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How do you handle street people asking for money?

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  • Chili Palmer2

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    Aug 20, 2017
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    I was born & raised in South Austin, been here for 54 years. Growing up we didn't have homeless/street people as we see now but we did have hobos passing thru. My experiences were with train hoppers since we lived close to a train track. These folk, mostly men, would come up to the house and ask to speak to my parents. They would politely ask for water and/or a meal but offered to do some work in exchange. The work could be raking leaves, picking up workshop trash, splitting wood or just a good conversation with my parents. Now, for the most part, it's a sorry lot of liars-druggies-drunks-lazies that take advantage of one of Austin's mistakes: allowing/protecting them with little demands from them. When they try to hit me up, I try not to acknowledge them, say no or wave them off.
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    vmax

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    I never keep cash in my wallet
    It just stays in my from pocket

    So when they approach me, and give their best heart felt story-lie, I tell them I feel sorry for them and genuinely want to help and I tell them they can have all the cash in have in my wallet

    Then I fish around for it, get it out, take my time ...(their mouth is watering by now) and when I open it and show them I dont have any I just say.."I guess it just ain't your lucky day"
     
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    oldag

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    If they are specifically asking for money to buy food, I will often offer to buy the meal for them. 99% of the time, they refuse because they want the cash for other purposes.

    I will refer them to churches, if I know of one nearby, who can help them.

    At times, I have bags in our cars with some essentials (water, snacks, toothbrush, tooth paste, hand cleaner, socks, etc.) and will provide one of these to them.

    I just am not comfortable, in most cases, handing out cash that may be used to magnify their problems (e.g., alcohol, drugs).
     
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    V-Tach

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    If at all possible I tell them to STOP and don't come any closer to me. I then start moving away from them keeping my eyes on them. I can tell them no at a distance. Why in the heck would I allow some mentally unstable person to just walk up to me? Some may find my actions rude.....don't care...my safety trumps their feelings..
     

    DD130

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    Aug 21, 2017
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    We spent 5 years in Santa Cruz. That bastion of Liberal success has a massive homeless population. There wasn't anywhere in that beach "paradise" we didn't have to deal with aggressive panhandlers, bums and Greenpeace (actually, the GreenPeacers were some of the worst).

    https://patch.com/california/santacruz/2017-homeless-census-shows-increase

    The rule is simple: Don't feed the animals.


    The more free stuff you provide, the more they will arrive and the worse it will get. I work in Austin, and the crap I see all over the place reminds me of why I don't live in a Liberal City. It's disgusting.

    I avoid places with bums; but when I have to deal with one I try to stay polite, keep a safe distance, and just say "Sorry" and keep moving along. I am sorry that I can't help them.. but I simply can't.... I've seen what being "kind" does to a city.

    One of the fun things you get to deal with when you support homelessness and drug addiction:
    http://takebacksantacruz.org/needles-in-public-spaces/

    Now, I think there should be help and facilities for people that want to get OFF the streets, get clean and get help for any mental issues they may have.. I have no sympathy for those that just want to live on the street and beg; that is their choice, and I won't support it.

    Where I love (not on Austin) when I see beggars, I call the Police, an so far they've taken care of the problem in pretty short order.
     

    TreyG-20

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    Dec 16, 2011
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    A side thought. Twice I have been stopped in a parking lot and offered money. I gladly accepted. Apparently after a long week at work followed by a great Friday night I can at times appear raggedy and homeless on Saturday morning while going to buy breakfast tacos and coffee. God bless America.
     

    diesel1959

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    Nov 7, 2013
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    While driving, if the intersection is being worked, I tend to leave just a slightly bigger gap between my vehicle and the vehicle in front of me . . . and when the begger approaches my A-pillar, I move forward to a point where they are not in my view. They get the point. Actually, one of the funniest things is to watch their consternation when I'm driving one of my right-hand-drive vehicles. Beggars depend upon being "up in your face" and working the extreme sympathy angle. They actually get frustrated when a driver has the temerity to distance themselves from the beggar.

    With squeegee boys, if they're working the intersection, their gambit is often to begin working the windshield BEFORE the driver realizes it or even gives permission--because they believe they can shame the driver into donating for "having received the service". My reaction is to run my wipers (or even squirt them) the moment before the squeegee boy(s) can get to my vehicle's windshield, so they get the point that I'm not interested. So much the better if the squirting gets them wet.

    Beggars seem to hang around outside my favorite taqueria and they approach either before you go in or after you come out, asking for money. I just reply, "I ain't got nothing for you", and then I move along.
     
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