Another panhandler's sob story debunked

Actually I believe her. I saw an episode of 20/20 where they followed a bunch of these people. Followed them to there nice cars this one guy walked up to an escalade popped open the back changed into his nice clothes and drove off. Also in that story found out a lot of them work in tag teams on some of these off ramps

 

Last week I was in my car, on vacation, on the way to FL. I stopped for gas near Brunswick, GA.
A man in a PT cruiser pulled up next to me at the pump, he had a 300 pound woman in the front seat next to him. He never got out of the car, but gave me some story about him being from McRae, GA, (think that is what he said) and he drove over to Brunswick for some reason, expecting to stay with his sister who lived here, but she wasn't home. He said he was $30 short of the money he needed for a motel.
I told him NO. He drove over to another gas pump at the other end of the station, hit up another man, who handed him some money.
I was curious, now. I had time to kill, I thought I'd follow him for a while. He leaves that gas station, and hits up customers at two other gas stations before jumping on 95, and driving to the next exit, where he tries another two gas stations. At this point, I think he saw me following him, and he pulled into the front of a motel, and sits there. I waited for a while...then said hell with it, and left.

The car had a paper dealer tag that expired in a few days, but i couldn't make out the name of the dealer.


$30 bucks for a motel? Hell, drive your butt back to McRae, it was only 11 AM.

 

Yep, in the Sac town area, where I'm from, local news did a story on pan handlers. Offered them 15 dollar an hour jobs. No takers, most said they made more pan handling.
Now there are the mentally ill that can't hold a job. they need help, and, I have been known to give them money.

 

There's a difference between someone that is mentally ill and a con artist that is supporting his alcohol and/or drug problem. Anyone that is mentally ill can get on disability and many have too much pride to accept handouts. They'll eat out of a dumpster before they bum. The gov't has even stop accepting alcoholism as a disability. You can tell if someone is really in need. I gave over $60 before but yes I'm going to judge and decipher the story first before I part with my hard earned money. Many I offered food and they refuse.

My favorite is one guy driving around the parking lot randomly asking truckers for money that he was out of gas and didn't have enough to get home. I seen his gas gauge on a half tank. I told him if you are out of gas don't you think you should be walking the parking lot?

 

In had a pig come up to me in Benton Harbor, MI at the Pilot last night. And I'm calling her a pig because what I really want to use I can't. But anyway, she strolls up, knocks on my door, and I have her the "get the hell away from me look". She says "don't you dare yell at me. Well I open the window, and I said holy #### you are the ugliest woman I've ever seen. What do you want? My god you can scare someone". She tells me she needs $12 for a bus ticket, and not to yell at her. I ask, "what gives you the right to tell me what I can or can't do and then you ask me for money? Get the hell away from me". She argued with me for 2 minutes that I was disrepecting her. Ugh. To think there are other drivers who'd let that in their truck.

 

i always give something,a 10,20,no big deal if they are scamming me it will come back to them,its only money people,in this day any one of us can be out on streets in a heart beat,i believe in pay it forward..

 

I have to work for my money. They already get enough freebies from me when my taxes come out. I get scammed every Friday. I don't need it every other day too.

 

I always answer "I never carry cash". Waiting for one to whip out a card swipe machine lol

 

there was one time, i had a major bone head day. had a emergency come up ran out the house forgot to grab my wallet my cell phone ect. still in pj pants. took care of the family emergency that came up started heading back to the house realize my fuel gauge is on empty hoping i would make it back to the house i ran out about 10 miles from home about 1 mile from a gas station. i happened to have a empty gas can in the back of my pickup so i grabbed the gas can and started walking. go inside and ask the clerk if i could pump a few gallons of gas and come back to pay for it. they told me no and asked me to leave at first then after explaining my situation they told me i could use there phone to call someone to come bring me some money. however you know with cellphones and programed numbers to peoples names in your phone who actually memorizes a single phone number anymore so that was of no use to me. finally a man in line offered to pay for a few bucks worth in gas i was very grateful as it saved my feet a minimum of 10 miles. I asked the guy for his contact info so i could pay him back and he declined. I felt like a bum. but was thankful to the generosity i received by the individual.

I try to be give bums something although iv had my fair share of scams as any of you had but i try to give them the benefit of the doubt and throw them a couple bucks when they seem like they may be legit.

 

There is a difference between those not willing to help themselves, & those who have lost the will to try.
I have ran across some who just lost their will after going thru many losses. I had a relative like that. lost everything, wife, house, job. brought him down to the lowest point in his life. I refused to let him continue that way. he was one of the most positive influence in my life. he was, is my uncle. he has been back on track for quite a while now. everyone gave up on him. I couldn't. whatever it took I was willing to do. some just have a love for people. it is our weakness, if you want to call it that. I see good in everyone... deep down somewhere at times.