Panhandlers: It Never Ends. (submitted for your amusement)

[The Last Standing Knight]

Happened to me around lunchtime while shopping.

I was going into on of the local stores when I saw a LARGE black with heavy crome trim GMC pickup pull in. Naturally, a nice truck will call attention to itself as it did with me.

The driver parked and got out. He had jeans with the holes in them and changed shirts to a dirty white t-shirt and put on a ball cap in nasty shape.

I went in the store and when I came out this guy was approaching people and telling everyone he was down on his luck and had hungry kids and so forth and asked for some money. No one seemed to be taking pity on him.

He came up to me and gave me his tail of woe with the most pitiful look on his face. I responded by pointed at his truck and asked "If you are so down on your luck, why are you driving that? Sell it and you'll have plenty of money."

He looked at me and snarled with an f-bomb and walked away.


Moral: Don't feel sorry for scammers no matter who they are or say they are.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

My Son left turned almost daily at the same intersection.
While waiting for the light, he chatted with a Homeless- down on her luck lady.
A while later he was leaving a Buddy’s house.
A lady comes out of the house across the street.
She looks familiar! It’s the The Left Turn lady!
He says, I thought you were homeless!
She jumps in a car and drives off!

 

[venomballistics]

A guy asked for a few bucks. I told him I only had large bills if he'd be okay with that.
He of course agreed, so I gave him my electric bill.

 

[jeffrefrig]

There’s a Home Depot not far from here. The one beggar has the same line, do you have work, I haven’t had a hot meal in blah, blah blah. I brought him out a job application from the d’pot. He swore at me!
One dude, he wants bus money for an appointment downtown. Same two guys. I really am sick of these people. My dog doesn’t like them either when they approach my car. That’s funny. Good girl!!

 

[fiasconva]

Young guy in his 20's on one corner with his girlfriend on the other corner. He was wearing one of those plastic boots that you get from ankle or foot surgery carrying the usual homeless and need help sign. His girlfriend walked up behind him and said something as she was walking away. After she got about 50 yds down the road he took off the boot and ran down the street after her. I wanted to run over him.

 

[Maddog 521]

I run across an honest beggar a few years ago. Me and my better half were sitting outside a coffee shop drinking coffee. A man came up that looked like he hadn't slept in a few days. He says "hey bro I just got out of jail and I really need a beer". I asked if that was the truth and he said yes. I gave him five bucks and off he went to the liquor store. He made my day too.

 

[lihpster]

Off ramp on the way to work had the usual assortment of people begging. Then one day this one guy starts showing up every day. Same guy, every day. One day, the guy is arguing with another guy with a cardboard sign. Loudly discussing who had "rights" to that corner. Suddenly, this lifted F-350 with custom paint and wheels and enough extra lights to signal the space station shows up. He pulls up and parks on an island between lanes, jumps out of his truck and start bellying up to the new guy.
Homeless wrangler. Protecting his "employees" turf. Panhandling is a business. Sometimes a lucrative one.

 

[robvious]

there was a "broken down vehicle" family playing the game here last summer.. someone from the "news" followed them home... 300K house with a newer Mercedes (?) Lexus maybe.. and questioned them... I believe they got a visit from the IRS as well... don't give a dime

 

[LVSteve]

Had some people ask me for gas money. I pointed out that their super deluxe van was newer than my truck. They sort of shrugged and went to find somebody more gullible.

 

[fordson]

Here in Florida we see lots of transients as winter approaches up north. It always amuses me to see these folks asking for hand outs while wearing iPhone ear buds and talking on their cell phones. If they can afford the phone and accessories, they don’t need my money……..

 

[Bekeart]

They are hungry too

Here in Florida we see lots of transients as winter approaches up north. It always amuses me to see these folks asking for hand outs while wearing iPhone ear buds and talking on their cell phones. If they can afford the phone and accessories, they don’t need my money……..

You have described some of the clients that show up at the soup kitchen where I make regular donations.
They have money for cigarettes too,
They are hungry - come for a free meal.

Bekeart

 

[RobertJ.]

Homeless wrangler. Protecting his "employees" turf. Panhandling is a business. Sometimes a lucrative one.

Wrangler?

I think the correct term is "pimp"!

 

[MRB1]

For a couple of years we had a lady begging outside most of the stores in town. She was respectful but seemed to be everywhere. Everybody was aware of her many stories. Then she wasn't there. A few days later her body was found in a creek bed where other bodies have been dumped in the past. She was not destitute, just taking advantage of other people's generosity.

 

[Marshwheeling]

When I was driving a transit bus in St. Paul, I saw all kinds. There was a guy maybe in his mid 30s who used to ride my bus several times a week. He was clean, reasonably well-dressed, had an attractive girl friend, and lived in an apartment just off my route. I only had enough conversation with him to know that he was congenial, reasonably well-spoken and not obviously stupid. From time to time I would see him with a sign by a freeway ramp I passed on my route. Once, he recognized me, smiled and waved.

There were other regulars. One was a guy who might have been a little older than me, who sat in a wheelchair in the center median at a major intersection, sometimes with a blanket in his lap in cold weather. One morning, I was driving in a residential neighborhood on the east side of Saint Paul. I saw him come out of a modest but well -kept house, pushing his folded wheelchair. He put it in the trunk of a Toyota and drove off, presumably toward his corner.
A passenger once told me that particular form of panhandling was called “signing”. There is often a negotiated rotation to the rights to certain corners, although an obstreperous rogue may appear at any time to upset the established order.

 

[BKLooney]

A good friend of mine named Ron that passed away a few years ago came in to my office one day and said "you know those guys that beg money up at exit 7, well I don't thing they're very honest". Naturally I agreed but asked what's the point, most people know this. He said "well there's been this one up there for days with a sign that says will work for food...I happened to be the first truck in line and I waived him over and offered him a can of creamed corn to wax my truck...he told me to go **** myself!". Leave it to Ron, I really liked that guy..

 

[RobertJ.]

Years ago, a chef I worked with saw a couple of guys with the "will work for food" sign. He stopped and told them that if they came down to the restaurant, he had some things they could do, and he'd feed them real well. They never showed. He said, "I should have offered them a bottle of sherry!"

After that, we'd joke about throwing them a can of lima beans.

 

[Golddollar]

At one time or another, I've had someone bail me out of jam, so I've passed the generosity along. But I won't give anyone money anymore. I don't want to be an enabler of whatever is causing their problems. But lately I filled a gas tank for some college kids rather than give them money for gas, and for a famlly who was up on the commercial district with a sign that they needed help I went to McDonald's and got sandwiches, coffee and milk for them. That way I figure I've helped people with an actual need without contributing to any possible problems. I've probably spent money on worse things.

 

[bgrafsr]

I was working dayshift and saw a guy at the entrance ramp to the turnpike. He wasn't shilling, just waiting for a ride. It was cold, so I went to McD's, got him a few burgers, french fries, and a couple cups of coffee. I stopped the cruiser, called him over and gave him the meal. He seemed appreciative.

 

[pantannojack]

I ask them back: "How deep is your credit card debt?" or "What is your debt to earnings ratio?"

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Most Creative-
Saw this on a sign up in CO.
‘Need money for Spaceship Repairs so I Return to My Home Planet.’