To the guy who stands at the Sportsplex bus terminal and asks for bus change : We know you go to NSCC! We know you have a a bus pass! AND we know you don’t need our money! So stop fucking asking us for change for the bus and stop bugging people who just want to go home! You have a bus pass so just fuck off and wait for the bus like everyone else!!
—Metro Transit Riders of Dartmouth
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2009.
Carry bear-spray, OP. Everytime you hear, “spare change,” you spray the person who says it.
its clear the guy has issues – give him a break…give a few dollars for a beer…or just say sorry bud, I know he can be annoying…but really what’s a little kindness going to cost you?
hey nice goin’ fat – that’s assualt with a weapon and you can be charge for doing that
Not if I claim that I felt “unsafe” with this possible “wierdo” being near me. Protection is a right, not begging money.
And your note about him “having issues” and buying him beer; why? How is it our responsibility to pay for other people’s crap? If he can afford to go to NSCC he can buy his own brew, or perhaps he should be studying instead of sipping/smoking.
Wear an iPod, don’t make eye contact. Case closed.
Oh yeah susanle63, lets give every panhandler money everytime they ask (or demand like many of them do). Maybe transit officials and the cops could do their jobs by removing said beggars from transit property, give em a PPA notice and charge em with trespassing if they come back before the PPA expires. Repeat the process if the idiots come around repeating the same scheme.
Maybe the riff raff would disappear if people stopped giving them money, give the money to a community group or soup kitchen that services this same client base. They can either use the services offered or go hungry or without a roof at that point, its their decision. Given money for booze or whatever simply encourages them to hang around and pester transit passengers.
A part of me died years ago when an elderly, clean gentleman hit me up for change at Alderney Gate. I gave him some, he shook my hand and gave me the ‘your a good person, etc’ spiel. Then I saw him a week later pulling the routine at the bridge terminal.
Lying breeds contempt and indifference. Honesty is a dying art. One day I’ll be in a place to help someone out who really needs it and I won’t because of the legions of people like this.
the right to live and eat and sustain yourself is everyone’s right….and if you go around spraying everyone that ask you for money with bear spray you will be arrested for assault – bear spray is a weapon and asking for money unless it is done in the form of a robbery is not a crime
you do not have to give people money – you also do not have to abuse them because they ask you
redifined sugar – that’s my bane with the issue. its like the boy who cried wolf; if/when there’s a situation where your offering does help (or they ask and you deny) but you didn’t bother because you’re tired of being “ripped off”.
last year a bum in CB did that to my mother. she gave him a twoonie and all he did was walk off and didn’t even say, “thank you.” when my mother yelled, “you’re welcome,” the jerk kept going – and he heard her.
my heart doesn’t bleed for scammers. not when i have bills to pay, beer to buy and cats to feed myself.
susanle63 – are you one of these new Dal or SMU students who just moved to HRM this past week only and are trying to change the world?
I understand that food is a right – its a basic organic drive – we all eat. At the same time, its not Person A’s responsiblity to feed Person B unless its their child or spouse. If its a panhandler, there is no committment or even “being nice” because we’re ENABLING them.
There is help out there and HRM has food banks and kitchens and public housing that anybody can afford. And these scammers know where the help is; instead they’d rather take advantage of naive people like yourself.
Hang around on Spring Garden Road for 15 minutes and you’ll see panhandlers in their teens with iPods and better shoes than yours.
If you want to feel sorry for lying pieces of crap like that, rock on, it is your right to. But don’t be preaching to the rest of us that we have some type of “responsibility” to take care of people who are capable of taking care of themselves OR people who like to take advantage of simple (not-so-bright) folks.
Cheers and good luck with your studies.
odd nice goin’ fat that you like eating cats…I guess I could tell by your comments all that fiber from the fur is giving you trouble
sorry …I am an old hippie….lol
I work with low-income people and their families, street youth and people how are homeless everyday – been doing so for 20+ years
ha, “cats to feed myself” – okay, you got me lol
Mmm, cat. I’d consider lunch if there’s feline on the menu..
Oh c’mon, the poor lad’s just working his way through college. I think his thesis is “Exactly Just How Gullible Are People”. I see an A+ in his future.
Every time someone asks me for change I tell them I have some back at my place, so they come with me then I lure them into the cellar. When they start asking about all the farming equipment and bloodstains I…err, nevermind. When they ask I politely say I’m sorry.
I wish I could put a face to this guy. Then I’d ask him for change when he gets on the bus.
Earlier this week, I had a guy wandering around the Scotia Square terminal during the afternoon rush asking anyone and everyone for a toonie. As I was waiting for a bus to take me home, I kinda sorta stalked him. One lady offered him a bus ticket, which he took. Eventually, he got around to asking the man in the bus driver’s uniform (that would be me) if I was using a toonie to get on the bus. I reminded him he was already offered a ticket, to which he said he was just looking for food. He’d have been more convincing if he was just asking for loonies. He walked off.
the choice is yours to say yes or no – why judge – he probably has little or no income – if he is a single guy in SA and not on disability(which doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one) he is probably getting 508$ a month that’s for everything…living space, food, personal care stuff…if he is on a disablity it is a little bit more like a little over 800$ for everything…so really get a grip – the guy may not know how to read, he may be living with an addiction and/or disability – he may have been homeless or underhoused for years – who knows…so why judge – you may think that you will never be in his shoes but don’t be so sure – most NS folks are a paycheque away from welfare and homelessness – if you lost your job tomorrow how far would your savings last you
susanle63, most of us probably wouldn’t survive more than a few months on available savings but we’d make an effort to get back to work. Even if a person isn’t able to get a new job right away there are resources at hand: income assistance (welfare), EI, food banks and other charitable agencies who will gladly help out a person who has hit a rough patch in life.
What people can’t stand is the ones trying to sell their bus tickets that Community Services or a good samaritan provided, the ever changing story of I need rent/food/cig money and then you see these same people spending the cash at the NSLC or on lotto tickets. And lets not forget the ones who tell you to fuck off when you say you can’t spare anything for them.
It’s no wonder why Haligonians are fed up with the pandhandling problem and at least Downtown Dartmouth made an attempt to clean things up by having merchants and citizens call in loitering/begging/public nuissance complaints to the police who keep a file open for that region’s problems.
Susan, the OP states that the guy’s in school. There are a lot of students barely scraping by, but they supplement by getting a part time job, not bumming hard working folks for money.
Is this by any chance an older guy? Gray hair, wears a black jacket? If so, I’ve seen him a lot.
if I choose to give I will give – what people do with that money or ticket afterwards is not my concern – what I am saying is that people ask for tickets and money for the bus because they do not have access the money to get the things they want or need – my choice is to give or not – then it is in their hands I will not be their moral compass and tell them they should only buy food, or pay rent…what right do I have to put myself in that position – my control in this instance is whether I give or not – not how my gift is used – if I want control then I should by them a sandwich…..
susanle63, if you are bound and determined to give these people something, get a few $5.00 gift cards/gift certificates from fast food places or grocery stores and pass those out instead of cash or bus tickets that which I guarantee you 95% of the time will not be used for bus fare, food or shelter. They can’t cash them in for a refund and people won’t be as trusting if offered a chance to buy a gift card.
BTW – say something interesting in your last reply: ” …money to get the things they want or need…”. You shouldn’t be supporting their ‘wants’ but rather their basic ‘needs’. There is a big difference and most of these critters aren’t begging to purchase basic needs to live.
PDG – that guy is there every day! He just stands there and stares at people with headphones on and won’t leave them alone. I find him really creepy and intimidating. I know some people have to panhandle due to their life circumstances, but that guy is just bad news. Not everyone has a sob story. :/
And how about that older guy that patrols Scotia Square terminal asking for spare change for coffee? I followed him once and he went in to Nic Nax and bought scratch tickets!!
I feel compelled to hang a “I HAVE NO SPARE CHANGE!” cardboard sign around my neck while waiting for the bus on SGR. And if it isn’t the panhandlers bothering you, you’ve got the religious nutjobs, or the canvassers. I just want to go to and from work hassle free. Is that to much to ask?
If you go by them regularly, and just smile and say hello, they stop asking for change because they know you’re not going to give them any. I haven’t been asked for change by a regular in years because I’m recognisable and friendly to them, but have never given them anything, so they know not to ask.
I’ll tell you why Haligonians think the law ought to intervene every time another person asks them for anything (patience, tolerance, money, bus fare, coffee, acceptance, fairness, justice…). Because the moment somebody complains how they’re getting fucked over in this town the default response is “leave if you don’t like it, shitbag”. Let’s not find out why they feel this way. Let’s not see if their feelings are justified. Let’s not do inventory to see if we can help out a fellow human being for whatever reason. No, let’s just clutch our purses and whine to the MP’s the big bad panhandler just talked to me! Boo fucking hoo!
So the next time your swelling heart gives money to someone who asks for it walk away knowing you did something decent and leave it at that. Don’t follow up a kind act with judgmental bullshit drawing conclusions with less than an iota of fact. If the guy didn’t appear grateful or say thank you just make a note of how hard life is for some people and be GRATEFUL that’s not you. As if your toonie could make a significant difference! It doesn’t. It’s just a little something that might be the difference between wanting to fight the good fight tomorrow and not bothering to.
Ask yourself do you pour your enthusiastic appreciation for your paycheck all over the guy who writes it? You need it as bad as the bum on the street needs your change but do you do ONLY responsibile things with the money? Do you feel subservient and grateful your employer had it in his heart to pay you? No. You worked hard for it. You deserve it. The bum has a hard life. Period. Does he deserve your judgment, your toonie or nothing else but kindness from a fellow human being?
I invite every single one of you bum-haters to live on what the Food Bank offers for 8 solid weeks and then see how you feel about giving to those in need (and have the courage to ask for help). Clue: get used to zero protein in your diet.
Your toonie buys you NOTHING. It’s charity. Cough up your change or don’t but don’t you dare presume to know anything or have any kind of expectation about what impact your change ought to have on a person’s day.
BRoc, I hope the old codger finally won something. Don’t you?
All I want to say to these able-bodied fuckers is: DO YOU THINK I WORK AT MY FUCKING CRUMMY, SOUL-SUCKING JOB FOR AN ASSHOLE BOSS SO I CAN SUPPORT YOUR LAZY, USELESS CARCASS?? Mind you, I’d have to double my blood pressure meds to do that. Most of these cuntboils are probably raking in a lot more disposible income than I am and no fucking taxes to angst over. Instead, I’ll just turn up myiPod and kick the cups out of their hands. Except for the dog. He’s just the middle-pooch.
TTFN, I understand. SO DON’T GIVE THEM NOTHING. Rent-free space in your head included.
Believe me, kay, I don’t. Too many bums at Scotia Square at the NSLC and the lotto booth cured me of that.
Anyone go to the country concert at the Metro Centre this week ?
There were several of them (beggars) there outside different doors waiting for the crowd to get out ( & I have to assume in, but I wasn’t outside when the doors opened)
I got hit on for change by 2 different guy’s. The first I just told him ,” I have to work for my money, no one gives it to me just by asking” but the second guy was more in your face, saying you must have money & I told him ” yes I do…wanna try taking it from me? ”
But it has me thinking about the women who may not be as…. hmmm….as unconcerned with a possible violent incident, & may because they may be uncomfortable, give these people change just to make them go away !
Which is actually just going to encourage them to keep up the begging c/w pressure tactics.
the only one that bothers me is that waste of life that walks around with green nike shorts and a red gap sweater slurring “got a toonie for the bus” at every single person in his eyesight. One day i saw him doing that infront of the library, got in my car, drove to my apartment in OT/BT and saw him frolicking through the field with his sweater tied to his head after clearly smoking a bag of meth.
A few days later I saw a girl give him a 20 on SGR… and then later that day a friend who also knows of this shithead saw him passed out by the playground at the commons face down at like 2 in the afternoon.
Sometimes I will give change, but they are the regulars in my area, and I know that they have a disability pension which is doled out to them so that it will last them the month. I don’t mind buying them a coffee once in a while. (I know it is for coffee, as they will gladly take the roll up the rims free coffee vouchers instead.) But generally, I tell people who approach me that I don’t carry cash–I only debit–as I am walking away, and they turn away.
WTF is with people who ask for a toonie? “Spare some change” not good enough any more?
The ones who annoy me the most are the traveling crust punks, often to be seen outside Quinpool Superstore. Sitting there with their smarmy grins. Yeah, I was going to buy some food for myself but actually I think I’ll give that money to you because it’s very important that I finance your self-indulgent On The Road-wannabe travels.
Geeze, HKM on HRM – next time a bum asks me for money, I’m going to ask if he has a debit machine. Heh-heh-heh.
I have actually been waiting for one of them to say, “There’s a machine just around the corner.” (Why I walk away as I am talking = )
You could tell him that you only have a Lazy-Arsehole Gold card.
If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s panhandlers with pets. I remember in one other larger Canadian city there were so many that sometimes I’d actually keep a small bag of dog treats on me to give these poor dogs. You could almost see the kid visualizing trading his pooch in for a squeegy under his feigned gratitude.
When I was down on the waterfront (Halifax side), I saw a German Shepard with the Tim’s cup in its mouth. It was sitting there looking side to side, while the couple who owned sat behind it smoking and drinking coffee. Just the fact that it never occurred to them that there was something wrong with this told me that they fell into a category beyond my understanding. Anyway, two police officers came along and told them to leave. The young man started crying and the woman threw her arms around him to console him as she angrily spoke with the police. They moved about 15 feet away, set up again and sat there clinging to each other. The police just left them. Obviously they are incapacitated in some way that disables them from interacting in society in a way that ‘normal’ people do. For this reason, I think that they must be judged a little more compassionately than we would judge a scammer. It doesn’t mean we should give them money–only that we should not deal with them too harshly.
I have told this story before… I used to give change everynow and then to the “squeege kids” on bell. Until one day while walking through the commons I saw them all sitting in a circle under a tree passing around a big bottle of J.D. laughing and having a good time. Ever since I haven’t given anyone any change.
Cat’s delicious, Heathro. The make great schwarma and kebabs.
Also – is it such a bad thing that I choose to pay for my own beer and puff while telling the “starving” panhandlers to visit Hope Cottage?
Susanle63 would probably give $20 to the ugly old bag on SGR (the short one who looks like a pug and sounds like a hound dog) even though the woman admits to panhandling to play VLTs.
A nice order of Chicken Chow Meow would hit the spot right now.
I’ve been reading LTWWB for months now and I rarely comment but I have to say this…
I find it laughable that kay continuously paints all Haligonians with the same brush; calling the majority racist and extra-violent, etc. and by doing so she is in fact engaging in a sweeping generalization that is just as prejudiced and discriminatory as the behaviour she claims is so rampant amung the people of Halifax. I can honestly say that I haven’t seen anything so vile and poison as the garbage that pours out of kay on a regular basis.
Kay, you preach tolerance, especially when you discuss how you raise your children, but please explain to me how consistantly bashing people who live in Halifax (a club that you belong to might I add) and gays & lesbians (though you tend to spew hate only on male homosexuals) is an example of the tolerance and values you claim you possess?
More on topic, might I add that I used to give my spare change to panhandlers and still do from time to time when I feel the situation warrants it, but now I tend to donate my time and money to shelters that are designed to help these people in the ways that matter. You simply cannot expect people to give their hard-earned money to anybody that asks, in fact, that is irresponsible because that money may be going to people who truly don’t need it as much as someone else who does. I say it’s a choice; if you want to give your money to them then that is your choice, your money, no problem. But don’t judge someone who chooses not to give their money; they aren’t obligated to and for what it’s worth, they may be donating their money and time to causes worthy to them and you just don’t know it. We aren’t all self-absorbed and money-hungry. Don’t judge us as such and in the same breath think that the reason for us not giving is a negative one. That’s a judgement. What you are doing is being a hypocrite…
Whoa…easy, Gal going off = )
It is likely that you have just placed pearls before swine. Kay is not the take-criticism-and-reflect type gal, it appears. It is likely that your pearls will be trampled beneath her feet.
Here’s some fun for a sunny afternoon.
Find a patio that serves beer and/or/icy sangria (yum) next to a busy street corner.
Be sure to find one with nice even pavement, polished concrete is best! The best time ever was with an old iron grating…
While your mates go in and secure the best seat in the house, and order up some drinks…place the Loonie that you have pre-coated with a generous amount of 5-minute metal epoxy or superglue (depending on the surface) and stand on it for a few minutes until it sets…
Sit back, enjoy the day, and watch the stumble-bums try to prise the coinage from the manhole cover (guffaw!). Often they end up with it, especially if you didn’t let it dry fast enough…but not without lots of kicking and loud swearing.
Speaking of swine.
it is interesting that we want to hold people who are poor to a higher moral code than we have for ourselves or others in general, like if you are poor you shouldn’t have drink, shouldn’t smoke,shouldn’t have a partner or pet – shouldn’t have an opinion….that the master doesn’t like(you?)…why are we being so judgemental…say no if you want to…but why be abusive, who and what gave you the right?
How is telling someone to get a job abusive?
And how is it a higher moral code by saying they shouldn’t own pets? I don’t think anyone, (job or not, homeless, etc) should own a pet if they can’t afford to properly take care of it.
I had a cat for several years, and I realized that I wasn’t able to give him the attention he needed, as I was not home a lot. So, I found him a family who could give him what I couldn’t. And I don’t beg on the Halifax waterfront.
Easy Going, you forgot that the right have children is often begrudged them, as well.
Never give money to anyone of sound body between the ages of 3 and 50 a single penny…you are enabling their poverty, and are part of the problem.
“homeless people” should have their “pets” taken from them, after a 90-day warning. There are jobs out there for anyone motivated to work, and yes, it does mean getting up in the morning. The trouble with “social activists” is that don’t seem to understand that “not working” is habit-forming. If you want to help the poorest amongst us, don’t enable them with cash. But it also means supporting local politicians that support affordable housing and employment opportunities…
shoe_chick, that’s another thing i cannot tolerate with the change-beggars. the poor dogs and cats.
using an obedient and happy animal as a manipulative ploy to get funds “b/c you’re travelling and need supplies”.
i hope you make extra noise with your chunky-heels when you walk by the lazy, enabled scammers!
Sorry Fat, but I disagree. I’ve adopted three cats myself from the SPCA, and I’m all for animal rights. I think people like me look at these guys with pets and think, for example, “How dare he use that obedient and happy animal as a manipulative ploy to get funds!”
For these guys, their pets are their lives. They feed them before they feed themselves. I can’t fathom why they would make feeding themselves even harder, but I imagine it’s for the companionship.
Last winter I walked by the guy on Quinpool by the Superstore. He and his dog were sitting in a shopping cart; he was shivering and freezing, while the dog slept among five sleeping bags. I gave him a few bucks, not for bumming, but for treating his dog well.
It’s not fair to assume these guys don’t treat their pets well. If I were homeless, I’d certainly have a cat or dog with me.
Disagree with you totally on that one, Heathro. I despise these bums who use animals as their ploy and become insulted when people are more concerned about the animal.
The dog/cat cannot say “no”.
Perhaps ‘using’ the animal as a ‘ploy’ is an unfortunate consequence of appearances. Men and their pets form a symbiotic relationship that goes beyond a man’s need (and a dog’s need?) for a meal. Who are you to say another human being should not experience the benefits such relationships produce?
Is that based on your husband marrying you or something?
Fat, I prefer the ‘click click’ of stilettos 😉
Heathro, I can see your point. There are people who will take better care of their pets, however, I (and I believe Fat, as well) was referring to the people who use their pets as a ploy, like that couple on the waterfront with the German Shepard ‘holding’ the cup.
Actually it was the dog’s idea to go bumming. The humans were innocent victims.
You said it, shoe_chick, but Bro Tim does make a hell-of-a-point….
Agreed, Fat, agreed…
In this world there are necessities of life and there are luxuries. I strongly believe that everyone should have, either through their own efforts or the “social safety net” a nutritious basic diet, a safe place to lay their head at night and clothing that keeps them warm, dry and protected from the elements. I also just as strongly believe that if you want luxury items such as liquor, lottery tickets, restaurant meals, Nike sneakers, etc… that you should get off your ass and work for them. Everyone is entitled to eat but not everyone is entitled to eat lobster thermidor & filet mignon. Everyone is entitled to have clean, safe drinking water but not everyone is entitled to drink Cristal and Hennessey.