What is the deal with these people who stand by the side of the road begging with a homeless please help signs

Question

One time I gave one of them some gloves when it was cold out and he didn't have gloves on...he said "Thanks" and put them in his pocket.

Yesterday I saw a guy begging at the freeway exit ramp and about 20 feet from him on the dirty ground was a big clean expensive looking apple . I think someone gave him the apple and he wanted money so he put it on the ground. If he really needed help, he would have put the apple in his pocket, not on the ground.

This kind of thing makes you want to ignore such people (and by the way , I DO cook stuff for the homeless soup kitchen from time to time..

Answer 1

his pockets were full of money no place to put the apple. they make more money than you do working 8hrs aday 5 days a week. tax free also.

Answer 2

One time I owned a small florist shop and was there alone most of the time.  A semi-homeless man (he stayed with his mom sometimes) decided that he could bother me and come in my store and stare at the flowers and threaten me.  It was very scary.  Anyway, eventually the police were called and one of them told me something I never forgot.  "You can tell if a person is "off" or "insane" if they wear the wrong clothing for the temperature."  Such as, a thick warm coat in the blazing sun, or a tank top and sandals in the snow.  From then on, I've noticed that almost all homeless people that I see are like this, quite often that applies to the people on the roadsides with signs.  It would explain why the guy didn't put the gloves on.  Most of those people are mentally ill.  Of course, there are some who are not.  I was also told that alcoholics don't eat.  They can go days with no food, I guess their bodies are really screwed up - so that would explain not eating the apple, if he was an alcoholic, which alot of them are. It's very sad, and we get too cynical thinking someone is "ripping us off".  One time on Christmas day, my husband and I went to the beach, which was deserted.  We saw a man in a wheelchair who had only one leg and was dirty.  My husband walked over and gave him $20 - the poor man started crying - it was very moving.  He never asked for the money, we just felt like he needed it.  He was perfectly sane, just handicapped and alone.  We can't let the dishonest ones keep us from helping the ones who really need it.

Answer 3

I have never understood that. I beleive anyone can turn things around if hey try. Some have to try harder and they just give up.

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Answer 4

From what I've seen on television programs, a lot of them are just there for the money and actually make a pretty good living off of it.  Because of this I have quit giving to people on the side of the road.

Answer 5

Of course they're asking for money.  Why does that surprise you?  

If you want to give them money, do it.  If you don't, don't.  You don't get to determine what they do with it.

One conclusion from a man who did a study of panhandlers:

"Most evidence confirms that panhandling is not lucrative, although some panhandlers clearly are able to subsist on a combination of panhandling money, government benefits, private charity, and money from odd jobs such as selling scavenged materials or plasma."