h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh, there are people I won't give money to. But living in the safest community in SoCal makes seeing homeless people (unless you count couch-surfing students) a serious rarity. In fact, in the 3 years I've lived in Irvine, I've seen exactly one. And the cops rousted him within minutes.

In my former hometown, however, we had plenty of them, as we had a regional homeless shelter less than a block from our house. There were those that frightened me (the one guy who wandered around aimlessly talking about the voices in his head and arguing with them was one) and some that I knew were scam artists. The guy with the dog was neither scary nor scamming. His story was pretty typical...he'd been married and either she died or left him (never was clear on that) and he was forced to give up everything to pay debts. He was always as clean as he could be being homeless, and unfailingly polite. And he fed his dog before he fed himself, which said volumes to me.

There are two beggars here that I give to regularly. One I've known for years - José Miguel. He lost his leg in a motorcycle accident when he was 19 (he's now 49) and has been a heroin addict most of his life. I don't give him money except at Christmas, but I always buy him breakfast when I see him at our favourite breakfast bar. José Miguel is the only beggar allowed to eat inside the bar and they will even let him 'do a round' with the customers for breakfast money.

Then there is Manuel. I give him a euro whenever I see him. He is usually sitting in the same place on the same street. As far as I know he doesn't have a drug problem and I don't know why he is living like that, but he's been sitting in that same place for years. He is very skinny and very very dirty. José Miguel calls him 'dirty Miguel'. They know each other but don't, um, hang out together.

Noggin once gave them a bag of his old clothes to share, but knowing José Miguel he probably sold them (or at least his share of them). We did see Manuel wearing one of his sweaters later on.

I don't give money to everyone else because, frankly, I can't afford to. If I gave a euro to all the 'regulars' I see every day it would cost me something like 20 euros a day! If I could afford to I probably would give to more regulars (less likely that I would hand out money to total strangers) but I reckon I do my part by helping out José Miguel and Manuel because I also offer them friendship (well, I mean I chat with them, remember their birthdays, stuff like that) as well as some food and money.

Here's a photo of José Miguel with Noggin and blicky at the breakfast bar:

http://public.fotki.com/azahar/sevilla/pepe_jos_miguel.html


az

There are two beggars here that I give to regularly. One I've known for years - José Miguel. He lost his leg in a motorcycle accident when he was 19 (he's now 49) and has been a heroin addict >> helping out junkies , shame on you .

*please do not feed the troll*

the troll will eat you he loves little clans groupies yummy food

I don't give to beggars, mostly because the majority of beggars in Swindon are frauds or scary drunks.

1. The guy who asked me for some money to get a bag of chips because he hadn't eaten in two days... problem was he'd just come out of the offy with a bag full of White Lightning.

2. The guy who needed money for the bus because he'd just had a call from his mum who had just been beaten up by his dad and needed to get home... he's been run out of town.

3. The guy who needed a contribution to his train fare because he'd come here for a stag night and had lost his wallet... three times in three days.

4. The woman who's been begging in the town centre for at least five years, is always clean and on occasion is wearing better clothes than me.

5. The guy who needed money for a taxi to the hospital because he was 'very ill'.

Finally I award 10 out of 10 for effort to the obviously drunk guy who had a home made sign and an old bucket and was collecting money for the "starving kids in Africa".

How come beggers never give me a reason?

In most of the places I've lived there have been regulars in regular spots. Them I do give to, depending on my own cash levels. Like Az, when I lived in Glasgow I couldn't give to them all because of the sheer numbers, but I did make sure I had a quid in change when I took the train to Kelvinside because of the regular who sat at the station there.

The time I remember best when someone spun me a story, he asked for money for beer. I thought "fair play, he's honest at least" and asked him how much it was, and gave him the exact amount.

MoG's approach and MR's approach is much better. Treating humans with human dignity is probably the most important thing of all.

But I am always reminded that I have no idea what I would do or how I would live if I were truly homeless and friendless, and I regard giving money to the 'undeserving' as a tax I pay on the money I give to the truly desperate.

On another note, as an IT contractor, I was thinking of having a t-shirt printed which said 'Will work for money'. (Joke - sorry)

Ben

Ben, a teddy bear is a large gay gentleman with a large amount of body hair.

There is one beggar in Derby whom I have got to know reasonably well. I often go to a certain chippy for an afterwork bag of chips, and the portions are always too big, so if I see Shaun I will say 'come on, I'm getting some chips'. The bloke who runs the shop always puts the chips in two trays, and I'm fairly sure he in effect does two portions for the price of one. I give Shaun money if I have any to spare, and one one memorable occasion when I was utterly broke Shaun both paid for the chips and offered to split his day's takings with me. I think that's why I give to him, I am well aware that I'm no smarter than him (he seems pretty well educated), and our positions aren't reversed through luck rather than judgement.

No...some of you still don't get it. Those people on the streets are, by and large, desparate f***-ups. They'll be alkies and druggies. They'll spin you a line. They'll lie and cheat. Without proper help, they'll be unlikely to do anything positive to alleviate their situation.

Now, think: Are they the same as you or I? Are they the same species? Do they have the same capacities?

If 'No' - well, as less able souls, they deserve your help. As a wise German resident of North London once said, 'To each according to their needs from each according to their ability.' Yes - they'll spend it on drugs, and it won't make them better - but, Hey! haven't we just agreed they're incapable anyway? In the same way that diamorphine alleviates the pain of a cancer sufferer, it will give them some relief over the remainder of their short lives.

If 'Yes' (remember what the question was?) - First of all think how desparate things must have got for them. They probaly have extremely low self esteem. They are probably drug dependent....Etc. etc. Basically - they might not be in a position to affect their own change yet. Yes - we should do positive things, the saintly amongst us - but the very least the rest of us can do is to help them keep going until - by chance and with hope - they get the help they need before they end up dead or in jail. You never know...one day they might - just might - decide to buy a piece of fruit with that money. Anyway - it's their money now. They're human and entitled to make their own decisions.

As for the usually quite sensible Blicky's anecdote...beware of generalising from single cases. All I can say is that every court or psychiatric ward I have ever seen is full of desparate, sad people who are far from millionaires. Perhaps it's different in the US of A, where the streets are paved with gold and anyone with a can-do attitude can make their fortune.

The chips story reminded me of a couple of Glasgow anecdotes.

First - a friend of mine was once accosted by an auld drunk as he went into a chip shop. He didn't give him any money - but had a fit of compassion as he queued and bought the guy a some food. He handed it to him on his way out, and as he walked away he heard from behind 'Hey...does anyone want to buy a fish supper?' That's enterprise!

Second - I myself was once accosted on Sauchiehall Street. The guy said to me:
'Can ye spare a couple ae quid for a drink? Lissen, pal - I'll be honest with ye, dead straight, like - Ahm no gonnae buy a cup a tea. Ahm gonnae go straight to the offy and get a can ae Tennants Super. Ahm a f***in' alky an' ahm desprit fer a wee swally!' Refreshing honesty, I'd say.

By the way - there are gummi bear shops in Germany. If you want to buy mail order from them, you get some *very* interesting hits from Google!

I've just realised that I told a wee lie in my previous post in that I *do* sometimes give to beggars.

Once there was the "why lie? I need a beer" sort.

And another time was the bloke who, on a freezing cold December night wasn't being let into a shelter because they had no room.

Kerr, when I first met José Miguel (about eight years ago) he also used to occasionally buy my breakfast and looked quite pleased to do so. Reminds me a bit of your story about Shaun. These days, however, JM seems to have fallen on even harder times so no longer offers to pay, which of course is fine with me.


az

>Perhaps it's different in the US of A, where the streets are paved with gold and anyone with a can-do attitude can make their fortune.<

Nah.

A can-do attitude isn't always enough. A desire to have or do better isn't always enough. Sometimes, it's availability or lack of opportunity. Sometimes it's sheer dumb luck. The streets aren't all paved with gold. Some of them are paved with skin off the backs of the poor and the "working class" (i.e., almost poor if not already so).

I always give something, if only a little bit of change, to "beggars" or homeless people I see, regardless of what the money might be used for. I've been in some dire straits myself, and sometimes I've had help, sometimes I've had to muck through it alone. Either way, I have a vague idea what it would be like to be desperate, and I don't like to assume that every beggar is a junkie or a crap artist.

As for getting a job in a gas station or a grocery store, here in Chicago at least, a person must be clean and presentable, be able to afford to buy their own uniform, and pass a drug test and background check for a criminal record. Drug tesing is mandatory in a majority of jobs here, especially lower-paying ones. So it might not be all that hard, but it's not always all that easy, either. Not trying to be contradictory or argumentative, just mentioning those small details.

I dont give money at all on the streets I know people who have made a living sawing open various in vogue charity boxes.

I do occasionally buy foodand if Ive got some in my hand I give the lot or half it.

This is what on founder of the homeless charity Big Issue has to say:
http://society.guardian.co.uk/homelessness/story/0,8150,864773,00.html

Teddy Bears are rotund hairy men who *like* other men.

Changing topics...

...and picking at some old wounds instead...

Have we seen this story?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1507447,00.html

I'd say that if there were a shred of doubt before, there's even less now.

Also today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/thisweek/story/0,12977,1506964,00.html


Oh...and 'Teddy Bears' are also the 'Gers (Glasgow Rangers Football Club)

Why do I get the feeling this has more to do with the parents than the daughter? That their trying to find some meaning and lashing out, or latching onto, anything that comes near them?

Well - of course. But one has to sympathise with them. Denial and anger are stages of the grief process which most people just have to get through. Unfortunately they ended up being used and egged by all sorts deranged people with superstitious axes to grind.

I don't think there's anything especially 'wrong' in giving money to all sorts of people, because they're people too. However, since *I* have limited resources, and *I* can't afford a drug habit, or to be drunk 24/7, I prefer to help people who just *might* be able to add some of their own resources and build a better life for themselves.

To me it's kinda the same concept as forgiving debt/giving aide to countries. More productive, in the long run, to give it to countries which are trying to spread the benefit amongst the populace who need it, than to give it equally to every poor country, even though there's a history of the aide being used to line the pockets of the wealthy and not affecting the people it's meant to help.

I did once buy a sandwich for someone who wasn't actively begging but just sitting on the pavement looking dejected.

Generally if people are begging, I'll at least smile & shake my head to acknowledge that they are there but I'm not giving. I prefer to give to charities that help the homeless.

Give a lot to one charity or a little to several - which is better?

Doing something is better than money unless your incredibly rich and can just buy a new hostel or CAT scanner.

Doing something is better because not only is it worth the value of your labour but if its with the people you are trying to help it helps their self esteem to see that people give a damn.

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