Originally Posted by
Lebowski
i actually have a couple homeless friends who im very pissed off at right now. at one point they were productive members of society and givers aswell as takers. now all they do is take advantage of the kindness of friends, meanwhile they do nothing to remedy the situation they are in. they think they are doing something revolutionary, i call it being a mooch regardless of their anarchist ideology.
Ah, the irony of an anarchist wanting assistance from the community...
There's a guy in my neighborhood who's got a couple large carts' worth of belongings. I think he sleeps inside it somehow at night or when it rains. I've never heard him ask for money, but he probably gets some, and I'll occasionally see him at the pizza place or buying a bit of groceries. I think he's in that "mentally ill but harmless" category, and it also seems like his presence keeps more of the beggars away. No idea if he rakes in loads of cash, though.
I had a friend who had had enough of being hit up for money, so the next time someone asked (and probably after telling him "No!" a couple times), she started throwing pennies at him.
I just can't trust anymore that any cash I give isn't going directly to drugs or booze. I've already given the shirt off my back (literally), and I have allotments going to a few charities every month.