There was a segment on tv last night about beggers earning about $200 a day, including the welfare they received on top of begging.
The ones shown and followed had mobiles and organized change over shifts with others who would hold up the sign describing the poor circumstances. The ones followed would spend their money at the pokie machines and others would buy drugs. A leading mission spokesperson who works on the streets each day said many were earning more than the average worker and were outright scammers.
When the beggers were offered a place to live by the leading mission spokesperson, all of the ones shown in the program (several beggers) knocked the offer back and preferred to beg.
Things might be different in other countries compared to here in Aus, but I’m wondering, do you give them change, give an excuse, or downright refuse? And what do you say normally?
In my experience of working and walking through certain parts of town, if they are polite, I often give them a couple of dollars. If they’re aggressive, like one the other day who yelled out and as I continued on he then grabbed the back of my shirt, I let him know how he’d soon have no change and no teeth. More recently I’ve adopted the line ‘no money bud, the wife has taken it all!’ which seems to work extremely well.
Anyway, after seeing that segment I’ve realized my spare change will be better spent going to the organized missions instead.
There has been a lot about this in the press over here is Australia to. Not only those guys, but people who collect for charities. For telemarketers who ring up and get you regularly donate to their cause (like a monthly direct debit), the telemarketing company can receive up to 87.5% of your first year’s payments in commission.
If I’m giving my money away, it’s not going to be to some piss annoying telemarketer.
[quote]Hatebreeder wrote:
I normally don’t give them anything. However, if they have a creative sign like this guy I’ll hook em up with something for the laugh.[/quote]
Massif, those set up charities are robbing people blind. Literally.
‘Hi, this is Jane calling from ‘Rejoice Life’, how are you today? Oh you have trouble seeing, no legs, oh sorry to hear. Could I interest you in donating to our latest cause which is helping thousands…’ Call ends shortly. Poor elderly pension woman who has difficulty seeing and hearing but could answer a phone is now left broke.
The pan-handlin types, what they don’t realize is that they are usually better off than those in the cancer wards who can barely move or get up to go outside. The beggers are pretending to be worse off than they really are. They make money out of the generosity of others, by lying.
Those pan handlers should be providing some entertainment, like buskers do, maybe by juggling or dancing at least for the change.
[quote]SUPERUNKNOWN wrote:
Massif, those set up charities are robbing people blind. Literally.
‘Hi, this is Jane calling from ‘Rejoice Life’, how are you today? Oh you have trouble seeing, no legs, oh sorry to hear. Could I interest you in donating to our latest cause which is helping thousands…’ Call ends shortly. Poor elderly pension woman who has difficulty seeing and hearing but could answer a phone is now left broke.
The pan-handlin types, what they don’t realize is that they are usually better off than those in the cancer wards who can barely move or get up to go outside. The beggers are pretending to be worse off than they really are. They make money out of the generosity of others, by lying.
Those pan handlers should be providing some entertainment, like buskers do, maybe by juggling or dancing at least for the change.[/quote]
Buskers piss me off. Every time I see one, I look at what they are doing, and think about how many hours they have put into practicing. Then I imagine if they had been developing marketable skills in that time instead…
Buskers piss me off. Every time I see one, I look at what they are doing, and think about how many hours they have put into practicing. Then I imagine if they had been developing marketable skills in that time instead…[/quote]
At least buskers are doing something besides sitting around being smelly. They are working (of sorts) and not just sitting on thier asses expecting handouts.
We used to have a guy with a beat up station wagon with a bunch of kids running around and his overwieght white-trash wife sitting on a busy corner.
One of the medics I was on shift with decided to stop and offer him a job helping clean up the property he’d just bought. They guys sign read “Will work for food”. The medic offered him $10.00 an hour to work on Saturday with a minimum of 8 hours work breakfast, lunch and dinner provided for the man.
The medic’s offer was turned down because he made more sitting on the corner with his kids running around.
When I’m approached I’m usually givent he song that they havent eaten for so many days. I always reply that I’d be happy to buy them a meal from whatever fast food place is within site. But they always turn me down and sometimes get verbally hostile if I wont just give them the money.
Now I usually tell them to get a job. BurgerKing and McD’s are always hiring.
I support local cahrities through my church. This way I know my money is getting to the places it needs to get and not some lowlife telemarketers pocket.
