A good back story makes it worth $10

Sunday we had our last AutoX event of the year. Things were going along well enough with set-up when this dude approaches me (I wear a big yellow hat and sort of run stuff at the event so apparently I brought it on myself) and starts by giving me a pretty decent song and dance about how his truck needs a very specific part (from AutoZone and he has a parts receipt to show me) so he can get home. The part cost $8.33 and is there anything I can hire him to do for the money?

Well, it's not exactly panhandling so good effort dude. I pay him $10 to follow the line marker around with a broom and make the dust even and smooth.

Couple of years ago a teenaged kid interrupted my cookout asking pretty much the same sort of thing. I paid him $10 to wash the Suburban and gave him a cheeseburger when he was finished.

Pure begging really doesn't work for me but if someone is willing to do even a token amount of work I figure they need it more than I do. Anyone else?

At my wife's last job the business owner used to pay $10 an hour for any homeless to wash the employees cars (small establishment, usually 2 cars). They usually worked less than three hours but the owner would kick them down an even three hours pay.

I though it was neat gig for the guys but one day when I was picking Mrs. Hungary up for lunch I overhead two regulars complaining to each other about how the guy works them like a dog, and doesn't pay them enough.

I had a good chuckle. I guess the complaints are the same no matter your job and situation in life

No way I'd let someone in that situation wash my car! I've seen the results of some kids' charity washes, and those scratches are bad enough!

Having said that, I agree about helping out someone who is making some kind of effort for the money. When I was working landscaping we'd pick up extra help that way occasionally.

My dad (years ago) would offer to take the "will work for food" guys from one local corner to lunch - pay for their food. He never got any takers - they always wanted the money instead so they could go "buy it themselves."

ultraclyde wrote: No way I'd let someone in that situation wash my car! I've seen the results of some kids' charity washes, and those scratches are bad enough! Having said that, I agree about helping out someone who is making some kind of effort for the money. When I was working landscaping we'd pick up extra help that way occasionally. My dad (years ago) would offer to take the "will work for food" guys from one local corner to lunch - pay for their food. He never got any takers - they always wanted the money instead so they could go "buy it themselves."

I've had guys refuse banana's and McD's hamburgers before. Never understood that--they were offered it because I wasn't going to eat it and I had it, it was not in place of money.

I always try to buy whatever it is for them, or feed them. It's worked once. One guy went as far as to get in the car with me. I drove him around, him supposedly telling me where his broken car was, until he finally gave up and just got out.

One time the dude was legit homeless and had been bugging people in an outdoor cafe in Boston forever. I offered to buy him something to eat and the dude's at the counter couldn't believe it. I paid, gave him the food, and told him to have a blessed day.

I don't give away money though. Not ever.

Ive only ever had one person ask me for money like that. I was loading scrap and gave him his 7 bucks for help loading an old freezer.

After a childhood incident involving a "homeless" man getting into his new car my parents told me to offer food but never cash.

We dont have any homeless in this town that im aware of, makes me happy to be out of the big citys. We have poverty for sure but theres places for them to sleep and eat.

ultraclyde wrote: No way I'd let someone in that situation wash my car! I've seen the results of some kids' charity washes, and those scratches are bad enough! Having said that, I agree about helping out someone who is making some kind of effort for the money. When I was working landscaping we'd pick up extra help that way occasionally. My dad (years ago) would offer to take the "will work for food" guys from one local corner to lunch - pay for their food. He never got any takers - they always wanted the money instead so they could go "buy it themselves."

My wife has said to me teasing before."oh, don't you want to get the car washed at that cheerleader fundraiser carwash?" I was like are you crazy they are probably using one bucket the whole day, never changing the water or rinsing the sponge, no way. She just sort of shook her head

nepa03focus wrote:

ultraclyde wrote: No way I'd let someone in that situation wash my car! I've seen the results of some kids' charity washes, and those scratches are bad enough! Having said that, I agree about helping out someone who is making some kind of effort for the money. When I was working landscaping we'd pick up extra help that way occasionally. My dad (years ago) would offer to take the "will work for food" guys from one local corner to lunch - pay for their food. He never got any takers - they always wanted the money instead so they could go "buy it themselves."

My wife has said to me teasing before."oh, don't you want to get the car washed at that cheerleader fundraiser carwash?" I was like are you crazy they are probably using one bucket the whole day, never changing the water or rinsing the sponge, no way. She just sort of shook her head

That and they rarely end like the car washes you see in pornos. Oh, and they're minors

Not long ago in Orlando, I was stopped at a light and there were several well-dressed guys carrying buckets labeled "homeless children" and collecting money. As one guy approached, I pulled out a single to donate. He got to my car and I rolled down the window. He saw my offering and said, "this is a $5 drive, can you do $5?" I said "no, but I can do zero". I wish I had told him to berkeley off.

I remember the last time I did it I was at one of my favorite cheap eateries in town (Coney Island) and the guy behind Mr was struggling to come up with enough change for 1.

So I bought him 4, a drink, and a pecan pie. Cost me maybe 15 minutes worth of work but I could tell it meant a lot to him.

Like the rest of you though I don't hand money out.

I rarely get approached where I can put someone to work, but I do by food and coffee some times and I do give money to a few regulars. What really surprises me are the number of people that feel the need to but in and tell me to stop encouraging the bums by giving them food. As though the guy with no feet was on his way to work for Google when someone bought him pizza so he decided to stick with panhandling.

When I drove we had a regular that is mildly autistic and would ride the buses a few hours a night. One of my friends would pay him to sit across in the rap seat so a regular with awful BO wouldn't sit there.

nepa03focus wrote: I was like are you crazy they are probably using one bucket the whole day, never changing the water or rinsing the sponge, no way.

Plus they've dropped that sponge on the ground about a dozen times before they rub it on your hood.

I like this approach. I won't give you money, but I can give you some food and some dignity.

There is an old guy downtown Cleveland who has a sign after events that says "I'm not gonna lie i want a drink" so i give him a buck once in a while for his honesty

ultraclyde wrote: No way I'd let someone in that situation wash my car! I've seen the results of some kids' charity washes, and those scratches are bad enough! Having said that, I agree about helping out someone who is making some kind of effort for the money. When I was working landscaping we'd pick up extra help that way occasionally. My dad (years ago) would offer to take the "will work for food" guys from one local corner to lunch - pay for their food. He never got any takers - they always wanted the money instead so they could go "buy it themselves."

this has always been my experience …. never offered light work for decent pay and gotten a "thanks, what can I do ?" always "just the money" and then a "berkeley you" when I laughed at them

I always bypass the well dressed, groomed looking ones. But, will on occasion have a box of granola bars/whatnot that I'll hand out to others. Not much, but like to think it helps on some level.

The ones panhandling while checking their smartphones? yeah, I don't think so.

when i was in NYC i noticed about every other homeless guy had a sign that says "today is my XX birthday", thought it was weird that so many of them had the same birthday, and for multiple days in a row...