How much do you set aside for panhandlers (Tongue in cheek)?

In this context "a few bucks short of getting back on their feet".

My point is that giving money to panhandlers does harm, not good. If you want to help those people, give money or time to your local food bank and soup kitchen.

 

I use the envelope system. Amazing how far my Monopoly money can last this way

 

I can respect and agree with this. No smiles needed, it came off as demeaning.

 

I know what you are doing here and once again it's unnecessary. I didn't come here to spar with anyone. I just came to share my experience on the topic. If you disagree that's totally cool but you don't need to keep shooting barbs at me. I've made a conscious effort to not send any back your way and stick to simply explaining myself instead.

The smiley is nothing more than an attempt to lighten a relatively somber post. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Who's grinning.

 

@TIMSPEED - my hubby must have run into that same guy at the gas station here in Texas last week - guy was wearing a restaurant type apron leaning up against the building where my husband was just finishing pumping gas. The conversation:
Guy says to DH "how you doin?, I recognize you from xxx(a nearby neighborhood chain), I work in the kitchen there".
DH says "oh, hi" (doesn't know him at all)
Guy says to DH "my wife left me and took my car, can you spare $10 so I can get home?"
DH says " I only have six or seven bucks on me, you can have that".
Guy says "there's a ATM inside, I really need ten dollars so I can get home"
DH finally says "no, can't help you", gets in the car and leaves. Then felt bad once he got home...

Just for background - my husband hands out money pretty regularly cause he just can't say no. Drugstore and grocery store parking lot panhandlers seem to have the saddest stories according to him. He volunteers regularly at a food kitchen picking up bread from a bakery that donates baked goods to the kitchen. The up side of that for me is, he can't say no to me when I beg for more gambling money, haha.

For my part, I never give money for some of the reasons @woodsie mentioned - homeless advocacy groups in our area also recommend not giving directly to people asking for money but rather make donations to groups that can actually help those folks on a long term basis.

 

I've given money to one person in Vegas who asked. It was at the Hard Rock. A guy early thirties nicely dressed came up to me and asked for a dollar as I was walking by. I gave it to him. He didn't say what he needed it for but I obliged. I think him being nicely dressed and well spoken compelled me more to give him the $.

 

Every trip my hubby asks if I want a pic with him (I like sponge bob), and every trip I say "no". That costume is so grubby, it made me grin seeing your quote as I know exactly whom you're talking about!

In all seriousness, occasionally I do give money here or there, but save it for the ones that have that really lost/hopeless feel about them, not the snarky ones. (And its usually the older homeless that hit me.)

BUT it's a small amount and infrequent. I prefer to instead tip heavier on the people who get less/rare tips in vegas, maids, the ladies cleaning the restrooms, the janitors...the ones that are often overlooked but working really hard. I DO allocate a set of funds for those tips every trip.

Back to SpongeBob though, your quip still made me grin...brought back great memories, thank you!

 

a few years ago i was watching the dancers that do breakdancing (near the Flamingo). this one kid was so good, i gave him 5 dollars. (i'm notoriously cheap so this was a big deal)

anyhow, this kids name is Fikshun and was on So You Think You Can Dance and won it.

 

I don't set aside anything for panhandlers. I truly believe that if you want a job to support yourself or your family, you can find one. There are social services (paid for by our taxes by the way) that would love to help you get back on your feet.

There are manpower agencies and labor agencies that you can go to for a job. It might not pay well but it offers a job that can feed you and your family. If your willing to work hard.

For the most part, panhandlers are lazy and have no pride or integrity in themselves. Many of them are drug and/or alcohol addicts. The rest are mentally ill.

No self-respecting person would panhandle. They would utilize our social services to get back on their feet then give back to the society that helped them.

 

The Vegas Spongebob costumes are so bad. Now if someone was rolled up as a ball in a Gary costume, then maybe I would have to pull out some money. Note that my avatar is "Old Man Jenkins" standing in front of an exploding change machine.

 

Love it Tring! I've always loved your avatar, and anyone that can speak to Gary (spongebob) is golden in my book.


Though, I'm thinking Bender from futurama might trump Gary

 

I don't set anything aside. I rarely give them money. The only time they get me is if they have a child with them and I'll give them $5. I am forced to watch Spongebob entirely too much having young children! The people in costume that charge for pictures, I never have given them anything.

 

Performers and street panhandlers I put in different categories.. I remember Vegas Kiss on the strip keeps fans that say "Tips" on them and won't allow a picture (as they put the fan in front of their face if you try to take a photo without a tip).

 

I learned all I need to know while vacationing in Florida as a young boy. Tourists like seagulls at the beach. They feed them popcorn. More seagulls show up. Locals have to live there year round. They do not feed seagulls.

 

And they know it! Moreso those who bring kids (their own or borrowed) along.

 

I won two apple pies from the DTG. What am I going to do with 2 pies. Wife and I went out on Fremont to give them to the homeless. It wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. The first 5 folks turned them down. The 6th guy said he only wanted one. The 8th person we asked reluctantly took it. These weren't panhandlers, they were folks rooting through garbage cans looking for stuff sort of minding their own business; not sitting on the sidewalk with a cup.

 

I would give something to the "showgirls" on The Strip for a photo, but they are either busy or some ass hat is trying to flirt with them. The ones on Fremont look like crack whores.

 

I won't give money to the costume characters, that seems like a job that I'm not interested in. And you can see from the handmade signs, that many have panhandling down to an art form. I usually won't give anything to them either.
However, when I was in Vegas in January, I saw a seriously pregnant women. That broke my heart. I did give her a few bucks and would again.

 

I've witnessed people taking the train into Philly with the cardboard signs in their bags and hand them off to others who sit on the sidewalk looking gloom.

I was walking around the French town of Lille at 3am. No one was out but me and some drunk folks. At 6am I was walking to the train station and there was a guy with a hand written sign (in French) and sheet of cardboard and a cute little dog begging for money. He was acting like he was out on the sidewalk all night. These scammers are all over the world.