So how do you guys/gals handle this situation?

I was loading up my Menards purchases into the back of the truck when a vehicle pulls up and a lady jumps out and starts casual conversation with me, I didn't think much of it at first, but then she started in with this convoluted hard luck story...yep begging for "gas" money.
This is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened to me in the last couple years, usually at a gas station. I usually tell 'em no, or that I don't have any cash on me (I often don't have any...or much anyways) this time I had $1.86 change in my pocket left from my lil shopping trip, so I gave her that and she left.
What do you guys do? This seems to be getting a lot more common...or maybe I just look like a good mark?

 

Did she leave the vehicle running while talking to you?
There was a true story a few years ago about some suburbanite folks who would drive into Detroit, park their new van a ways away, then walk to a freeway offramp. There, they'd hold up signs asking for money. Evidently, it worked quite well and they pocketed several hundred/week.
Call me jaded, but that sounded fishy.

 

Seriously...taking the Bentley to Menard's is just asking for trouble.

 

My father in used to take the Ferrari to buy light bulbs at Kmart on blue light special. That was to buy new blinds for fixtures in new houses he was building. A little different than asking for $.

 

I don't usually give anything to anyone who begs. A certain segment of the population have no shame, and I have no problem being rude. Sorry I can't give you money because you were a millionaire for a day and are now broke.

I wear basic clothing, so don't walk up wearing $200 or whatever worth of name brand clothes begging me for cash. I told a guy trying to mooch cash, to give me his hat or his jacket (just to be funny) and he just walked away.

 

She was probably looking for drug money.

 

You can make $60/hour or more panhandling. They are doing just fine with out us.

I tried it once myself. $5 in 5 minutes. I am sure if I took my family with me I could do much better. I prefer to provide a service to society to make my money.

 

No sir, I work to hard to earn what I have. And have been infuriated one to many times by seeing a couple beg with their child, only to see them 2 hours later buying Nintendo Wii games in a pawn shop, homeless need help signs tucked under the stroller¡!!!!!!!!! Talk about holding back

 

Watch out....round here those types have been know to be a distraction for your car getting stolen, you robbed etc.

If you really wanna try to help, offer to go to the gas station and put gas in their car. They will more than likely cuss you out and leave. It's drug $...not gas.

 

I tell 'em to beat it, get lost, scram!
They have time to pan handle, they have time to work.
I've been poor, near broke and hungry,,ate a lot of taters,,never begged.

 

Yeah the big dent in the side of the ole wood hauler just screams money

Yeah, her husband was actually the one driving, he stayed in the car...it was a decent looking Pathfinder I think

 

No cash for her from me...2 of them driving around begging for money, ridiculous!!

 

I'm all for helping people out, and I have. Recently, in my experience, those begging are druggies. Plain and simple, and it's getting worse. There was a guy at Wal-Mart roadway entrance with a sign saying wife and kids need food, looking for work, etc. my friend told him I'll put you to work on my land cleaning up, raking, for cash at the end of the day. The guy didn't want no part of that deal. I guess his wife and kids, if they existed, weren't really that hungry.

 

Portland Maine has a big problem with panhandlers at intersections. Local news interviewed one of them last year, and I thought he'd be the perfect remedy (just run the interview clip all the time). When asked if he was looking for work he said, naw... he can make $40-$50 an hour "signing", so he goes out around noon and stays until he's got enough for the day... guess I've been doing things all wrong...

 

Believe it or not, back in the day when Atlantic City was booming there was a panhandler who worked the board walk. The local news interviewed him and he produced tax returns showing he was making 75000 a year walking up and down the board walk looking poor. This would of been around 85 maybe.

I just look at them and give them the "eye" they usually walk away or I will say move along.

 

I worked in NYC near 5th Ave and all the high-end stores. The office we were working on had a view up the avenue. I liked to get there early and sometimes would be there late. During the holiday season there was one panhandler that worked a corner we could see from the office. He would get there early dressed neatly in a reversible jacket and duck into an ally on the side street. When he came out of the ally is jacket was dirty and torn, his hair was matted, he had an old watch cap, and he had a sign begging for food money.

After a couple of days of watching this change I walked close enough to see his matted hair was a wig, the inside of the jacket was very clean, and whichever sign he was carrying that day had crease marks so it could folded and easily concealed in a small bag. There was also no "smell". Somebody that looked that dirty should be noticeable before you got near him. He was a pro and we would watch people drop money in his hat all day long. He would remove everything except a few coins every few minutes.

If you got close and actually looked at him it was obvious that he was not what he was trying to look like. An almost empty coin hat made it look like everybody was ignoring him. The people never noticed anything because they walked a little faster when they passed him, avoided eye contact as they threw money in his hat, and felt good about helping this poor unfortunate man.

At the end of the day he would duck back into the ally and come out all neat and clean for his commute home.

He probably made more in a day during the holiday season than I did.

I will help somebody that I feel is honestly down on their luck but never with cash. I've helped them buy food or given them winter coats or bedding. If I offer to help with staples and they tell me cash would be better I walk away. Even if they are addicts wasting their money, at least if there is food in the house that kid they drag around could eat and the blanket or coat will keep the child warm.

KaptJaq

 

Me personally I go off of my gut feeling. I have given money to people down on their luck. Some people you just know if their looking for a "hand out" or a "hand up" big difference. For instance someone asked me for some money for food he looked a little down and out, I said sure why don't we walk over to Burger King and I'll buy you a meal. Well he turned down my offer so that just told me that he wasn't going to use the money for food. Usually if you offer to buy it for them they will turn you down! This way your not supplying their drug or alcohol problem!

 

Same story here, about 3-4 years ago panhandling became legal, we now have at least 3 people panhandling at every major intersection. New's reporter did a story and found cost to prosecute was many thousand dollars per incident; we did not have enough jail space so shipped them to and from surrounding county jails, provided medical care, attorneys, etc. So now we have to see them everywhere and they make $10+ per hour.

I don't have a good solution but would like to see them working not panhandling. I would gladly pay a little more in taxes to see the CCC restarted for anyone wanting a job. Anyone caught panhandling would be given a choice CCC or Joe Arpaio style jail.

 

I work in the business district of Baltimore City. You can't turn a corner without someone asking for money. Most of them I tell no and keep moving.
There are those who will work the subway all day, wandering from car to car begging. Some will have a big bag of stuff to sell, headphones, candy etc; they, in my opinion are making an honest living. I bought some really bad quality socks off one once, just because it was christmas.
There was one time a man, his wife/girlfriend and baby in a stroller got on. He had a hospital bracelet on. After we got above ground, he quietly made a call to someone to tell them he was on his way home, and at one point asked the person he was calling if he could get a loan to get baby diapers. It seemed to be a futile request, and he eventually finished his phone call. When we got to the station, I caught up with him and shoved a $20 in his hand and said buy the baby its diapers, and pass the favor on. He looked stunned, and thanked me profusely. I never saw him again.
Like blacksmith says, you just have to do what your gut tells you to do.