Giving money to bums

[mickydaniels]

Giving money to 'bums.' What a word. I wouldn't think they'd like to be called that.

Anyway, here in NYC, the bums can be really resourceful like playing music, or imitating Michael Jackson dances in Union Square right down to the outfits and every little detail. But there's one experience that always makes me think twice. One time (2002) on a train, I noticed a guy asking for donations with some heart-wrenching story about losing his home in a fire. All his possessions and stuff. Pretty sad story. And he said he was representing some homeless agency. I didn't have any spares on me so I felt kind of bad.
But about 2 or 3 weeks later I see the same guy on the same train route with some lady talking about raising money for his daughter's medical bills. She had some condition and they cannot afford to pay for it or the other bills. I remembered him well from the first time I saw him because he kind of made me feel so bad. And he was using the same phrases :"Anything you can give is appreciated. God bless." and there were others I just forgot to write them down. I can't tell you how much I felt like literally killing this guy, right there, on the spot for using human tragedy to get money on the subway. As soon as I saw him the second time I realized this was the guy's job, on the exact same train no less. I don't believe I ever felt angrier than at that moment, which was also the same time my lymphoma was just cured, and thinking about that and what this guy just did made me even madder.

But, other than stuff like that, it's not so bad. As long as they're fully conscious, and not too stink. Because sometimes when these guys stink, they can get a whole subway car to themselves.

[Bube]

I go into all kinds of conversations with those damn people all the time. Once one of them pulled a knife from his pocket, and I happily gave him money . Another time I was nearly attacked by two of them. Gave both of them money again. These guys are serious. A friend's friend was killed by one of these "people".

And the last time I was bothered, I had a friend with me. Thinking of my previous experiences with them, I was very scared. In a situation like that, it's always the girl who is attacked, and like I said, I was scared ****less that they would do something to her. Luckily, they didn't follow us across the street.

[Canyarion]

In Holland all the 'bums' are drugs addicts. So I never give them anything, cause they'll sniff up their money the very same day.

One time this guy pulled out a gross story and showed me his infected arm that needed medical attention. He smeared some pus on the floor next to where I sat.

Another time a guy had a touching story of how he needed to take the train to go to his dying mother in hospital. He asked me if he could borrow some money. He told me where he lived, so I could get my money back.
When I told that to my friends, they said they knew the guy because he had done the same thing to them.
I never checked if he really lived where he said he did.....

[Rndm_Perfection]

First of all, there's a large difference between bums and street performers.

Bums have no larger respect for themselves than to "bum" off money. Yes, that'd be why they are called bums. Did crash say the woman was juggling knives while asking for help? No, she was begging some random young man at a gas-station for a ride...

Yes, it's true that some homeless put themselves into their own situation, and that some are placed in it by losing their homes to taxes, fires, whatnot... without a job.

But, seriously... it's also true that most of the homeless can find a home within a year or two, assuming they had just lost their job. True "bums" devote their time to "bumming". That's not honest or respectable work. Hell, it's even more respectable to collect cans all day.

A good portion of the people who "bum" money on the streets are not true bums. They know how easily some people can be guilted into giving freebies, and they make a living of it. There are a lot in my area (near Benton Harbor) and I've heard many stories of people being taken advantage of.

My sister had her window down driving through Benton Harbor (Hah, yeah... good idea). At an intersection, a black woman walked up to her car and spilled a story about how she was separated from her church organization... and her car needed gas. She needed a ride or some money to fill it up. Eh, like how my sister is, she gave a good amount of cash, her first name, and the place where she works. Next day, she saw the woman at her workplace asking for her... the woman needed money for her flat tire. Oh yeah, there was a story about her dying mother and the doctors were considering pulling the chord.

Moral? Eh, bums in general are no more than bums. Don't do any favors, but do pay street performers that you enjoy. That's some honest work.

[evanescence2004]

In the summer of 2003 there was a story about a "bum" that was ont he street for a couple of years collecting money until someone found out that she had around 4 cars and 2 big houses. Some of these "people" are just too lazy to work and take advantage of people that feel bad for them...if only i can find a link to it i will post it .

[Acebot44]

I havent given a bum money yet. Don't plan on doing it either.

[manasecret]

Originally Posted by Rndm_Perfection

Bums have no larger respect for themselves than to "bum" off money. Yes, that'd be why they are called bums.

Haha.. that's a circular definition if I've ever seen one.

[DeathsHand]

There's a guy near the area I work who is on crutches (now he has crutches, at first he just had a cane) who first approached me and my friend like a year ago... "You look like reasonable people, with the job market problems lately, I've lost my job, blah blah etc etc give me money"...

Then we hadn't seen him around for awhile, but recently he's come back... He approached me like twice... This time he has crutches, but the same story...

The other day I took the metro to the other side of town (granted Arlington isn't very big), and saw him getting off the metro there too...

My hunch is that he was going to work...

[GiMpY-wAnNaBe]

several times i've given a pizza box with a few slices left to people, i dislike giving people money directly. I'm untrusting that way...