i just need gas i just need food for my kids...

Once had a fellow offer to polish our wheels. He had his "wife" with him, and she offered to polish something else, if you know what I mean. They had quite the small business going there. And they say if you want to succeed in business, you have to diversify.

My partner gives to all the panhandlers. She says she'd rather risk padding the pockets of wastrels than take the chance of not helping someone in actual need.

I tend to only give money to those who are clearly mentally ill, and the occasional old, broke down alcoholic. I will give food to anyone who asks -- not that most of them actually want it.

Me, like someone else posted above, I get tired of the same old stories. Give me some entertainment for my money. My favorite, which earned the fellow $10, was a spin on the "I need busfare to get back to my base or I'll be AWOL" story.

He said that he had fallen in with some "bad women" and they had taken him for a ride, stolen all his money, and left him broke and stranded, with no money to get back to his base. Said he should have listened to him mama's warnings about loose women and too much alcohol. Ohhhh, he said, why didn't I listen to my mama?!

Ha! Good one.

He was offended when I refused to take any of the jewelry he offered in exchange for the money. And that was just even funnier.

 

How about the guy who panhandles outside of a store sitting in a wheelchair and an hour or two later you see the same guy walking (pushing) his own wheelchair down the road. I guess business wasn't too good that day.



And then there are the panhandler's "small business network of L.A." aka panhandler's with a business plan. These guys work in shifts and "relief" crews step out of Lexus's and Beemers. From RangeRover to wheelchair to flattened cardboard box. I knew of a man who would walk up and down Alameda Ave with a large diameter 6' length of PVC pipe over his entire leg up to the top of his crotch. His story was that the pipe was his artificial leg and he often garnered alot of sympathy from out of the area folk. He wasn't 5150 because he operated a long time travel agency.

When my husband is hit up while fueling, he responds with, "You know, I could sure use some spare change right now- you have any?"

 

I'll buy them breakfast, lunch or dinner but I never shell out any money. Stopped that a long time ago and I really don't care to hear their story either.

 

I'd drop a 5 spot for this show....lol

 

LMAO Thank you.

 

Done that too - You should see the looks on their faces when you ask them for $$ - they are like , WTF

 

If we could just find out who the real 2% are that are deserving of our help, almost everybody would help the truly needy, and we would not need 90% of the programs (AFDC, EBT, SSI, etc., etc.) that we have.

 

Look where you're hangin out

 

the scene ... 11-1-2009 about 12:30 AM in the parking lot across from the Montgomery Village, Maryland CVS pharmacy. Looked up and saw someone coming through the bushes surrounding the parking lot.

Excuse me, I don't mean to startle you. Don't be afraid.

Huh?

I am not a bad person, I am not an ex-inmate. How are you doing? Are okay?

HUH? WHAT DO YOU WANT ? Where do you live?

Just behind here, in one of those buildings. I have a colostomy bag. I have no rectum. I need help in getting more bags. She pulls up her shirt tail and I saw something hanging at the belt line like a sandwich bag with chocolate pudding in it.


Now, why did I not believe her? Because she was the female version of the Tyrone Biggums character that Dave Chappelle has on his comedy show. Pronounced discoloration around the mouth, a very haggard look, unkempt hair and shabbily dressed.

My response was ...

NO !

She took off like a shot and what was suprising to me, headed in the opposite direction from where she said she lived.

I had a hunch about the drug problem and I think was right. She just wanted to get more money for crack.