Comments on Not Ready For The Pasture: Live And Learn

A well written story, with a surprise ending. It w...

2009-09-25T06:09:31.987-04:00

A well written story, with a surprise ending. It would have made me very angry. What a bum!

This is a nice story, maybe not so nice but intere...

2009-09-25T02:39:44.019-04:00

This is a nice story, maybe not so nice but interesting and curious.
Many young people here make that choice and live begging around without any shame.

Great story Sunny. We hae [anhandlers down here in...

2009-09-24T18:00:39.943-04:00

Great story Sunny. We hae [anhandlers down here in Austin and can totally relate as a few of them drive to "work" (a designated street corner) everyday!

It takes all kinds. And nowadays, with people on t...

2009-09-24T11:33:01.354-04:00

It takes all kinds. And nowadays, with people on the Internet, they can say they are doctors, lawyers, male or female and nobody knows for sure. Years ago my wife and I knew a lady on the Internet on a blog who begged for money to buy a dress for her daughter and she got it. And it was a nice dress and she took a picture and showed us what she looked like wearing it.

Thanks for helping me to make history.
Pick a Peck of Pixels

I've heard stories like this before too. I don't ...

2009-09-24T10:15:56.916-04:00

I've heard stories like this before too. I don't mind helping people who truly need help. I guess its better to do it through some reputable agency.

What a story! Makes it hard to trust anyone. I g...

2009-09-24T09:33:16.684-04:00

What a story! Makes it hard to trust anyone. I get approached quite a bit at work since the homeless shelter is right across the street and I have heard every hard luck story there is.

I did have to laugh out loud when he popped out of...

2009-09-24T08:38:39.533-04:00

I did have to laugh out loud when he popped out of the car. What a scammer he was. He casts a bad shadow on the true homeless doesn't he. Still at a quarter a pop, it couldn't have been a "good" living unless he was astute in the stock market.

Rotten little skite... :)

2009-09-24T08:30:54.617-04:00

Rotten little skite...
:)

Great story - scam artists come in suits now days ...

2009-09-24T06:11:39.645-04:00

Great story - scam artists come in suits now days and live in great big houses and have many cars.
Thanks

That is unbelievable, but I guess I shouldn't be s...

2009-09-24T05:31:53.511-04:00

That is unbelievable, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Some people will do anything rather than get a real job and actually work. I am too much of a skeptic to give out money. I just don't trust anyone anymore.

This reminds me of the Sherlock Holmes story "The ...

2009-09-24T04:38:08.409-04:00

This reminds me of the Sherlock Holmes story "The Man With The Twisted Lip". He didn't happen to have a twisted lip did he?

When I lived in England, we would sometimes go out...

2009-09-24T04:37:56.905-04:00

When I lived in England, we would sometimes go out or go shopping in Bath which was quite close to where we lived. In Bath they had quite a problem with beggars and homeless people. But then one day, the council decided to crack down on this problem. It turned out more than half of them made more money begging than they would working! They lived in nice houses, drove nice cars etc.
I've made it a point not to give to beggars, I will occasionally buy the Big Issue though. But if I have some food on me, they are quite happy to it!

By the way, I've got an award waiting for you at mine.

That is a great story! I mean wow! It is amazing ...

2009-09-24T00:46:16.332-04:00

That is a great story! I mean wow! It is amazing that this person was okay with doing what he did...and that he got away with it for so long!

I can tell you that, as part of my job last year, working one on one with an individual with a traumatic brain injury, we volunteered at the food pantry. We constantly needed things to do to fill up his day and volunteering was a great thing for him to do and for me to do as well. Anyway, I happened to pick up a few brochures from the food pantry that spoke of their outreach program and had them still in my car, when a beggar approached me and asked me for a bag of my groceries. I politely explained that I was tight on my budget with 5 children, but I had a way she could get some food. I handed her a brochure and I said, "If you are really in need of food, they will help out." (you didn't have to qualify for a visit to the pantry your first time through the doors.) She had tears in her eyes, and I don't know if it was because I wouldn't hand her food and money or if it was because I didn't blow her off and tell her to get lost. Anyway, I've kept these brochures in my car ever since, just in case someone else should be in need.
Cheers, Jenn.

Oh how terrible.... People like that ought to be b...

2009-09-23T23:24:49.945-04:00

Oh how terrible.... People like that ought to be banned. They take advantage of nice people --who are willing to help those in need. Once you are 'conned' ----it's hard to trust the next person who may really need your help. Ugh!

Hugs,
Betsy

I saw a TV show one time on "professional" panhand...

2009-09-23T22:56:07.909-04:00

I saw a TV show one time on "professional" panhandlers. That was their job that they went to every day and they made out quite well. I am always reluctant to give a handout to people on the street because you can't tell if they are really in need or just looking for a sucker. I am happy to help someone out who is down on their luck but I would rather give money to the Rescue Mission or the Food Bank. Then you know it's going to be used for food.

Well that's an eye opener. Looks like asking for ...

2009-09-23T22:32:28.712-04:00

Well that's an eye opener. Looks like asking for a hand out was actually his "job".

Well, I'll be darned. That's quite an interesting...

2009-09-23T21:52:02.398-04:00

Well, I'll be darned. That's quite an interesting story, Sunny. Must say that I've never done anything like that. However, I have given a "bum" a dollar or so in my past but I've never been pested like you were. You must be a very kind hearted person to do that everytime he requested a quarter for a cup of coffee. I wonder if I would have done the same thing? Maybe so.

While over-seas in the US Navy, our ship would stay at different ports of call for R&R. One of them, I remember, was Hong Kong. I can recall lots of homeless children that were on the streets begging money from us US Sailors. Faceless children that, I thought, never had a home, but the streets of Hong Kong. I did give them a "handout", but I wonder if they were really homeless or just something like Charlie? I still have some pictures of "bum" kids from over in Tawiwan, Formosa.

Les

We don't have any in our area..too rural. But one...

2009-09-23T21:38:30.434-04:00

We don't have any in our area..too rural. But one day we were in a Big City , and two guys were working the same corner, with the same sign..just taking turns. Didn't seem right to me :(

Some people are brazen enough to do anything...it ...

2009-09-23T21:14:13.364-04:00

Some people are brazen enough to do anything...it does make for a funny story though...

Unbelievable! It reminds me of a time I was asked...

2009-09-23T20:38:12.521-04:00

Unbelievable! It reminds me of a time I was asked for 'bus fare'. I told the guy I wouldn't give him the money, but I would go to the bus stop with him and get him on his bus. He changed his mind and disappeared before we were half-way there.

Now that is some story!!! Absolutely amazing! How ...

2009-09-23T19:15:01.067-04:00

Now that is some story!!! Absolutely amazing! How do some people get away with things like that??? I guess such a thing is so far from most of our minds that it is difficult to conceive someone actually doing it and getting away with it as long as he did! Thanks for sharing your experience, I'll be sure to think about that the next time one them approached me with a handout -- and believe me, we have lots of those here in Seattle!

Have a lovely evening, Sunny!

Sylvia