# Anyone else notice an increase in people wanting a handout?



## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I've noticed in the last few years an major increase in people looking for handouts. Back in the not too distance past we seen very few around here, and the ones that was, were older street people, someone with mental problems, probably somebody who really did need a few bucks. Now though, I'm seeing younger people mid-20s or so. Most always have a story: "forgot my credit card, just enough money for gas back home...." "My car broke down had to spend all my money to get it fixed now needs money to go home....". A few don't even bother with an excuse, just give me money. Most will, after you give them money or not, jump in a pretty nice car or meet up with his/her partner. 
Anyone else notice anything like this, or is it just the "the world owes me a living" people just made around here?


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## joec (Nov 12, 2012)

Perhaps the unemployment and lower pay due to it those that have jobs get might just account for it. I've seen my delinquency of rent payments go up 100%, more actions of peoples stuff over past years and less occupancy. Oh and I have a self storage facility.


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## medudeman259 (Mar 5, 2013)

a friend of mine had this happen to him, the guy actually had the balls to say "Gee thanks" (sarcastically) from what my friend said he handed him like $3, and lately here theirs been a lot of those "donate to a cause" but just a printed out piece of paper on a coffee can nothing official just some guy printing out like "help the red cross" with no red cross symbol im not saying they are not affiliated with anything but its just suspicious to me


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## unknownsld (Mar 19, 2013)

That's because most people are lazy these days. I blame a lot of our problems on the hippies. From what I have noticed through out recent history (big into history) is that many of our problems today started around the time of the hippies.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

There was a news story on some of these folks in Seattle when I was living there. Some of these folks make more than $500 a day.
My own experience with folks asking for money is sad. I was stopped coming out of the grocery store by a woman who told me she needed $10 to feed her three kids. I never give cash but I invited her to go with me into the store and I would buy her some groceries to feed herself and her kids. She got mad and swore at me saying all she wanted was 10 F'ing dollars.
I don't know what she was going to spend the money on or even if she had three kids but I kept my cool and told her I don't give cash but I would be happy to feed her and her kids. She didn't take me up on it so I can only assume that her reason for the money was not food for her kids. I have also stopped and given canned food to the beggars on the corner - they acted like I had personally attacked them. So I can only assume the the "anything helps" sign was not accurate.

I guess when you make over $500 a day extra canned food is kind of out of place.


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## Infidel (Dec 22, 2012)

A lot of it may be due to an increase in drug use also. Heroin use is on the increase and Methamphetamine use is still very high. Some of it probably is just due to laziness, I do not as a habit hand out money to people begging on the street. I would sooner pick up one of the guys with the sign will work for food, at least they're trying (not that I do that either). I might throw some change in a guitar case if someone is playing on the street and I have some lose change but people just pan handling get the standard "Sorry, can't help you" from me.

-Infidel


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

One of the sad things for me is, I really wouldn't mind helping someone who found themselves in a bind, but what can you do when 97% are just lying, and perhaps make as much money begging as we do working?


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder (Feb 11, 2013)

Its happening here...rural community and 2 gas stations, one in which I worked in for a long time. We'd either get the law dropping off hitchhikers early in the morning who'd beg for coffee and a smoke, and the use of your cell phone...(gee thanks) to people running up on gas pumps coming in breathless and begging for gas to get to the next town. I had to learn to harden my heart against it.

My husband would travel between this state and Alabama every 3 or 4 weeks a few years ago with a job, and he'd be panhandled everytime he stopped in Montgomery or Birmingham. One man tried to get in the truck with him...and pleading for change for food. My husband who didn't carry cash would offer to buy food and when he didn't get the change...he dismissed him and panhandle the next one.


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder (Feb 11, 2013)

Which also makes me think of the time my husband called me in a panic. Now mind you, he's almost 200 miles from home with a dead battery after a pit stop potty break. What was I suppose to do to help with him 200 miles from home?

He asked one after the other if they'd give him a jump start and all refused, ignored him or cussed him and then drove off and left him feeling horrible. (My husband is a nice man...but they didn't know that) I had to call the Sheriff's department and explain to them what was going on and asked them to please help him, they did..and I am so appreciative of it.

But with people doing bad things, who could blame them for not helping him while stranded?


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Just got home from a cross country drive from Florida to New Mexico and yes I totally agree. It seemed that just about every time I stopped for gas, a young person would approach asking for gas or money.


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## BDylan (Jan 2, 2013)

Entitlement is a disease in this country. Folks are led to believe that because they are born they automatically 'deserve' a life of easy living and wonderful possessions. It's not just panhandlers. I stress to my kids almost daily that nothing in life is free. Of course, all the folks receiving free stuff from the government might disagree with this philosophy. However, all that 'free stuff' actually comes from the hard work of somebody.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

BDylan said:


> Entitlement is a disease in this country. Folks are led to believe that because they are born they automatically 'deserve' a life of easy living and wonderful possessions. It's not just panhandlers. I stress to my kids almost daily that nothing in life is free. Of course, all the folks receiving free stuff from the government might disagree with this philosophy. However, all that 'free stuff' actually comes from the hard work of somebody.


I agree that the message needs to get to the youth about entitlements and how there is no free lunch. It takes good parents like yourself to change the direction this country is going with it's future generations.


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## ekim (Dec 28, 2012)

I want a hand getting out from under this government BS. If the government would stop trying to fix everything, maybe those that can do something to help will be able to.


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## Hardknocks24 (Nov 8, 2012)

I know in okc off I -40 and mcarther there is a rise in hand outs they have this island all warm down from walking back and forth . It seems every couple of hours it's some one new every time, wanting money not from me I look at them see how they react. I do carry extra lunch and small ziplock bags of dog food . I only give to those that are old and have dogs . I'm a sucker for dogs starving and give bottle water for them . 90 percent of the travelers with dogs ill give to if I recognize more then 3 times . I just go one . Try to do the right thing by giving the dogs flea and tick collars and heart worm pills . They animals are innocent in the situation but then again if cant afford to feed ur self how can you feed and take care of the dogs?


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## vandelescrow (Nov 17, 2012)

When I was stationed in Maryland from 92-97, I went to Baltimore almost every weekend. Before I even got out of the car there would be some one standing there asking for "money for food". I would always offer to follow me to the McDonalds around the corner I'd buy him what he wanted. In those 5 years only one person took me up on it.

Now living here in North Carolina, the local news came out and said the pan handlers are actually being run by a business. The business teaches them how to look poor, drives them to their corner and picks them up when there shift is over. Most of them are standing there listening to Ipods, and all of them have a cardboard sign written with fat black magic marker, like that's some kind of identifying mark or something.

It's sad because Jesus said for what you do for the least man, you do for me. Today you can't tell who is lying anymore.

I remember back in the late 70's my sister was giving money to that Sally Strothers feed the children. Good cause right? well the problem with it is now we are having to feed the children of the children we fed. Now I'm not saying we should have left them starve but Sam Kinisen had it right, "they live in the desert, food doesn't grow in the desert, don't send them food, send them U-hauls".

Now check out this website http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/, it explains the problem the government created, prepare to be infuriated.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Amen!


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

Yes I have noticed an increase in both people wanting and expecting hand outs,

It began around November of 2007 and has increased substantially every passing day of the Obama administration.

The Government has suck seeded.


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## Kidzthinkimahoarder (Feb 11, 2013)

Hardknocks24 said:


> * They animals are innocent in the situation but then again if cant afford to feed ur self how can you feed and take care of the dogs*?


GOOD QUESTION!!!

Don't even get me started on that topic..I have a BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH FROM A PREVIOUS NEIGHBOR!!


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## SARGE7402 (Nov 18, 2012)

I work a very rough part of the city of Richmond. Around 1130 every week day about forty to fifty folks with kids line up at the localchurch's soup kitchen (no they don't serve soup, just sack lunches). I felt sad for them, until around three when I was headed back to the office and passed the local stop and rob and guess what. Quite a few were standing there or on the corner next to it all with a brown bagand a 40 in it. Guess who feels sorry for the church for being scammed. But you never knw just who is doing what


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## Verteidiger (Nov 16, 2012)

I never give money to panhandlers, hustlers, or street scammers. If they can walk they can work.

If someone is disabled I will help them out.

I see a lot more people downtown near the gospel missions. And cardboard sign beggars near the local shopping malls. People always try and bum money at gas stations. I tell them I can't help you.

I feed the song birds in my yard. They appreciate the food, they sing me songs in exchange, show me their beautiful colors, and entertain me with their antics. But when flocks of starlings or crows show up, they won't leave until the food supply dries up. They hang around, bully the other birds, leave droppings everywhere, and become lazy freeloading nuisances. Even my wife's cat is afraid of the "bird gangsters."

You can learn a lot from feeding songbirds.


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## Blademaker (Feb 22, 2013)

I got approached at a Walmart last Thanksgiving.
I turned, made eye contact and told the guy to keep his distance and go his way.
He called me a MF and stomped off.
He never knew about the pistol in the SOB holster.

Screw these entitlement minded assholes.


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## miho (Jun 10, 2012)

I been aproached at the grocery store. i just say sorry I'm broke but if you're really hungry ill buy you some bread ham and cheese.only one perspn agreed and was happy about it.i saw him call his friend and share the bread.when i saw that i felt they really needed and went back and got then a gallon of juice.everytime he sees me he say thank you he even told me how he ended up homeles he had a bussines a house a wife when economy went down he lost his bizz and with his bizz went his wife with his friend couldn't pay the mortgage and lost his home. now he sleeps in a field behind a farmacy in a tent.there's lot of homeless that just lost everything some just created their problem with drugs and alcohol.i volunteer at a soup kitchen and sometimes we have to turn people away cos we run out of food.the people have doubled in the past month.lately we been cooking lotta rice amd pasta so its enough for all.


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## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

Beggars, con merchants, backstabbers, scroungers, thieves and crackpots, that's just some of my own family circle!


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

miho said:


> I been aproached at the grocery store. i just say sorry I'm broke but if you're really hungry ill buy you some bread ham and cheese.only one perspn agreed and was happy about it.i saw him call his friend and share the bread.when i saw that i felt they really needed and went back and got then a gallon of juice.everytime he sees me he say thank you he even told me how he ended up homeles he had a bussines a house a wife when economy went down he lost his bizz and with his bizz went his wife with his friend couldn't pay the mortgage and lost his home. now he sleeps in a field behind a farmacy in a tent.there's lot of homeless that just lost everything some just created their problem with drugs and alcohol.i volunteer at a soup kitchen and sometimes we have to turn people away cos we run out of food.the people have doubled in the past month.lately we been cooking lotta rice amd pasta so its enough for all.


And perhaps that is the saddest thing about it. I, and I think most of us, would have no problem helping someone who really needs help, but how do you weed them out from the scam artist?


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

There was one story about a guy who lived in a nice suburban neighborhood who would leave home every morning and drive downtown. He would park on a side street, change into scruffy clothes and spend the day panhandling. At the end of the day he would go back to his car, change and go back home. He was pulling down ~$50K per year. Tax free, of course. This was 25-30 years ago.

I won't give cash. I used to carry McDonalds coupon books, and if someone approached asking for food, I would give them the coupons. I don't know if Mcds still sells them.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Really a quick interview will determine their situation and if they are just an addict or if they really need help. The ones that really piss me off are the ones that claim to be vets and have never served. I ask how old they are and were they served and it usually becomes obvious that their lying.


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## JPARIZ (Feb 25, 2013)

Moonshinedave said:


> I've noticed in the last few years an major increase in people looking for handouts. Back in the not too distance past we seen very few around here, and the ones that was, were older street people, someone with mental problems, probably somebody who really did need a few bucks. Now though, I'm seeing younger people mid-20s or so. Most always have a story: "forgot my credit card, just enough money for gas back home...." "My car broke down had to spend all my money to get it fixed now needs money to go home....". A few don't even bother with an excuse, just give me money. Most will, after you give them money or not, jump in a pretty nice car or meet up with his/her partner.
> Anyone else notice anything like this, or is it just the "the world owes me a living" people just made around here?


Yes... how did you think Obama got a second term?


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## whoppo (Nov 9, 2012)

Meangreen said:


> Really a quick interview will determine their situation and if they are just an addict or if they really need help. The ones that really piss me off are the ones that claim to be vets and have never served. I ask how old they are and were they served and it usually becomes obvious that their lying.


In town, there's a panhandler on pretty much every corner. One that really pissed me off last summer was a guy in his early-mid 40's holding a sign that read "Vietnam Vet... God Bless". I rolled my window down and read him the riot act. He quickly packed up and scurried to a nearby parking lot and climbed into a shiny new Escalade and gave me the finger as he closed the door.


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## JPARIZ (Feb 25, 2013)

Yes! But there are some of us that refuse to go along with the masses. I broke my back several years ago and could easily qualify for disability and could have won a massive suit. For a time I couldn't even use the bathroom by myself. I drove a wheelchair for a few years, then walked on crutches. Still in severe pain almost 24/7. But... it's not gonna happen! Cripple or not I still have some pride left. Doc says a new procedure should fix it & he will try in 8-9 months! It sucks but I'm really glad I held to my beliefs. If I fully recover I win twice! Really I'd rather live in a cardboard box under a bridge than accept handouts.


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## JPARIZ (Feb 25, 2013)

whoppo said:


> In town, there's a panhandler on pretty much every corner. One that really pissed me off last summer was a guy in his early-mid 40's holding a sign that read "Vietnam Vet... God Bless". I rolled my window down and read him the riot act. He quickly packed up and scurried to a nearby parking lot and climbed into a shiny new Escalade and gave me the finger as he closed the door.


I found a fake one too.


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## Pepper77 (Feb 11, 2013)

beggers drunks and punks I will not give them a crap sandwich ...


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