Bumbs 101 help?

Air gets thin up here. Really tall horse. Maybe a use of a avatar/smile would have helped stupid ol' me to see that you were just joshin' around.

Let me reconsider........

Hmmmmmm.

Still wasn't funny.

I typically said no for the record. Like I said before, the stores used to give us free pizzas, either ones they made fresh, or something that never got picked up. I handed out food, mostly. If they were truly hungry, they took it. Most of the time, they took it.

I know, I know ... I'm the problem. I should have taken that hard earned money and spent it on a tazer, and by now, those oh, so grubby dregs of society would be terrified of getting anywhere near the fuel island of your local Pilot. But alas, I'm a bad aim. I might have missed the bum, lit up a Werner driver, who then in turn blew up the whole fuel island, and we would see a bunch of rigs flying across the sky.

Unfortunately, I did not support the lot lizards who flock around the glow of your APU like moths. I paid for my sex the good old fashioned way - marriage and divorce. In fact, I still pay for trim I got years ago. Kind of like credit card debt.

 

I used to work in a garage in downtown ATL and rode the trains to GSU night classes. Between the shop and the trains, my path would cross a dozen street people on a good day. If I was stupid enough to walk from GSU to the 5 points station, there was a big decorative planter along the way that usually had 20-30 urban outdoorsmen hanging about at any given time.

After the first 50 or 100 street people you hassle with, you just quit giving a #### about the story. A 1,000 mile stare and a quick "got nothin for you" gets-r-done 99% of the time. You're not gonna teach em a lesson, you're not setting an example or making any point that means anything, and they've sure all heard it before and your comeback isn't special. It's a waste of time to even be bothered.

The aggressive and crazy ones are special. Either get away or call the cops. I've only needed to call for help twice the three years I was around that. The worst ones are the ones that ride the trains to keep warm in the winter. You either put up with it or get off and wait for the next one, and then have to deal with the scumbags on the platform and already on the next train. Even these special folks will move on to someone else that will put up with their crap better than the one that's ignoring or leaving them. Yeah there's criminals out there and you might have to defend yourself. It is what it is. Don't act like a victim and don't escalate and it will be rare you'll have trouble. If you do have trouble, handle it.

I've been close to homeless in 95 and managed to get past it. I've always had a job and never have or would be satisfied living off of others. But it isn't my job to hold others up to my high standards. Why they're out there panhandling is not my concern, nor is giving them money or abuse any of my business either. I don't like it. I don't agree with it. I too support my family and donate to charities. Those m-fers weren't helping me move all my crap into a storage shed back in 95, so I sure don't owe them a #### thing today.

 

One time I got off the first exit south of the I-75/ I-24 split. I was sitting at the light and there was a homeless guy with a sign there. I watched him throw the sign behind a bush and walk to the convenience store there on the right and got in a newer model Cadillac. I was uh huh! There's one's out there pretending. Probably making more than most. It was noon, so he probably took a lunch break.

 

Most of those hanging around truckstops are homeless but not all of them as there are PROFESSIONAL beggars! They have been shown on the news in many towns.

Case4 in Point: Plainfield, Il I believe exit 257 on I-55 The now closed Clark Truck stop,
The Pro was a black male in his 50's and he wore a Roadway cap and shirt! He came up to me and his story was "flat tire can you help with the patch in the shop" and pointed at the van. Not a problem and I gave him 2 bucks. I had no problem until the next week when he was knocking on the door again! I picked up my cell and opened it and pulled my scale ticket out of mu trip pack and told him I was calling the fuel desk on his arse because he couldn't remember a very distinctive grey beard so he better get gone before I finished dialing. He could move pretty well for a fat arse!

Then there are the 30 somethings before the Middle East became a major factor in our lives but these morons with their Vietnam Vet signs and not even looking close to the correct age or could answer a simple factual question about Nam!

Sorry, but after watching Channel 2 in Atlanta on following a pro that works get off ramps and following him to his Beemer and then his 2 story home in Marietta I pretty much keep my money in my pocket. This guy, his wife didn't even know that's what he did for a living! He actually stood there and said "I clear maybe $3000 a bad week standing on the ramps!"

I keep my money in my pocket! Sorry but male or female I just tell them to hit the street and I DO call the fuel desk to get them off the lot and yes when you call the desk and ask for the manager and tell them whats going on they do come out to move the bum off the lot.

You would be surprised how many times I have seen the same female dark haired with the baby carriage hitting the lots out west and the blond at the Petro and Pilot in Carlisle and the blonde that used to work the rest areas on I 20 in SC years ago with the need gas pitch!

I'll give them the sorry I'm broke story also and the do you see who I work for one also but sorry I need the cash more than you do as there is always a place close by that will feed them which is all you need to survive. Shelter is always found where you look and use what is available.

If they are former military they at least know how to survive and overcome. Unless they came out with a BCD they can always reenlist and get back on their feet that way unless it was a medical and if I see it's a major wound then my wallet opens. They have to answer a few rapid fire questions only a real Vet will know in order to receive my thanks and gratitude and a meal.

Those of us who have been there can tell when it's a poser or a comrade in uniform. We usually take of our own!

One word of warning for those of you who do open your wallet. DO NOT open it with them standing on the running board, DO NOT let them near if you have a nice necklace or stones in your ears as even the working girls are known to snatch and run. In other words not everything you see is what it is! Use you brain and caution. You'll learn the longer you are out here.

 

Don't you love the forty somethings wearing the Viet Nam hats? Personal favorite is the Desert Storm ones. Kinda like wearing an Urgent Fury campaign hat isn't it?

As a side note I personally find those that deserve respect for their service are far less likely to display it.

 

Forty somethings in Desert Storm hats is, actually, about right. I was 22 when that started.

 

He said 40 somethings in Vietnam hats......

Bums 101....amusing thread, lol.

 

I saw a guy wearing one of those Viet Vet hats. I asked what year he was born he quickly responded '65. Fall of Siagon was when? Must have been about 83-84

 

I have mixed feelings about this....

If they are younger people that were "bad #####" and maybe got kicked out of home or choose to take to the streets rather then smarten up at the parents house then I just walk about... This is a choice they have made and I feel they can live with it... There should be no reason that a t 15-25 year old should be on the streets.... If you want choose to live on the streets and beg for money you will not get money nor food from me.. That was your choice now deal with it...!!!!!

Now we all know you have scammers and you have people who really need help.. I can pretty much pin point the scammers cause well lets face it if your homeless your probably not going to be clean cut, newer looking shoes, pants, shirts etc.... I see the same highway exit people and median people everyday.. Once in awhile I will hand them an apple or something to drink like water.. I will NEVER give them money... I work hard for my money.... To give them an apple or water is not going to break my bank (regardless if they are a scammer or legit)... At least by giving them this you are helping them out and if they are a scammer they will take or not ... At least you know your not making the scammer richer by donating your money..

Scammers make more money then lots of people in this world.. Just look at the news stories around the world.. I mean when your clearing $3000-4000 a week you have to ask yourself... Who is stupid?? Not the scammer thats for sure.. I would think you losing your dignity tho even if you don't know those people... Just from a personal aspect I would not want to scam people at the cost of my dignity...

The problem I see on this thread is too many people group all these street people in the same category.. Is there legit homeless out there? sure there is... Is there legit scammers?? yes there is... Did they all make that choice to be out there?? Nope....

Some people are homeless because they choose to be homeless.. Then you have homeless that are there because they lost everything.. Maybe even big family problems that put them into a deep hole.. Who knows maybe some of them are saving money so better themselves... Some of them are doing it to buy drugs or booze... You just never know..

Like I said don't group them all as the same people.. You don't like it when the truckers are all grouped as the same... Like when people say "all truckers run 2 log books" or "all truckers fall asleep at the wheel"... So if your the type of person who doesn't like when that is said then why would you do the same about homeless...

Like I said not all of them are scammers and not all of them have made the choice.. Use your judgement... If the guy is wearing brand new nike shoes and clean hair cut then he probably is scamming...If the guy is missing teeth, has yellow teeth, unkept hair, raggy clothes then chances are he is probably homeless.. Now this still being stereotypical because not all homeless are raggy looking people but it's a general outline of a lot of homeless...

I think sure should they be looking for jobs yes I do.. You want money you should earn it... There was a homeless guy in Toronto in the newspaper a few years back that would go to go places asking for garbage bags so that he could help clean up the streets and parks... He wasn't asking for money or anything.. He was just being a good hearted person who actually was homeless.. I felt sorry for this guy..

Sure we can say go get a job.. Heck I even use to say that too but it isn't that easy... You need a resume or job application.. It's sad to say but do you think even a place like McDonald's is going to hire a homeless person that looks like he/she has been to hell and back???? Do you think that a person in a house will let some homeless guy/gal cut his grass that looks shady?? It's not that easy plus with the job losses (Mostly in the US) do you think it's gonna be easy for a homeless person to get a job over a person with a degree that lost there jobs?? Highly unlikely...

Here is one more story I have.....

I use to be in a garbage collection truck for Toronto... I was driving the truck while my partner was on the back of the truck.. We were at a stop he was chucking the garbage and my drivers door was beside a clear bag full of clothes that someone was throwing out.. This lady came out from the alley ahead of me.. She came to my door and simply asked me "are you going into the alley" I replied "no we are not" she said "ok good because I have stuff there that I don't want you to throw out in cardboard box" then she proceeded to dig through the bag digging out clothes and sheets etc.... Anything she didn't take she put bag into the back and didn't make a mess. I felt sorry for her so I gave her a few bottles of water I had (she never asked)... She never asked me for anything she just didn't want the items she has collected to be thrown out.... So they are not all scammers or bad people..

 

Here is my view on problem solving (which probably would never happen).. There is only one way to really weed out the scammers from the legit homeless...

STOP HANDING OUT MONEY !!!!!!

You can survive without money but you can't survive without food and water... So the scammers are not interested in food/water (they have plenty at there house in there cupboards) not the homeless on the other hand will (or should) be concerned about food and water... So if everyone started handing out food/water and stop handing out money I bet you would see that you wouldn't have scammers on the streets.... Now if a true homeless person turns away the food (and wants money) then tuff $#!T for them they obviously don't have there priorities set in the correct order...

Of course this will never happen cause you will always have the people who will hand out money so the problem will persist...

Now one thing that does bug me about the government (at least here in Ontario\Canada) rather then help these homeless people out there are putting more homeless on the streets with taxes mostly.. I mean more and more people are struggling now... The problem is they are too focused on letting immigrants in this country and then in turn they end up taking jobs from Canadians... They work for next to nothing (driving wages down.. especially in trucking) and work for a fews years then collect the from the Canadian Pension Plan.. So that means when I am ready to retire (and other canadians) all the money in the CPP pot will be gone or greatly reduced... We'll I'd rather see my taxes go into helping out homeless people then bring in immigrants from other countries which are not helping the economy which the government likes to claim that is it helping.. So the average working Canadian is getting the shaft cause not only are we paying for them to come into the country and in turn forcing the pay rates down but they are also shafting the younger generations from getting anything pension money for the CPP....

Sorry if this sounds like I am racist against immigrants or anything... I am not trying to make it sound like this.. It's just the reality of what is happening... The way I see it "take care of your own before you start helping out other".. So help Canadian's before you help others from other countries... I understand there are immigrants who come here that do help out like being doctors for instance but bring YOUNG immigrants in if anything so that they have to work 25-30 years before getting CPP rather then bring in someone who is 60 that can collect CPP at 65... BS!!!