To the old hag on Spring Garden Rd,
I am a person with a charitable soul. If I am capable of giving, I do so. The other day you asked me for a “spare” cigarette, and although there is no such thing as a “spare cigarette” at $10 a pack, I smiled and was happy to give you one. Why not? I had just gotten a job, and was feeling like passing on some good energy. So when you said “Can I have two?” I was kind of surprised, but figured maybe you weren’t all there and didn’t understand common courtesy. So I reached into my pack to give you two. But then you say “Come on, give me three.” and I simply said “I don’t think so, sorry” and you proceeded to bother me until I gave in and got you another one. what could I do, I had to wait for a bus, I couldn’t get away from you. And then you had the audacity to ask me (rudely) for some change.
—Thanks alot
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2009.
It’s asshole bums like this one that make them all look bad. When someone asks me for a cigarette I usually just light one up in front of them and then calmly say “I’m sorry, I don’t smoke”. Or meticulously open my pack, examine the contents, and say “Sorry, this pack didn’t come with any extras”.
I also love when people offer to buy one off me, then after I give them one, they say “thanks” and walk away without paying. Why’d you even offer!?
At the point when she asked for three – if you hadn’t already handed over the others – you should have closed your pack.
Awwww, you’re a fucking wimp. Next!
Yeah I would have done the same, soon as she got greedy she would have gotten zip all.
OP, you should have told her, “Sorry, I just got a job and this has to last me until my first pay week. If I got a job, you can find one too.”
Honestly, there were lots you could do. Instead you chose to back down and give in like most HRM people do. You’re not doing any positive enabling bums to be bums.
Furthermore, you have no right to complain of your issues after you caused the problem yourself.
Hold your pack in one hand and extend your palm with the other: ‘That’ll be $1.00’, lady. And don’t hand over fuck until that loonie warms your palm. My favourite line is: ‘I don’t support addictions’. Like the other posters suggested, you should have stopped after two.
See, giving to beggers encourages begging. If no one gives money to pan handelrs they will be forced to get jobs/work for their money. Many homless around the city do not beg, they collect recycling or some other odd job to earn an income. Just today a begger on Spring garden interrupted my comversation, to ask for money, and then had the oddasity to call me a coward for not aknowledging him. I dont give to beggers anymore. It only encourages them to not go out and earn their bread.
Or they will die Rafiki. That’s their other option.
Don’t worry, Rafiki, other people’s behavior is not your responsibility no matter how desperate or impressionable the lookers on may be. If you’re feeling generous and want to make a positive difference in someone’s day, you just go right ahead!
OP, I don’t think you “backed down” or are a “wimp”. Good for you for not doing anything suggested here and behaved as a kind-but-not-stupid person instead.
volunteer work kay. I give my time. no one can buy drugs with my time. your loonie, makes no differance, if anything, it makes a negitive differance in the over all sceme of things.
Have you ever truly known a book only by it’s cover?
Is that supposed to mean somthing? A book by its cover? what are we talking about here? situations? I am aware some people are mentally ill and are begging because they are desperate. however kay, by giving to beggers you are encouraging begging. You efforts would be better spent either donating to dress for success, or volunteering at the food bank. My deciding not to support pan handling is in a way, judging a book by its cover, and so is your handing out money to people currently unwilling or incapible of earning it. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life.
Who the fuck died and made you teacher and guide, Rafiki? And where do you get such ESP? You need to get over yourself and learn to not be a judgmental ass without a clue. You don’t have to cough up your change but check yourself when standing in judgment of anybody. You just don’t know and obviously you don’t care enough to ask so you should assume you know NOTHING of another human being except their stated needs. I suppose you think methadone programs just encourage crack heads to stay high too, huh? Please grow up faster.
You know Rafiki, it’s people like you who inspired that Alanis Morriset tune, Ironic. You’re the guy who offers a thousand spoons when all he needs is a fuckin’ knife.
Hm. I would have rolled up 3 pieces of paper that looked like cigarettes, given them to her, and when she opened them they would read:
1. Get
2. A
3. Job
I volunteer, too. That’s how I give back to society (working with some pretty disenfranchised, marginalized people). I spent enough years living on North and Agricola to know that loonies do not help.
If I am approached and the person says they are hungry I will offer to buy them coffee and a sandwich. Only once did I have someone accept my offer.
Hunger is generally the acceptable word for addiction; the one that causes people pull out their loonies and toonies. I’m not judging beggars by refusing to give them money, I am simply not supporting addiction. If they say they are hungry I will still offer food. So far, however, the general response has been “nah” or “fuck off with your food”.
dino. thats funny. seriously, quit your job and become a stand up comedian. you’d kill.
kay you quoted alanis at me, You’re the guy who offers a thousand spoons when all he needs is a fuckin’ knife.
1)we were talking about giving cigarettes to homless people, not spoons or knifes, and Never give a homelss man a knife, thats just not good thinking.
2) methadone clinics are a bad idea, The best way to get off the smack, is to never get on it in the first place. Why should my tax dollars pay to inject a junkie with drugs? A rehab program is alot smarter, and more effective. junkies should have to endure the withdrawl and not be weined off of it gently.
3) whom did I judge? I stated a fact, giving to beggers encourages begging. encourages life styles that are not working out.
4) I do care. In fact I have worked with homless people in a third world setting. what I learned is that beggars can only intergrated into society and become functioning self supportive people by making there own way, and learning a valuable trade or skill. They require assistance, but a dollar here or there on the street essentially does nothing for them.
5) Alanis qoute conter : thank you india
thank you terror
thank you disillusionment
6)you know NOTHING of another human being except their stated needs ?? A cigarette is definatley not a need. Cigarettes are expensive. A homless person addicted to smoking will spend money on cigarettes. Giving a cigarette is giving them more of a reason to stay homless. Id rather see them go with out, and learn to live with out it.
My skin.
Dino, don’t believe these bitches, I’m all for the underdog.
Didn’t anybody watch Nicholas Cage die in Leaving Las Vegas? Would you really deny the man a drink knowing without one he’s likely to suffer convulsions and die right there in front of you? If you think a loonie is “supporting addiction” think again.
Addiction is the symptom. Don’t presume to know anything about a beggar except that they have need. “Need” is the word, kitty.
I wouldn’t get angry at people with addictions. Plainly, one will do bizarre things without being able to restrain themselves. I agree with Three’s tactic. PS: No, I never saw Nicholas Cage die in Leaving Las Vegas. If I did his hideous face may have burned out my ‘brows and eye sockets.
Homeless people are assholes.
You say “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life.” This is true but, Rafiki, you’d starve the poor mother fucker until he learned. What’s wrong with you?
Or you fish for him.
Homeless people are people.
And how does Nick Cage keep getting work?!?
Why is it up to me to fish for homless people? they can catch their own fish, I am not starving any one. “There is the river, Go catch a fish, no you can’t have any of mine, get your own fish.” How am I responsible if they won’t go fish? When did I starve anyone. I simply refuse to share my fish, I gotta eat! ??? And also watching Nicholas cage In leaving los veagas does not make you an expert on addiction.
Rafiki, I AM an expert. Nobody says you have to share. That doesn’t mean you know what’s good for people or that you’re doing them any favours (except maybe in your mythical and imaginary kingdom). My point is you shouldn’t presume anything or judge others by way of stereotype. Some people are better at “fishing” than others. Some people need help, some want it, some, naturally, just want to eat and live another day. Who are you to judge? Keep your dam change. Keep your dam smokes. Go fuck your bologna sandwich. Everybody has the right to be a greedy, self righteous fuck now and then.
And obviously, you, kay, has the right to be a self righteous fuck ALL the time. *sigh*
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree mostly with Rafiki in this thread…which is fuk’d because usually I think his comments are lame.
But I also agree with miles…homeless people *are* people too…doesn’t mean they’re not assholes when they’re scamming for money or cigs and act like entitled pieces of shit though (which is something I don’t see ALL the time, but it’s out there — take a look at this bitch the OP writes about!)…
I’m admiring fish being used as metaphor for the homeless needing a kick in the pants. I’m also going to continue beating this thread with a stick. Number one: it depends on the context of how the homeless persons got homeless in the first place. Are we talking about an addict or a veteran without legs? What if they’re mentally unstable? Have no family? We ought to ‘fish’ for these people once in a while because some of them clearly need it.
Exactly, dino.
My GOD you’re one of my favorite posters these days 🙂
Thanks PK, that’s exactly what I meant. Homeless people are people and, like other people, some are assholes and others are sweet. One thing you can always count on is that people will behave like people regardless of their economic affluence.
This self-righteous fuck is standing up for the underdog so, thank you, kitty, I’ll continue knowing my position is affective. So what happens when you find the addict is that way because of mental defect? Addiction is a SYMPTOM of bigger problems. Does that homeless person go into the “let them learn to fish on their own” too?
Kay, You are no expert. If you were, you would not have drawn addiction advice from the deep well of a nicholas cage movie.
And I wil keep my change on spring garden road. If that makes me self rightoeus so be it. that was the point. I am too repsonsible to hand it over too people who may not have their own best interests in mind. Instead, I will give it to united way once a year in a lump sum. I might also go to a really shitty country you would be afraid to even set foot in and work with the homless every so often, and on top of it, I might just volunteer my time locally.
while you are out there rooting for the under dog,sharing your change with people who really do not need it, some of us are coming up with real solutions.
Just as long as you KNOW what’s good for everybody, Rafiki. uh huh, sure.
Did you know this… Canadian laws provides at least 20% of the money collected for fundraising actually go toward the cause… that a whopping 20 cents out of your buck going toward a “real solution”. Give to the United Way if it makes you feel better. I’ll tell ya though, writing a cheque to a faceless organization can’t do as much for you as a grateful person in the flesh… even the ones who don’t appreciate it have been impacted 100% by you and your generosity.
Oh, and Rafiki, Nicholas Cage has nothing to do with my expertise in addictions… fucking twit. Dare I roll my eyes?
“I am more righteous than you.” That’s what you two sound like.
Seriously, no one is impressed by how many hobo’s you do or don’t give change to, or how many homeless people in shitty countries you volunteer your time to. Charity is not a contest, it’s a personal choice and we all should give what we feel compelled to give in the way we feel compelled to give it.
Also, charity is a two way street. It not only helps the receiver, but the giver as well. It’s a way for people to consider their fortunes and connect with the less fortunate, human to human. That’s why some people feel better giving change to individuals than lump sums to some faceless organization. We all have different comfort levels and needs when it comes to staring the darker sides of human civilization in the face.
That’s why it’s important not to judge how others choose to give. Homelessness is not one problem, so there’s not going to be one solution.
Sorry for the rant.
There is absolutely no reason to give money to the homeless. As a society I think we have had enough of this ultra-liberal politically correct bullshit. The homeless are people and as such, are required to live up to the same expectations as the rest of us whether it is through working, or working the system. I had a friend a few years back whose ex-girlfriend decided to panhandle and hitch-hike across the country, spending her time on springarden and eventually making it across to Vancouver. She made anywhere from 50.00-150.00 per day, for doing nothing. The idea that the majority of people on the street are mentally ill or drug addicted is false yet we believe it as a means to justify the guilt we feel for not giving or as motivation to give, and that’s all. Think about every fucking idiot you meet in a day, and then consider the fact that the people on the street are not exempt from being the same type of douche bag. Still feel a moral obligation to give to them? If you have ever spoken to a homeless person you would realize that they deserve about as much respect, and care as every other fucking stranger you come across in the day, which would be common courtesy and nothing else.
Some people think common courtesy includes helping those in need. Some people think that it’s worth giving change to 100 people even if it’s only going to really help just 1.
Tell me, what did your friend do with the $100/day she didn’t earn? That’s a lot of money if you are just bumming across the country. What was it spent on? It’s funny because in less than 2 weeks she would have had enough money to FLY to Vancouver.
Indeed. His ex from what I can recall spent it on food for her and the crew she was travelling with, nights out at bars, stays at hostels. Her intention was to panhandle and hitch-hike accross the country.
Am I too late to point out that it’s “TEN thousand spoons”?
…which…you know…is pretty generous.
Hey, since when did I become the underdog…
PS: Thanks PK! <3
As for the spitspatting: a conglomerate of hobos could be more self-righteous than the two of you at this rate. Pleez.
what does “old hag” have to do with anything that happened here?
Alright, got my popcorn. Keep the flamewar a comin’
Kay, I understand you desire to help but you are totally coming off like a bit of a nutbar today, and bashing Rafiki who sounds like he does more towards your cause in the run of a year than most do their entire lives…yeah more of the nutbar salad on that one.
Seriously though…if you are an expert, could you please use a better example than Nicholas Cage movies???? How about a real life example?
I agree that both you and Rafiki are right (and Miles too!) but the problem is that the Fed tries to paint solutions with a big-ass brush because they can’t do it any other way and be fair, they can’t get too specific per individual without financially burdening the tax payer (more than they already do) and they can’t just hand out the money to every program out there for the exact same reason.
Until we all agree to submit to 70% taxation and to live on hardly anything…the needy and the lazy greedy are going to suffer (though the lazy greedy deserve to suffer in my opinion) and when I say lazy greedy I mean the panhandlers that for whatever reason (mental issues, addiction, aversion to work)
JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!
Oh… wait… that’s the wishful thinking kicking in…
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
You say “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life.”
or throw the fucker in the harbour and say “catch your own fucking polluted fish”
If you’re looking for a real life example, DER, get your change ready and have a conversation with anybody you can find on Spring Garden at 3AM. See how fast you’d be willing to hire them, fire them, feed them, help them, listen to them. Find out what they think they need or give them what they want. As for MY real life examples, I’ve given plenty of solid advice on this board given real life experience I care not to get into as it’s not relevant here. Check out Trainspotting. That`s a good one too.
BTW, the nutbar, yeah thanx for that, got a good weekend bitch on… you’re days behind DER. And I really dig your notion that ALL pan handlers are homeless by choice. You’re quite a piece of work with all your stereotypes. Where were you when I was in the mood? Check back in a decade or so, once you’ve got some life experience, and we’ll try this again.
Kay…you make absolutely no sense do you?
Another movie reference for a real world examples??? Seriously.
Did you read my post or just immediately take offense to the nutbar comment…and then started typing another nutbar comment? Now where do I imply that ALL panhandlers are homeless by choice?
And the day’s behind comment…well at least my posts make sense and aren’t filled with references to movies…do you get out of the house at all…let alone down to Spring Garden at 3am? I used to hang out there when I was a kid…and I know several of the individuals that are “working” the street…some need to with good reason, others though, not at all. Note that I wrote “the needy and the lazy greedy”, see that there? Two sides of the story, of which there are most likely DOZENS.