Well, just going to say up front my opinion is going to be a bit harsh, and if I end up offending anyone, I would like to apologize in advance. Anyway, I can't stand when someone begs me for money or whatever and that guy should have considered himself lucky your sister even bothered to get him anything. I personally would have acted like he wasn't there. It is probably my easiest to hit berserk button. Begging to me is one of the most self-degrading things a person can do, short of a few other things I'd rather not discuss here. I assume a majority of beggars are simply trying to get a few bucks off me so they can continue living their "champagne taste on a beer budget" lifestyle and have so little self-respect they DEPEND on some random guy or gal to support their problems. There are just too many people that fit the stereotype for me to even consider one MIGHT be honestly down on their luck. And a legitimate person wouldn't come up with some bogus cliche sob story either.
Even if you are poor, homeless, whatever, there are plenty of resources you have available:
-Homeless shelters
-Temp agencies for getting employment
-Food bank
-Potentially family
Honestly, if you can't make the effort to better your life into a reasonable quality of life, I can't make an effort to pity you. Once again, I apologize for my cold sounding post, but I have ZERO TOLERANCE for beggars.
You're right, that is harsh, offensive, and on top of it all, proof that you've never actually had to struggle to make ends meet. Homeless shelters and being employed are pretty much mutually exclusive, since most homeless shelters are filled at an hour that you kind of need free in order to be of any value at all to an employer.
So maybe it's my turn to be a little harsh. Maybe, just for an experiment, you should quit your job, let a few rent/mortgage/whatever payments slide until you've successfully been evicted, and then see how easy it is to get a job and get back into your cushy place of living. Ten bucks says you'll wind up begging for change. But that's not a bet I would take if I were you.
Then again, my experiences with homelessness have been much different from yours, I suspect. I work in food service. Starving people living on the streets come in on a semi-regular basis asking me if I can spare any food. I gladly put a half-sandwich or solo pizza on my tab for them, because these guys need it. I've been there. I've been in a house with no food in it because the paycheck hasn't cleared yet. And that was with the house. I've still had someplace to live all my life. I can't imagine what it's like for these guys. So fuck yes, I'm glad to hand food to someone who is starving and homeless and has had people like you persistently not giving a shit about him for several years. I don't care if you think they're lazy. I don't care if you think they're "takers". I don't care what you think of them, period. If they starve to death, I'm not having that on my conscience. But I'm eager to see how that knowledge weighs on yours.
I remember vividly the first guy who came in begging for food. He was a native american man in his late 60s, early 70s. Dark, knotted hair. Withered to the bone. Spoke with a rasp. Not a smoke rasp. His throat was just dry, and he didn't have terribly much energy. It was mid-february, very cold out. He spoke to me kindly, respectfully, politely when asking if I could spare any food. I poured him a glass of coca-cola and brought him out a solo pepperoni pizza, traditional crust. I'll never forget his gratitude. That's not the sort of thing you can ever forget.
It's not that beggars can't be choosers. It's that most beggars can't AFFORD to be choosers. A beggar will take what they can get because they NEED whatever they can get. But that's not an open invitation to be completely thoughtless and disregard their preferences. I want to give someone not only what will help them the most, but what they will enjoy the most. What they will be the most glad they were given. Because in the end, I'm not giving them free food. I'm selling them food, which they're paying for in good vibes. Vibes which enjoy thoroughly, cultivate, remember fondly, and build upon.
Edited by Fabbrizio, 18 November 2013 - 04:50 AM.