Do you give cash to panhandlers? - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

biznatch · 11-07-2009, 06:20 PM

I like giving food better. If I'm outside a McD's about to get a burger, and someone asks me for some change, I'll offer him a cheeseburger instead.

Otherwise, I'm a bit soft. When I'm at the train station in Harlem waiting, there's often someone who comes asking for change, often with the "not enough to buy a ticket." A lot of times I think of asking them questions that could expose their lies, if any, but I think of how I'd feel if I were accused of such things.
I don't know. Sometimes they need it more than I do, so I give it, and sometimes I still need it, however much they need it themselves, and have to say no.

What I do hate is when beggars mumble something about you when you say no. I can tell when they stereotype me as the rich white dude, when money is often a problem I have.

RangerJoe · 11-07-2009, 11:21 PM

I'm surprised no one has posted this:

YouTube - Stop and Hear the Music

Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com

Quote:

HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L'ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.

Quote:

When it was over, Furukawa introduced herself to Bell, and tossed in a twenty. Not counting that -- it was tainted by recognition -- the final haul for his 43 minutes of playing was $32.17. Yes, some people gave pennies.

"Actually," Bell said with a laugh, "that's not so bad, considering. That's 40 bucks an hour. I could make an okay living doing this, and I wouldn't have to pay an agent."

These days, at L'Enfant Plaza, lotto ticket sales remain brisk. Musicians still show up from time to time, and they still tick off Edna Souza. Joshua Bell's latest album, "The Voice of the Violin," has received the usual critical acclaim. ("Delicate urgency." "Masterful intimacy." "Unfailingly exquisite." "A musical summit." ". . . will make your heart thump and weep at the same time.")

Interesting story.

And, if there is a homeless person doing something for it, then I give.

Poppinjay · 11-09-2009, 08:41 AM

That was the brainchild of WaPo columnist Gene Weingarten. It was an interesting event. The result Weingarten hoped for was that nobody would recognize Joshua Bell's virtuosity and he would make only pennies. Then he would write a column making fun of the cultural idiocy of DC residents. That didn't work since Bell made serious coin for less than an hour, so the column turned into "idiots gave money to Joshua Bell for playing at a Metro station, like Joshua Bell needs money."

Most buskers suck. And they tend to be the angrier type of panhandler. they get mad if another busker is too close, if kids make noise around them, if anything competes with their performance. Plus, musical skills are not in abundance with these types. Most can barely bang out a tune on a guitar, let alone carry the lung capacity for a wind instrument.

The only decent true busker I've heard is a guy with Crossroads style guitar and amp setup at the corner of M and Wisconsin in Georgetown. He plays weekend nights until around 2am.

My last panhandler donation was a dollar to a guy who actually followed me into the pizza place next to my office at 11pm. I didn't mind that so much but in retrospect realized it was bad precedence to encourage panhandlers to bug people eating their dinner and paying for use of a seat and table.

seamaiden · 11-10-2009, 03:22 PM

I find it so disturbing that every year, homeless people freeze to death on the
city streets How sad to die unnoticed, alone in a crowd.

tenchi069 · 11-10-2009, 05:35 PM

I give to buskers either all the change I have on me at the time, or if I happen to actually have a bill, I will give if they are good or at least trying. Hitting a coffee can with a stick without any attempt at rhythm gets you no where in my book, but an artist without a venue that gets my attention also gets my money.
If they are a beggar, I will not give. I give to United Way out of each paycheck and do my best to try to support local work programs. If they are waiting outside of a restaurant and asking for food I ask them what they want and I go get it for them.

The one exception to this was a bunch of friends and I were out and approached by an older fellow that didnt seem to be the usual street beggar and he asked us for some change to buy a beer because the bar where he wanted to just sit in for an hour or so kicked him out. We all scraped all of our change together to try to come up with enough for a couple beers. Also to add to this, he wasn't drunk nor did he smell like booze.

Salem · 11-11-2009, 11:06 AM

I try to. I often carry a granola bar in my purse so i will give them that and whatever change i have on me at the time.

Poppinjay · 11-11-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

I give to United Way out of each paycheck and do my best to try to support local work programs.

The United Way (hq'd right here where I live) has some problems. There was the 1995 ouster of its top 2 people for misuse of funds (we're not talking $5 for a shoe shine, William Aramony funded liaisons to Europe to see his teenage girlfriend) and an ongoing series of complaints of workplace harrassment.

Give that money to a can shaker, and you pretty much know its going towards food or liquor. Spare change will not get a homeless person any decent amount of drugs. $5 will get them enough cheap vodka to settle them in for the night, and if that's they way they want to go, I have no problem helping them with that.

In Seattle, they have a program called Bunks for Drunks. Over a period of two years, it showed that there were considerable savings in securing a building for unrepentant alcoholics to sleep in, rather than bugging them about skills and jobs and how those things absolutely must be preferable to their current lifestyle.

The building is in a high rent area. They get catered food. And yet, it costs the taxpayers less than trying to re-educate them and get them into the mainstream.

Bunks For Drunks

bagatelle · 11-11-2009, 11:55 AM

We don't really seem them much here, where I live. The ones who beg, will most likely use the money for drinking. No, I don't give them cash.

11-07-2009, 06:20 PM	#41 (permalink)
biznatch Junkie Location: France	I like giving food better. If I'm outside a McD's about to get a burger, and someone asks me for some change, I'll offer him a cheeseburger instead. Otherwise, I'm a bit soft. When I'm at the train station in Harlem waiting, there's often someone who comes asking for change, often with the "not enough to buy a ticket." A lot of times I think of asking them questions that could expose their lies, if any, but I think of how I'd feel if I were accused of such things. I don't know. Sometimes they need it more than I do, so I give it, and sometimes I still need it, however much they need it themselves, and have to say no. What I do hate is when beggars mumble something about you when you say no. I can tell when they stereotype me as the rich white dude, when money is often a problem I have. __________________ Check it out: The Open Source/Freeware/Gratis Software Thread

11-09-2009, 08:41 AM	#43 (permalink)
Poppinjay You had me at hello Location: DC/Coastal VA	That was the brainchild of WaPo columnist Gene Weingarten. It was an interesting event. The result Weingarten hoped for was that nobody would recognize Joshua Bell's virtuosity and he would make only pennies. Then he would write a column making fun of the cultural idiocy of DC residents. That didn't work since Bell made serious coin for less than an hour, so the column turned into "idiots gave money to Joshua Bell for playing at a Metro station, like Joshua Bell needs money." Most buskers suck. And they tend to be the angrier type of panhandler. they get mad if another busker is too close, if kids make noise around them, if anything competes with their performance. Plus, musical skills are not in abundance with these types. Most can barely bang out a tune on a guitar, let alone carry the lung capacity for a wind instrument. The only decent true busker I've heard is a guy with Crossroads style guitar and amp setup at the corner of M and Wisconsin in Georgetown. He plays weekend nights until around 2am. My last panhandler donation was a dollar to a guy who actually followed me into the pizza place next to my office at 11pm. I didn't mind that so much but in retrospect realized it was bad precedence to encourage panhandlers to bug people eating their dinner and paying for use of a seat and table. __________________ I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet

11-10-2009, 05:35 PM	#45 (permalink)
tenchi069 Lost Location: One step closer to the padded cell...	I give to buskers either all the change I have on me at the time, or if I happen to actually have a bill, I will give if they are good or at least trying. Hitting a coffee can with a stick without any attempt at rhythm gets you no where in my book, but an artist without a venue that gets my attention also gets my money. If they are a beggar, I will not give. I give to United Way out of each paycheck and do my best to try to support local work programs. If they are waiting outside of a restaurant and asking for food I ask them what they want and I go get it for them. The one exception to this was a bunch of friends and I were out and approached by an older fellow that didnt seem to be the usual street beggar and he asked us for some change to buy a beer because the bar where he wanted to just sit in for an hour or so kicked him out. We all scraped all of our change together to try to come up with enough for a couple beers. Also to add to this, he wasn't drunk nor did he smell like booze. __________________ ERROR- PLBSAK Problem Lies Between Seat and Keyboard.

11-10-2009, 03:22 PM	#44 (permalink)
seamaiden Psycho Location: With the man of my dreams in Halifax Nova Scotia	I find it so disturbing that every year, homeless people freeze to death on the city streets How sad to die unnoticed, alone in a crowd.

11-11-2009, 11:06 AM	#46 (permalink)
Salem Psycho Location: Canada	I try to. I often carry a granola bar in my purse so i will give them that and whatever change i have on me at the time.

11-11-2009, 11:55 AM	#48 (permalink)
bagatelle Psycho Location: Europe	We don't really seem them much here, where I live. The ones who beg, will most likely use the money for drinking. No, I don't give them cash.