Giving money to bums

Crash · 05-07-2004, 11:01 AM

So yesterday, I was filling up at the gas station, this old lady comes up to me asking for a ride. I said no, i'm not going that way I can't help you there. She said, well maybe you can help me out with a place to stay the night, I said no, i dont live around there (i wasn't lying, i lived 40 miles away). I asked where she was headed that she had no family, and she told me she was going to pittsburg or sometihng (i'm in colorado),

anyways, i gave her 20 bux, and said do something smart with it, then i gave her my card....

so, question is, how do you feel about bums, and whether or not to give em money, are they honest? is that even something we should decide?

DimHalo · 05-07-2004, 11:56 AM

I was raised not to trust anyone (because of the places I grew up in) and my mom is pretty untrusting so I usually just keep walking to avoid confrontation. But I think it is a personal judgement. People should be giving but not if they feel that it would endanger them or if they don't trust the person.

Jonbo298 · 05-07-2004, 01:50 PM

When I rode the bus to work (dont laugh), I always had to wait in Downtown Omaha for about a half hour. I never gave the bum's money because 90% of the ones that asked were drunk or just plain scary. I usually just said "Don't got any cash on me. Just the bus ticket" and then he asked others and got the same answer

But usually I dont trust them. If one is nice enough, I'll give them a few dollars.

mickydaniels · 05-07-2004, 03:48 PM

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 · 05-07-2004, 03:59 PM

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 · 05-07-2004, 05:26 PM

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.....

Crono · 05-07-2004, 03:51 PM

I don't give Bums money. There's a bum at the gas station that I work at, and he's always asking for cigarettes, but I tell him to get the hell off the property. Seriously, he smells.

I am not sympathetic for the homeless, because half of the time it is probably their own fault for being lazy. In which case I care not for them.

One time a bum asked me, "Can you spare a 20?" and I said "Sorry, I don't have money", but then I bought a hot dog at some food kiosk thing (which happened to me be near by), and I ate it.

Yeah, I'm cruel. Oh well though. :-/