Bumbs 101 help?

Maybe so, Landshark, but I was always taught charity begins at home. I have my own elderly grandmother, daughter in college, father in need of help to keep the house up, pickup payment, vehicles that need gas, sick brother....I like to eat, have smokes and a warm place to sleep... I've lost people in my life, lost jobs, lost a house, been hungry... Whatever the sob story is, I can match it.

The difference is, I provide for myself. I get singularly aggravated when someone I don't know expects me to provide for them too, when we both know if I give them money it will most likely go to drugs or alcohol.

 

I agree. I dealt with many panhandlers in the days of doing foodservice distribution, and didn't feel I had to call people "bums". Too judgmental.

The words I would say to your face if I had heard that statement firsthand would get me banned here for ten lifetimes if I typed them.

You don't know that drunken bum or lot lizards story, but you should never forget they are a human being and walking a path that you may (or may not) understand someday.

Making a sport out of someones suffering by inflicting more suffering. I hope you get tazed someday..... well, just for fun.

I've been down on mine too. If I couldn't help someone who approached me, I would just say, "I'm sorry, I don't carry cash." And I rarely did - been robbed at gunpoint before. I used my ATM card for everything.

If I had food, I gave them food - we usually had a pizza or 2 in the truck. If they were hungry, it helped. If they were just panhandling, they left.

As the economy worsens, it's going to get more common. I would have to say that the people "asking" aren't to be treated like the people who are forcefully going after your money. Huge difference.

 

You guys are too funny. What you maybe have this problem 5 to 10 times a year? Try hauling gasoline, we see this on just about every shift. I know we can write a book on stories we have with the homeless or people asking for money. In Las Vegas you might even have the middle class people asking for money because they lost all their money and can't get home. I've been asked so many times for an extra gallon of gasoline and I just tell them I can not do that because it's unsafe.

We don't believe the stories people have unless we know without doubt it's true. Years ago my boss was driving and was at a station unloading and this guy comes up with a gas can and ask for money so he can buy gas. My boss says no and watches the guy go into the store but leaves his can outside. My boss goes over and gets the can goes up on top of the truck opens a dome and dips the can to fill with gasoline. He puts the can back then goes back over to the truck. The guy comes out and comes over with the can and asks in a loud voice "what's this"? My boss tells him he's glad he can help. The guy tells him he didn't want gasoline,he wanted money and dumps the gasoline out right there on the ground.

All of the drivers at my terminal have helped people out. But we don't give them money. If they have a flat tire we will have it fixed for them. If they need gasoline we will pay for the gasoline. If they need food we buy them food. Never give them money.

 

Gashauler, I wish it were 5-10 a year. Lately, it's been almost every time I pull into a truckstop, somebody comes up looking for money. I used to spend a lot of money on charity like one Thanksgiving I bought 20 turkeys at a donation drive at a grocery store. I had a clerk grab another cart and loaded them up. One day, while visiting NYC with friends, a miscommunication left us with an extra boxed slice of pepperoni pizza. We took it with us and the first bum with a "food" sign, we gave it to him. He then asked what was on it, and declared he didn't want it as a he was a vegetarian. We promptly trashed it.

From 98-99, I lost everything thanks to Rheumatic Fever. My house, pickup, job, etc. and then got laid off from my new job that came with a company car, December 1999. I did what I had to survive, and fondly remembered riding in my step-uncle's parking lot in the 80's from Ogden to Cheyenne with our Firebird up on the rack. I was down to my last $300 when I took the Dirty Dog to Chatt for orientation to become a truck driver.

I have no sympathy or empathy for anyone not willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.

 

Heh...yeah, have to agree. It's more like 5 to 10 a week.

However, that does not give me a right to be disrespectful. Unless they are aggressive about it.

 

I carry around Taco Bell Apps, and hand them one.

 

Ya slowly walk him around to the drivers dooe window and point out that red nose sitting in the drivers seat wanting out. Scum, drunk, crackhead or not they usually get the picture.

 

Smooth shifter that was supposed to cause some laughter. But your way too up on your bleeding heart horse to see that. Get some tissue and we will all cry for these folks. Yes there are some that are really in need and I'm sure I havent helped all of the ones in need as there is no way you can really tell the difference when they come up on you. My personal choice (bash me all you want ) is to not help at all. I (like injun) have enough to deal with with all the things that I and my family need without giving up my hard earned cash to some bum. If I have the extra to give to a good charity group like a food bank, I give it. The food bank helps tons of people in need that want to eat, not spend it on their habit. The only reason why these folks hit us up at truckstops is because they know they will meet up with someone like you and you will be more than happy to give it up. BTW lot lizards that bang on my door in the middle of the night because the light from the idleair is on and wakes me up, needs to be tazed.

 

Yes as a matter of fact, I do!

Most of these #### bags are perfectly content to "mooch" off of the rest of us and crash wherever they pass out every night.

Shame in his eyes? Seriously?
They usually have a little bit of an attitude and can be kind'a "in your face" about it when you tell them to #### off!
If you react appropriately the "in your face" attitude goes away in about 2 seconds.

If you're gullible enough to buy into the BS sob story....Cool!

But they're parasites and they think we're easy marks because of the "well meaning fools" that give them money and thereby exaserbate the problem.
As a person who has worked hard all my life to have what I have, I don't consider myself to be "on my high horse" because I'm sick of dealing with "human garbage" that chooses to take drugs and drink themselves into oblivion on my dime....#### them!

 

If I offer food and the person develops an expression similar to that of a baby biting a lemon for the first time, they obviously are not "hungry" and will receive no aid from me.