What do you guys do when homeless people ask you for money?

If I have cash (which is rare but occasionally), I give them a few bucks. I have no idea what their history is and I don’t try to fill in the blanks with judgment.

But I’m older and have lived long enough to know life isn’t “fair” at all. People don’t start on level playing fields. America gives people a better chance than most countries, but it’s not equal. I remember in my 30s I lost my job and ran up credit card debt trying to keep up my mortgage and car payments as well as ghastly COBRA health insurance. In 8 months, I got back on my feet with a new job but was staring down an ugly re-payment plan to get out of that debt. As fate would have it, a few months later a grandparent passed away and left me an inheritance that was *just* enough to pay off the debt.

Don’t take what you have for granted. I’m not rich at all. Barely upper middle class. I don’t own fancy things but I have what I need.

I notice a lot of respondents in this thread are wary of giving the homeless money for fear that they might spend it on alcohol or drugs. I prefer a different approach.

I was in New Orleans for the Mardi Gras back in the day, and a homeless gentleman who was standing outside a liquor store asked me for some money. I was a young man at the time and didn't have much to spare, and I told him that I wouldn't give him any money, but I would be happy to buy him the drink of his choice. He requested a bottle of the Night Train.

I went into the store and bought 2 bottles -- one for him and one for me. When I handed him his bottle, he didn't drink it right away. He savored the moment. Being the Mardi Gras, music filled the street, and before I knew it, my new-found friend was pinging the bottle with a quarter, keeping time to the music. The man was filled with a joy which still warms my heart, even to this day.

I raised my own bottle as a toast, and, together, we rode the Night Train to sweet oblivion.

I usually say "Sorry, no."

But I definitely try to acknowledge them and make eye contact. Being in their situation can be dehumanizing, so the last thing I'd want to do is ignore them.

I say, "sorry, not today", unless they get me in a ridiculously good mood then I'll give them a $20.

Usually toss them a couple bucks. The way I look at it is we as people need to look out for one another.

helpforthemostpart wrote:

Usually toss them a couple bucks. The way I look at it is we as people need to look out for one another.

Well then shouldn't they also be looking out for you? Are they?

It's funny I go the other way I close my eyes and say you do not exist. Not to dehumanize them but hopefully they might take it as a clue to do something else and also so I'm hoping that maybe they are Just a hallucination and everybody's enjoying prosperity

Anyway next time try closing your eyes and put your hands over your ears and and say you do not exist everyone is enjoying prosperity and see if that works for you equally as well

Ezrun wrote:

It's funny I go the other way I close my eyes and say you do not exist. Not to dehumanize them but hopefully they might take it as a clue to do something else and also so I'm hoping that maybe they are Just a hallucination and everybody's enjoying prosperity

Anyway next time try closing your eyes and put your hands over your ears and and say you do not exist everyone is enjoying prosperity and see if that works for you equally as well

I take out the largest bill I have tear it almost in half. And tell them here you take half

But I make sure to keep the larger half because this is the only one that has any value. Because 50.1% of a bill constitutes legal Tender bill and can be exchanged for a new one at the bank

and and it brings a smile to their face. And most of them think they have half of whatever is so it's really a win-win.

This is what Jesus Christ would have done beautiful sentiment

Alex87 wrote:

helpforthemostpart wrote:

Usually toss them a couple bucks. The way I look at it is we as people need to look out for one another.

Well then shouldn't they also be looking out for you? Are they?

Not why I fo it. People are going through a tough time you help. Being decent goes a long way in life.

You're lazy. You should take the opportunity to develop some stealth ninja skills.

From now on, always hand out at least $1 each. Soon you will start figuring out ways to avoid them ever seeing you, even if they are hanging out right by the door of a building you have to enter and exit. Secret ninja skills.

If I am in a rush i give a few bucks, or nothing. If I am not in a hurry, I ask them what do they need and buy it from the next shop. Usually they ask for a sandwich or coffee, sometimes a bus ticket.

I believe that this is what I would like people do to me, if I were in their shoes.

mid D guy wrote:

If I am in a rush i give a few bucks, or nothing. If I am not in a hurry, I ask them what do they need and buy it from the next shop. Usually they ask for a sandwich or coffee, sometimes a bus ticket.

I believe that this is what I would like people do to me, if I were in their shoes.

Hey if you don't mind I'm a little bit down on my luck. Could you maybe order me some stuff on Amazon and have it shipped to me

I could use a pogo mat 7 by 4 foot Pogo mat. And just a couple of grocery items. Great let me know if that's cool probably be about a hundred bucks. I guess we'll exchange emails and hopefully you can have it shipped to me. Thanks a lot I could definitely really use it and it's cool I can wait till you have some time hopefully sometime this week will be great. All right we'll talk soon thanks

Alex87 wrote:

helpforthemostpart wrote:

Usually toss them a couple bucks. The way I look at it is we as people need to look out for one another.

Well then shouldn't they also be looking out for you? Are they?

spotted the Republican.

I give them money

I give them Nutrigrain bars!!

Sure, if I see you sitting for a week at the corner between 8th and 53rd, I will bring you a pogo mat sometimes in early December, if that's what you need.

Alex87 wrote:

helpforthemostpart wrote:

Usually toss them a couple bucks. The way I look at it is we as people need to look out for one another.

Well then shouldn't they also be looking out for you? Are they?

Bro, it's 2020. We're well past this kind of an archaic argument. You're smarter than it. You can't just victim blame/bootstrap everything at the expense of giving zero thought to systems & sociological factors at play.

Remember when I think it was Tennessee started drug testing welfare recipients. The results were a disaster. I believe less than 100 of tens of thousands tested positive. It cost the state money that could go into social programs to fuel a conservative stereotype that just isn't true. People, in general, are working hard and trying to get by. I'm not going to fault someone who then develops some sort of a mental health problem/addiction if they reach that point. We should be talking about ways to make sure nobody is driven to that point versus telling them it's their fault once they get there.

The reality of this conversation is that nobody (very few) on these boards are among the super super rich (.1% types who have too much $$$ to know what to do with it). So we walk around in circles with this conversation. Some make jokes. Some won't give a dime to a homeless person. Some give what they can. A lot of people are uncomfortable and scared of interacting with the homeless. Charity is a scam. Middle class pockets are hit a lot harder by "giving what they can" to the homeless than some rich person buying up stocks and rich person stuff. Rich folks give sometimes decent amounts to charity so we're all wowed but the problems never go away and these charitable donations are a lot less than what we should be taxing them for in the first place. We could solve homelessness tomorrow if we wanted to. We don't because we live in a capitalist society set up to protect wealth -- not the wealth of people living paycheck to paycheck (which honestly is 99% of us) but for the super rich. So, sometimes, somebody moves from the paycheck to paycheck category into homelessness. It's not because they didn't work hard. We're never more than a couple of steps away from that. The rest of us are told that we're just working harder than that person and to ignore the problem and to be charitable if/when we can. It's messed up that a country so rich has such a big homelessness problem.

Either look at them and say nothing or just say sorry bro no cash.