Foo - Taken for a fool (not an ex thread I promise)

This morning I was in a very bad spot and got help big time... felt like paying it forward in some small way.

One block away from the office, exiting the fast food drive-thru I spotted this young woman. Early 20's, pregnant, in the cold with no jaket, standing there with a sign that said "pregnant, need home and food please help".

I thought about my daughter, my sisters and every other female I know and care about. I pulled over by her side, gave her my spare cash (about ten bucks) and asked if she was hungry. She replied crying "yes sir, I am very very hungry". So I gave her my lunch as well.

It's been 9 hours since that. Now I was very very hungry. I finally got a break at work and could go out to get me an effing lunch. But heading towards the fast food, I pass the spot where the pregnant lady was standing. Right there in the floor, the bag of food I gave her, even the soda... untouched. A big pillow with the same shape as the pregnant lady's belly was a few feet away.

Darn scammers!:mad:

In this case it was better to be wrong...

There was a guy sitting by the ATM machne with a rotten blanket - obviously homeless. Guy asked me for spare change, I told him I only have notes coming out the ATM. He asked if i could give him a note instead, I told him no. A little argument ensued witht the end result being h got angry, came out of his dirty old blanket, and he was wearing...... Pretty decent clothes underneath. What really struck me was how clean his. White sneakers were.

Shoulda taken the food back...and returned the bag with a good ol' deuce.

Y'know, be the instigator of karma...

This morning I was in a very bad spot and got help big time... felt like paying it forward in some small way.

One block away from the office, exiting the fast food drive-thru I spotted this young woman. Early 20's, pregnant, in the cold with no jaket, standing there with a sign that said "pregnant, need home and food please help".

I thought about my daughter, my sisters and every other female I know and care about. I pulled over by her side, gave her my spare cash (about ten bucks) and asked if she was hungry. She replied crying "yes sir, I am very very hungry". So I gave her my lunch as well.

It's been 9 hours since that. Now I was very very hungry. I finally got a break at work and could go out to get me an effing lunch. But heading towards the fast food, I pass the spot where the pregnant lady was standing. Right there in the floor, the bag of food I gave her, even the soda... untouched. A big pillow with the same shape as the pregnant lady's belly was a few feet away.

Darn scammers!:mad:

My undergrad desensitized me to these things.

I used to work in the Bahamas... in Freeport there are a lot of panhandlers and a lot of people who treat them with outright hostility which is understandable as so many are not as needy as they say they are and the little kids who sell Conch shells (which you can get for free) make a pretty good living selling these for $5 - $10.

I also understood that this could be a very hard place to live if you were unemployed as they do not have much of a social support system save for the churches and a few charities... walk just a few blocks from the brightly decorated markets and you will find slums hidden away behind the tropical vegetation and pretty flowers.

Most tourists will never see this or visit "tree (three) mile rock" which is where most of the real Bahamians live.

I was coming through the square one afternoon and a man approached me and said he was ashamed to be asking but wanted to know if I could help him get a meal and stressed that he did not want money because he was no beggar.

He explained that he had come to the island because of promised work that never materialized and had no friends or family here. He said he was a Christian and had no vices like alcohol or dope and showed me his hands... these had seen a lot of hard work. He was neat and clean and did not have the air of someone who was slave to drink or smoking.

He said he had not eaten a decent meal in a few days and was just very hungry.

So we went for a lunch of chicken, peas, and rice (after some prayer on his part) and when the meal was over we packed up the leftovers and he thanked me for my help... the meal for 2 people cost less than $10.00 and the gentleman did not eat all his meal saying he needed to save some for later but also ate like a man who was starving.

We talked about life and family and he had a million questions about Canada, he said he had a wife and son but that he could not bring them to live with him until he had work and a home.

I then gave him all the cash I had left in my pocket which was $10.00 and some change and he looked like he was going to cry.

Afterwards I thought that I may have just met the best panhandler on earth but thought that maybe this guy just needed some help... if he was scamming me it was an oscar worthy performance and he never asked me for a dime.

I figure that if someone says they are hungry you feed them, if you can.

I left the island for a while and when I returned about 6 months later to do more work I was walking through Freeport's central market and this same fellow comes running toward me and calling my name, grabs both my hands and starts thanking me profusely for my earlier help and then reaches in his pocket and takes out a ten saying he needed to repay me.

He also said he could not talk for long as he was working at his own market stall and that things had been going well in that he now had a steady work and a place to live and that his family had been able to join him. He then pointed to a young boy working at one of the stalls (his) and said this was his son.

After more thank you's he excused himself as he said he had to get back to work and as it was a busy market day... and then I had to fend off a couple of kids trying to sell me Conch shells.

Sixty, I like your story a lot better than RubenX's.

I'm still not giving any money to the midtown panhandlers, though.

Great story indeed Sixty... we all know the guy really wanted to learn about the US and not Canada ;) but great story indeed :)

Ruben, she was probably too nauseous to eat the food. I'd bet she was trying to scam her next hit and was hurting. You did the right thing, though and even if you get scammed more than not, the ones rthat are in the not scammmers category make it all worth it.

You did good RubenX. I'm not saying to give money to every joker but you followed your heart and gave to someone you thought was less fortunate. The woman is poor in spirit so she is still less fortunate than you. We're always gonna have the poor. You were on a mission from God and you carried out your mission. I'm proud of you,trooper!
Ernest


This morning I was in a very bad spot and got help big time... felt like paying it forward in some small way.

One block away from the office, exiting the fast food drive-thru I spotted this young woman. Early 20's, pregnant, in the cold with no jaket, standing there with a sign that said "pregnant, need home and food please help".

I thought about my daughter, my sisters and every other female I know and care about. I pulled over by her side, gave her my spare cash (about ten bucks) and asked if she was hungry. She replied crying "yes sir, I am very very hungry". So I gave her my lunch as well.

It's been 9 hours since that. Now I was very very hungry. I finally got a break at work and could go out to get me an effing lunch. But heading towards the fast food, I pass the spot where the pregnant lady was standing. Right there in the floor, the bag of food I gave her, even the soda... untouched. A big pillow with the same shape as the pregnant lady's belly was a few feet away.

Darn scammers!:mad:

Like Ernest said, you did good! I have a feeling the girl was needing help.

For a real scammer, google the "shaky lady from Toronto". I probably gave her money before the story broke about her 6 figure income from panhandling. She was a real pro, incorporating realistic shakes to make her look more needy.

If she actually had been pregnant, the burger and fries wouldn't have been the ideal food anyway. So look at the bright side, you only got half-scammed.

I look at beggars this way - most of them are scammers... but a few are truly needy. Just the other day I gave $10 to a man saying he had car trouble and needed gas... you know the bull. I look at it as I was doing the right thing - whether or not he was is his problem. If I in my innocence and ignorance did help someone... that's good by me. Rueben what you did was good. Sadly the woman was bad...

I worked full time with homeless shelter people for four years.
They are experts and all know how to scam you.

I would only take someone in side to eat if they say they need food.
Would only pump gas into their car.
Give them new shoes, and they take them to a pawn shop.

Give them cash and you have bought them a joint, wine , or whatever.

I have been scammed more then anyone here.

next time you see her kick her in the crotch and poop on her head.

Food dropped on the floor, 10 second rule!
Lunch left on side of road in bag untouched, 10 hour rule!:D

I just can't bring myself to say "no" sometimes, although I know many of these people are professional panhandlers. That must make it tougher on those truly in need.

I just can't bring myself to say "no" sometimes, although I know many of these people are professional panhandlers. That must make it tougher on those truly in need.

you'd learn to say no if you had to pass 20 of them a day.

There is no doubt in my mind that these panhandlers make more money than they would woking at a regular job. I just want to scream when I see someone stopping to give these lowlifes money.

There was a guy sitting by the ATM machne with a rotten blanket - obviously homeless. Guy asked me for spare change, I told him I only have notes coming out the ATM. He asked if i could give him a note instead, I told him no. A little argument ensued witht the end result being h got angry, came out of his dirty old blanket, and he was wearing...... Pretty decent clothes underneath. What really struck me was how clean his. White sneakers were.

most beggars in london are organised crime gangs. theres a gang that works my tube station which gets together plan and then spread out to strategic spots. They all use dirty desperate looking women holding babies. i was locking my bike and saw the one outside the supermarket talking on her mobile phone and when i cam e out after buying my stuff, she had suddenly lost the ability to speak english and could just gesture to say she wanted cash to buy food. I told her to call for a pizza.

Food dropped on the floor, 10 second rule!
Lunch left on side of road in bag untouched, 10 hour rule!:D

now that's something to remember if you are close to bonking.

There is no doubt in my mind that these panhandlers make more money than they would woking at a regular job. I just want to scream when I see someone stopping to give these lowlifes money.
I feel the same. For the last ten years or so there have been several men who stand on the off ramp up where I live. One guy had a work for food sign that was as decrepit as he which meant there was no way he was going to work. He was in such bad shape that I was certain he was going to die on that corner. I don't see him anymore. There are two more clowns who stand on the same corner and have been there for about 6 years with the same old act. I once gave clothing and food to one. He told me that he did not need the clothing and walked away. He and his posse collect enough to buy newspapers, food and booze. They don't want help.
I have been approached by so many that I stop them in their tracks by telling them it is old. One meth maven had been cruising around a parking lot begging for money for her kids. I told her that I know she has no kids and has been begging for far too long. She too walked away.
I volunteer at the local rescue mission and no one is turned away. They serve two hot meals a day to anyone who walks up. The meals are better than what I provide for myself at home. In fact, I have shared a meal with the "guests" because it wasn't bad. The panhandlers will not go to these places because they enjoy playing people and having the freedom to drown out in booze and drugs.

I thought about my daughter, my sisters and every other female I know and care about.

This is a pretty big group though, isn't it?

If you want to give, don't do it directly, go through a church or food bank or mission or some such.

I have offered several food, but they turn it down. They want money for booze and drugs.

just give them booze and drugs. easier

{snip**
I volunteer at the local rescue mission and no one is turned away. They serve two hot meals a day to anyone who walks up. The meals are better than what I provide for myself at home. In fact, I have shared a meal with the "guests" because it wasn't bad. The panhandlers will not go to these places because they enjoy playing people and having the freedom to drown out in booze and drugs.

This has been my experience also. The truly needy go to the homeless shelters. Those looking to score money tend to panhandle. There is a homeless guy that I regularly see when I'm out riding. This guy hasn't shaved in years or had a bath in months. He doesn't always have a coat or shoes in cold weather. I have considered buying fast food gift certificates to give to him for food, but I don't know if he'd use them or if the restaurant would let him inside.

Once a few years back, i was sitting in church with my mom, sister, and brother, and we were listening to our pastor tell us about the less fortunate people she met in New York. One day she had just finished shopping when a homeless man walked up to her and asked if he could get some money for food. She instead offered him some of the food she had just bought, but he kept insisting that she give him some money instead. He eventually got tired of it and walked away. It was a pretty interesting story.

just give them booze and drugs. easier

Just don't dip into your personal stash.

This is a pretty big group though, isn't it?

Not really... I don't know that many females. Trying to stay away from those evil creatures for a while. (Foo females excluded, except Siu... knives are evil... and fuzzy... I think she's evil too)

:o

..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krg5r6n0kr4

The measure of the action is not negated by the recipient of it, only reinforced.

A big pillow with the same shape as the pregnant lady's belly was a few feet away.

She obviously gave birth to the pillow while you were gone. The father was probably a duvet. You should have adopted the pillow, named it fluffy, and raised it as your own.

I see 3-5 of them every day, always hanging out in the same high-traffic spots. I also get mad when people that give them money don't seem to notice the white white shoes, clean designer jeans, a nice suede or leather jacket, and freshly trimmed hair/beard.

There is no doubt in my mind that these panhandlers make more money than they would woking at a regular job. I just want to scream when I see someone stopping to give these lowlifes money.

Kind of reminds me of certain finanical industry people. You don't really get anything for the money you give them, but they are really good at convincing you that you need to give them money.



She obviously gave birth to the pillow while you were gone. The father was probably a duvet. You should have adopted the pillow, named it fluffy, and raised it as your own.

Win!


I've had similar experiences to many shared here. If someone asks, I offer them what they need- food, gas, whatever, but never money. Some are genuinely touched/grateful, some are spiteful and let you know you've been had. Such is life.

Two quick stories:

Two years ago, my daughter decided she wanted to do what she could to help the people on the street. She went to Costco and bought quart baggies, boxed raisins, half-size waters and granola bars. She makes up 20-30 bags at a time and puts them in bags in our cars. When we pull up to people asking for hand-outs, we hand them a bag, for which they always seem to be grateful. My only problem is that the packaging likely gets tossed on the ground.

Years ago, a friend of mine in NYC came upon a guy in bad shape and offered to buy him a sandwich. He spent an hour with the guy in Central Park and ended up giving him a business card. Two years later, my friend got a call from NYPD saying they had found a body under a bridge and that my friend's card was all that he had on him.