I am sympathetic to the people on the streets asking for change, and I know they will probably never read this bitch (unless it is published in paper form).
I also know said people can’t TELL I’m poor, but it really bothers me when someone asks me for my money.
I am a poor student. I can barley pay rent, buy books, and eat anything other than KD.
So
please, please, please
although I am wearing a coat, and carrying a bag full of books, calling GoTime on my cell phone (which I can barely pay for as well) and it may look like I have money, I don’t.
Stop asking for it.
Any money I do have is being scrounged up to pay my landlord or (the fucking greedy) university I attend.
Perhaps bums don’t think that the people walking on the street, and not begging on it, are poor too. But not many of us have money to throw around, much less to give to a stranger.
Any money I have is earned by working hard at my job (notice the help wanted signs around town? Said people should get one – and employers should be more willing to hire them) or borrowed. I am probably more in debt than the bums on the street.
I’m so tired of being asked for money I don’t have.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2008.
Kraft Dinner is great. I love it, I wish I could eat it every day.
You were making good points til you pulled out the old “get a job” crap. Do you really think it’s that easy? Just walk into a place and say “hey, I want to work here”, and they’ll hire you? Wouldn’t it be great if it were that easy for anyone to get a job? There’s numerous reasons why they wouldn’t be given a job, starting with how hard it is to make themselves presentable for an interview, to the employer being biased against somebody who’s filled out an application and put “no fixed address” on it. A lot of places won’t hire street people because they’re viewed as unreliable. Not that the perception is correct, but unfortunately a lot of people think that way. And I’m only talking about the able-bodied ones, I won’t even get into the hurdles those with mental problems are facing with trying to survive. And not all problems with being unemployable are obvious to us as we walk by them, so you have no idea whether they’ve tried to get jobs, or not.I hate walking down the street and getting accosted every ten feet by someone shaking a cup under my nose as much as the next person, and I empathise with your not having a lot of money yourself, but let’s not be judgemental as to why they’re there. Each one has their own story and not all are lazy or employable.
I guess facial tattoos can count as a mental defect. I save and roll that change and it has come in handy a lot of times right before payday.Spare change is an oxi moron. They sit there smoking the day away bagging for change. They coudnt be more useless if they tried, I guess some things come naturally to people.I never see them either in midwinter when its a fucking snow storm and Im still walking to work so I can pay my bills. They can sit there and ask for change all they want but I aint giving them shit… and if everyone stopped giving them change they would…. well prolly move to a bigger city…
I completely understand what you’re talking about. I always feel guilty for not giving anything, but I can’t spare even a quarter. Just like not all panhandlers are lazy because they don’t have a job, not everyone who isn’t a panhandler can afford to give out change.
Hey Ghost, the point was made that employers should be more sympathetic.How about beating the biased at their own game? I can not see why an ablebodied, mentally fit person of no fixed address could not, over the course of a week or two, through panhandling, save enough dough to 1) go to the SallyAnn and buy at least one casual or professional outfit (not ideal, but a start), 2) get some toiletries 3) hit the YM-YWCA for a shower and/or a shave, all that stuff. and 4) go to the public library and type, print and copy resumes (lie on em if you have to, 90% of people do)That’s when you hit the street hit the street and look for work. The world is not fair, it never will be, but you can level the playing field.And to employers: give em a break already. The above would show a great deal of initiative and courage.To KD for dinner..again: things’ll get better. I’ve like you are for four going through school. Keep your eyes on the horizon.To The Bad Guy: unless you are too are homeless, KD can be had for a dollar a box, plus milk and butter. Go get some.
Ditch the cell, man. They’re not worth it.
Ditch the cell, man. They’re not worth it.
This happends to me everyday!and you try to exsplain it to them but that doesnt work