Why Don't You Give Cash to Homeless People?

[Kanadorika]

Homeless encampments here in Los Angeles are a scourge. The homeless assault people for just walking by and rape is not uncommon. Property crimes near homeless encampments are through the roof.

But so many homeless here either have conditions and should be institutionalized, or they frankly want to be homeless. At this point building a massive encampment in the desert and making them stay there seems like the best choice if simply locking them up and treating whatever condition they have proves controversial.

There are so many homeless people I'd be broke if i gave each one a dollar. I'd also rather not get assaulted for existing. Too many stories of people rolling down their windows and getting punched by a bum for trying to give them money.

I've experienced none of this, including times riding down the LA River bike trail as well as other encampments. There's a bridge used as an encampment in noho near a place I go to all the time and haven't experienced any issues walking through it.

I work as an EMT in DTLA. It's pretty bad there at least. They recently cleared Echo Park because of the problems with the homeless and rightly so.

I had a patient several days ago that was a homeless man and someone had thrown a can of vegetables at his face and he was all beat up from it. Unprovoked attacks like these sadly aren't rare. There are some really mentally ill people on the streets who either don't have access to treatments, or refuse treatment.

[Forsher]

So, personal story:

In the Netherlands, I gave money to the few homeless people that asked. It wasn't often that I encountered one.

Here in Berlin, if I go out of the house, I meet them on a very regular basis. Sometimes twice in the same S-bahn (metro). How many coins am I expected to carry?

So it simply became too much

Become Big in Japan.

[Democratic Communist Federation]

Years ago (literally, I am quite old), I got into a conversation with a homeless man in Washington Square Park in lower Manhattan (NYC). We ended up chatting, and he told me the story of his life. (He never once asked me for money.) At the end of the conversation, I offered him my business card and invited him to contact me if he had any concerns (which, in retrospect, was probably not a good idea). He said that he regularly gets stopped by the police, so if they saw my card, they might ask me questions. Very nice guy. I have often wondered what became of him.

[The Blaatschapen]

So, personal story:

In the Netherlands, I gave money to the few homeless people that asked. It wasn't often that I encountered one.

Here in Berlin, if I go out of the house, I meet them on a very regular basis. Sometimes twice in the same S-bahn (metro). How many coins am I expected to carry?

So it simply became too much

Become Big in Japan.

Nah, Berlin is my alphaville

[Dakini]

Instead of giving cash, I tend to buy from those who still try to sell food, do street business, or even just play music or do street performances as a means of living. Admittedly, I don't actually see homeless people that often, likely because they are regularly rounded up and kicked around by the thug-police, private security, or mafia gangs associated with the local government.

Buskers (street performers) and street vendors are not necessarily (or even often) homeless.

There's actually a band that under normal circumstances plays in Edinburgh that is just a busking band. They get together after work and perform for the rush hour crowd and they represent possibly the best use of bagpipes ever (it's a three piece band with a drummer, guitarist and bagpiper who do covers of some rock songs in addition to their own compositions).

They're good, but yeah, definitely not homeless.

[Dakini]

Become Big in Japan.

Nah, Berlin is my alphaville

You could always limit yourself to giving to one or two people a day. I don't think anyone expects you to give to every panhandler you encounter. I used to have a few regular people I would give to who were on my way home from work.

[The Blaatschapen]

Nah, Berlin is my alphaville

You could always limit yourself to giving to one or two people a day. I don't think anyone expects you to give to every panhandler you encounter. I used to have a few regular people I would give to who were on my way home from work.

I was having an "I only give in the u4 metroline " rule. It solved the issue

[Forsher]

Oh, yes, I forgot...

1) people will just straight up ask you for fags, e.g. happened yesterday (I wasn't even near the dude... literally on the other side of the road), and
2) I'm actually fairly confident most people asking for money aren't homeless (e.g. these two dudes hanging around outside the shops... also, I don't think the guy who wanted some smokes was homeless either, in fact, I feel like he was with a pushchair but it was dark so I'm not sure)

[Definitely Not Trumptonium]

Because my government takes all of the money I'd be willing to give to charity; and more on top, in tax.

Simple.

[Neanderthaland]

I have yet to evolve the sociological concept of currency.

[Ethel mermania]

I have yet to evolve the sociological concept of currency.

Fair, for you rat race means running with this

[Munchers]

Because if I give it to them then I wouldn’t have it. Why should I give you money because you made bad life choices?

[Opiachus]

Money is like sex. If you have to beg for it, you're probably not getting it.

[Page]

Oh, yes, I forgot...

1) people will just straight up ask you for fags, e.g. happened yesterday (I wasn't even near the dude... literally on the other side of the road), and
2) I'm actually fairly confident most people asking for money aren't homeless (e.g. these two dudes hanging around outside the shops... also, I don't think the guy who wanted some smokes was homeless either, in fact, I feel like he was with a pushchair but it was dark so I'm not sure)

On the first point, I believe there is an unwritten code the vast majority of smokers adhere to in which it is understood you always give a smoke to someone in need if you have one to spare, and someday that kindness will be paid forward back to you. People on my college campus gave me smokes when I was broke and/or underage, and when I had my own, I gave to those who asked, and whenever I saw someone digging through an ash tray, I always offered them 2 or 3 from my pack.

Cigarettes certainly do far, far more harm than good but I will say that I believe smokers as a whole are nicer people than non-smokers. I am including ex-smokers here, it is not being a current smoker that makes a person nicer but knowing what it's like to be addicted.

[The Blaatschapen]

Oh, yes, I forgot...

1) people will just straight up ask you for fags, e.g. happened yesterday (I wasn't even near the dude... literally on the other side of the road), and
2) I'm actually fairly confident most people asking for money aren't homeless (e.g. these two dudes hanging around outside the shops... also, I don't think the guy who wanted some smokes was homeless either, in fact, I feel like he was with a pushchair but it was dark so I'm not sure)

On the first point, I believe there is an unwritten code the vast majority of smokers adhere to in which it is understood you always give a smoke to someone in need if you have one to spare, and someday that kindness will be paid forward back to you. People on my college campus gave me smokes when I was broke and/or underage, and when I had my own, I gave to those who asked, and whenever I saw someone digging through an ash tray, I always offered them 2 or 3 from my pack.

Cigarettes certainly do far, far more harm than good but I will say that I believe smokers as a whole are nicer people than non-smokers. I am including ex-smokers here, it is not being a current smoker that makes a person nicer but knowing what it's like to be addicted.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-group_favoritism in action

[Page]

On the first point, I believe there is an unwritten code the vast majority of smokers adhere to in which it is understood you always give a smoke to someone in need if you have one to spare, and someday that kindness will be paid forward back to you. People on my college campus gave me smokes when I was broke and/or underage, and when I had my own, I gave to those who asked, and whenever I saw someone digging through an ash tray, I always offered them 2 or 3 from my pack.

Cigarettes certainly do far, far more harm than good but I will say that I believe smokers as a whole are nicer people than non-smokers. I am including ex-smokers here, it is not being a current smoker that makes a person nicer but knowing what it's like to be addicted.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-group_favoritism in action

That's fair, but that's human nature.

[CoraSpia]

Oh, yes, I forgot...

1) people will just straight up ask you for fags, e.g. happened yesterday (I wasn't even near the dude... literally on the other side of the road), and
2) I'm actually fairly confident most people asking for money aren't homeless (e.g. these two dudes hanging around outside the shops... also, I don't think the guy who wanted some smokes was homeless either, in fact, I feel like he was with a pushchair but it was dark so I'm not sure)

On the first point, I believe there is an unwritten code the vast majority of smokers adhere to in which it is understood you always give a smoke to someone in need if you have one to spare, and someday that kindness will be paid forward back to you. People on my college campus gave me smokes when I was broke and/or underage, and when I had my own, I gave to those who asked, and whenever I saw someone digging through an ash tray, I always offered them 2 or 3 from my pack.

Cigarettes certainly do far, far more harm than good but I will say that I believe smokers as a whole are nicer people than non-smokers. I am including ex-smokers here, it is not being a current smoker that makes a person nicer but knowing what it's like to be addicted.

The only time I won't do that is if I have like 2 left myself.

[Page]

On the first point, I believe there is an unwritten code the vast majority of smokers adhere to in which it is understood you always give a smoke to someone in need if you have one to spare, and someday that kindness will be paid forward back to you. People on my college campus gave me smokes when I was broke and/or underage, and when I had my own, I gave to those who asked, and whenever I saw someone digging through an ash tray, I always offered them 2 or 3 from my pack.

Cigarettes certainly do far, far more harm than good but I will say that I believe smokers as a whole are nicer people than non-smokers. I am including ex-smokers here, it is not being a current smoker that makes a person nicer but knowing what it's like to be addicted.

The only time I won't do that is if I have like 2 left myself.

Yeah, down to the last 2 or 3 is usually the standard. Often times it's not even about not being able to afford a new pack but not having time to get one.

[Forsher]

Oh, yes, I forgot...

1) people will just straight up ask you for fags, e.g. happened yesterday (I wasn't even near the dude... literally on the other side of the road), and
2) I'm actually fairly confident most people asking for money aren't homeless (e.g. these two dudes hanging around outside the shops... also, I don't think the guy who wanted some smokes was homeless either, in fact, I feel like he was with a pushchair but it was dark so I'm not sure)

On the first point, I believe there is an unwritten code the vast majority of smokers adhere to in which it is understood you always give a smoke to someone in need if you have one to spare, and someday that kindness will be paid forward back to you. People on my college campus gave me smokes when I was broke and/or underage, and when I had my own, I gave to those who asked, and whenever I saw someone digging through an ash tray, I always offered them 2 or 3 from my pack.

Cigarettes certainly do far, far more harm than good but I will say that I believe smokers as a whole are nicer people than non-smokers. I am including ex-smokers here, it is not being a current smoker that makes a person nicer but knowing what it's like to be addicted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjiUqb2SSw0

I dispute your characterisation. I do not smoke. I was not smoking. I was on the other side of a, naturally stupidly wide street (it's practically car park) in the dark. In another memorable incident, this idiot offers me $20 or whatever to buy him a pack. I'm in my school uniform, I believe the junior variant (covering ages 13 to 15), and we're outside the dairy literally right next to said school. Mental.

However, I would agree that among mutual smokers this behaviour is entirely decent and upstanding.

[Cekovia]

i give them Big jugs of water when i come across and also sometimes granola bars . i think people Overlook that it can be tough to get access 2 good high quality potable water and so that is something i Try to do instead of cash because i do not generally carry cash anyways . and then granola bars cus they Preserve well are portable and are more nutritious than Nohing . but im ok with give cash i simply Do not have any on me ever