Friday, May 16, 2008
What Do You Think of This?
While I was waiting for the train yesterday morning a guy (that looked like he could use really use it) asked me for a quarter. I happened to have one in my pocket, so I gave it to him. He proceeded to continue counting all the change in his hands...(I thought he needed it for the train or something...don't know.) Then he drops a dime on the ground and doesn't even bother picking it up. So, I'm thinking if that dime doesn't make a difference to him...why did he ask me for a quarter! Just a tad bit frustrating...if you ask me...which you didn't. lol
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14 comments:
I NEVER give money! NEVER! Sometimes I will offer food. There is a guy that is ALWAYS at the subway stop when I get home. He is there any time day or night. I will give him food, a sandwich from work or whatever and he is ALWAYS grateful. But money, never. I won't enable. I work hard, at many jobs and I see no reason for someone else to play on pitty. It doesn't help them nor make me feel any better.
Perhaps he couldn't bend over to pick it up. Maybe he had a back problem?
Extremely bizarre that he dropped the dime and didn't pick it up???
I give people money whenever they ask because even if I just have a few bucks its probably more than enought considering I have no true needs. I know damn well most of them will use it to buy drugs or alcohol or cigs, but thats not the point. I guess what goes through my mind is something like this:
"this person's life has, for whatever reason, gotten pretty darn low if he/she has to ask for money, therefore as an act of kindness and to remind them that even though they are in this position of homelessness or whatever, they are still a human being which makes them valuable".
I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but that's how I see it.
PS those were suppose to be !!!!!!!!! not ????????? about the dime!
Dear Jessica,
Thanks for showing kindness...
maybe he didn't saw it or have a back problem or something...
sure there is something behind it..
have a good weekend..
love and ((hugs))
bindi
I would have been bothered too about him not picking up that dime. However, like Bindhiya said, maybe he didn't see it.
It is kind of strange... Giving him the benefit of the doubt... I'm going with he didn't see it!
A quarter seems like such a small amount to ask for anymore. I'm going with he had back pain & it wasn't worth it to bend down? I walked out of the grocery store last week to see a young girl with a backpack and a part shepherd dog, panhandling. It's so rare to see that in the suburbs. I stopped & talked to her a few mins. & gave her two dollars. If I'm impressed to give money to someone, I just do it. (I'm always a sucker for someone with a dog, also!).
Lauren,
I'm with you...I almost never give money...I just worry they will use it for drugs, or something like that. I give food too,that way I know they are really reaping a benefit.
Silverneurotic,
Thanks for stopping by! :) You have a good point. I didn't think of that. It puts the whole situation in a different perspective.
Barbara,
You are such a sweet good person. :)
Hi Bindi,
hmm, another good suggestion. :)He might have been too busy or distracted counting the change in his hand to notice it fall.
Malcolm,
It was pretty perplexing for me especially since I normally won't give change to panhandlers.
Dawn,
I hope that was the case. :)
Hi Sherry,
Thanks for commenting! :) It did seem like a small amount to me too. I assumed he may have been trying to buy a bus/train ticket or something.
I have learnt not to give anymore, which is a shame as there are still genuine needy people about. It's always the few who spoil things for the rest
Hey Middle Ditch :)
Thanks for visiting! Come back often.
I agree...it's a shame...people take advantage. There are actually "rings" of people in my area...who are known for panhandling fraud. They make a very decent living. Drive their cars to work every morning...like a normal job. Then they walk to a specific corner...hold their signs...spew their fake sob story...then get back in their cars and drive home every night. It's sick.
Hi,
It's not an easy issue...
I must say though that in recent years in our part of the world we've had so many cases of "rings" (as you mention above, Jessica) that I'm having to learn to be extremely careful what, and to whom, I give.
Unfortunately, I end up feeling guilty either way; if I give I worry they may spend it on drugs or alcohol and if I don't give I worry they may really suffer from hunger..etc.
Have a nice day :)
I remember a 60 minutes piece as a kid, not sure exactly how old I was, where they found an actual school in (I think) NYC that taught how to panhandle and they showed the people who did this for a living, like you just wrote about in your comments and how they lived in really huge homes in the burbs. It always stuck with me.
Hi India,
Yeah...I feel guilty too. It is so hard to tell if the money will be put to good use, or even really needed.
Lauren,
Wow...that's crazy. I betcha things like that are even more prevalent today!
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