentally ill turn to drugs for escape and become addicts, some circumstantial homeless turn to drugs to escape and become addicts, some addicts become mentally deranged due to prolonged drug use etc.

True bums, those that have the capacity to work, but choose not to and supplement their lifestyle with begging for money do exist but they are rare in my experience.

As a side note, getting food is not a problem if you're homeless. The streets are awash with food. There are always shelters/charitable organizations/religious institutions that make food available and dumpsters are overflowing with things that are fit for consumption.

So where does this leave you when you have someone asking you for money? There is a well known proverb that says Walk a mile in another man's shoes. I wish people would take the time to think, and do so. I do not suggest giving money if this contradicts your values but try to think about what would lead someone to do so. Lecturing someone or deriding them is something I consider reprehensible and a sign of poor character.

I know some are quick to dismiss everything I've just wrote citing personal responsibility, pick yourself up by your bootstraps attitude and need for individual sovereignty. I do not disagree but realize this is based on the presumption that one has the ability to do so. Many alas, do not.

You would be surprised at how thin the line is between living life well and devastation. Do not snub your nose at it because one day you might find yourself receiving the same snubbing.

[poochiecollins]

You can ususally get the female bums to give you a hummer for a couple bucks...if you close your eyes it's worth it.

Wear a condom, preferably flavored.

[HotStreak]

=====================
Dude, stop being so narrow minded. Not all homeless people are drug addicts. Many are veterans who fought wars or guys who have, yes, serious medical or mental problems. Add to that the newest form of homelessness, the mother or father with kids who lost their job and home because of the economy and bullshit banking mortgage industry and you might have a clue as to what I'm talk'in about, rather than worrying that some homeless guy is scamming a free ride to a hospital.

They're not doing it for the free ride to the hospital. The entire call an ambulance charade is dedicated to getting a free meal.

[Cuse0323]

i love bums, they have great stories and make up some good ones too. whenever i go downtown, i always strike up a conversation with a few. one guy asked me for a buck, i said you probably have 100 g's at home and he just smiles and says yeah i do. some of these guys are well off, they just go outside the bars and get drunk bastards to give them money every night.

[stealthyburrito]

do these guys talk to one another??

maybe its just the area i live but it seems like they rotate turf so to speak, and come together in one area at night and chastise pretty little ladies going to bars and what not.

again, i don't give handouts cuz i have no friggin clue where the money is going, and i know these people know enough about what they're doing to recall a face that actually gave them cash. i mean, in a given day how many people do they actually collect from??

i imagine not many. i would be willing to spare change maybe once, but these guys will remember you and will hound you again and again.

and in mrmarkets post, if its true, they apparently have access to plenty of food. so why do they need me to give them money?? cuz they're tired of shelter food? nope, doesn't work that way.