A victim of clintonomics.

Reminds me of a time a few years ago.  I was walking infront of the White House and there was the same homeless person there every day.  Each day he always said... dime plz, can you spare a dime.

Well, one day walking by he was saying quarter plz, can you spare a quarter.  

Heh.  After years of a dime it was up to a quarter.  

How about...

"The bitch ruined my life"


I might even feel inclined to give this guy a dollar or two. [:)]

I think that would get a couple of bucks from me, too.

"HOMELESS need help for drugs,poontang and beer"

My favorite:

"Why lie?  I need a beer!"

I doesn't matter what their gimmick is, I don't encourage them by giving them money.  I'm out in the wee hours a lot and I've been hit with the "my car is broke down" one several times.  They can be very convincing.  While I have no concern for someone's drug habit or alcohol problem, I don't want to help bankroll it either.  

I've also seen homeless (or what appear to be homeless) people refuse free food--they just want $$$.  

Awhile back I posted on here about a girl who tried to convince me she needed money to buy formula for her baby.  She and an accomplice were trying to set me up for a robbery.  

All,

Here's a good one, if you have time...

My mother's husband was walking out of his office when a vagrant approached him and said the magic words, "Sir, do you have some money that you can part with? I haven't eaten in two days."

"No problem," he replied.  "Follow me." He walked the guy across the street, right into a Subway.  Ordered for the guy, and got him a large tuna sandwich, two bags of chips, a drink, and a cookie.  

He paid for the food, handed the full bag to him, said the words, "Have a good meal, and take care," and walked out of sight.  

Two minutes later, he walked back into sight, only to find the vagrant trying to trade the sandwich for some booze from another guy.

I was approached one time by a guy I'd seen hanging around the local corner market several times.  When he asked for some money I asked what he needed it for.  

"I'm trying to buy a sandwich from the Mc'Ds across the street."

Me, "You're not going to buy drugs or booze?"

Him, "Na man, I'm hungry."

I had $4 in my pocket.  I showed him how much I had and gave him 2 bucks.  

"Now I just gave you half of my money" I said.  "When I walk around the block I want to see you sitting in that window eating a sandwich."

I walked around the block with my friends (who thought I just helped the guy buy some crack).  When we got around the corner that old guy was sitting right in the front window with a small burger and fries looking like he'd never had a better meal.

Sometimes helping others is really helping yourself.

I've also had guys act insulted when I offer to buy them some food.  The time I described however, makes up for all the guys that I know only wanted booze or drugs.

Worked at a chain subshop for a while with my sister (she was the manager, man we had some good times there, we'd always make bank off deliveries to Boeing, etc...) Anyhow, there was an elderly homeless guy who sat at the entrance to our little strip mall. The guy wasnt your typical bum, clean, well spoken, very interesting. We used to bring him enough food for the day in the mornings, and then go out and eat lunch with him on the grass. One day in conversation we began talking about history. It turns out he had been a Sherman gunner in Europe during WWII and returned home and got his Masters in engineering. After that he went to work for North American Aviation and was part of the design team that put togeather the XB-70 Valkery. When the program was cut he lost his job, but ended up working for another project, a little-remembered F-104 'refit' that was ment to compete with the F-15. When the F-15 was adopted in 1975 he again was out of work. In the mid 80s he went to work for Boeing, but at the end of the Cold War he again, was 'downsized'. Being the age he was, no one wanted to hire him as they considered him too much of an age risk.

All the while that he was telling me this I just kind of smiled and nodded, thinking he just had a screw loose. At the end of the day when I was leaving he motioned me over to his corner and produced a scrap book from his suitcase, in it were photographs of him (quite obviously, very unique looking face) in WWII, and on the various projects with the design teams that he had talked about. Some time last year I got a simple paper and twine package in the mail from a low-rent old-folks appartment home in California, it was the gentilemans scrap book. He had passed away of cancer, and left instructions to have this mailed to the store where I'd worked. My former boss forwarded it to me.

Amir.

I never give money to street people, except for "proven" vets. EXCEPT for one time, while I still lived in Commiefornia, I was bicycling down at Fisherman's Wharf, and there were two street dirtbags sitting on a curb. One was passed out, and the other held a sign that read."Kick my friend for $1.00" I told the guy I used to play a lot of soccer, and that I can kick pretty damn hard. He said, "OK, two bucks". I gave him a buck and left

Turn me in to roadkill.  Who cares anyway?

I run the gauntlet working in Detroit, so I just ignore them now.

Driving through Flagstaff, AZ I stopped at a supermarket for some soda and snacks around 9 in the morning. This guy was waiting near the front door and approached me. "I won't bullshit you -- I need beer. Can you help me out?" I gave him a five for his refreshing honesty.

Were you down near the Pearl St Mall?  [;D]

Once when I lived in the central valley, I went to a local auto parts store. Lots of vagrants and homeless in the parking lot, as usual.

A guy approached me, asked if he could clean my windows for a buck.

I have been known to be pretty surly and intimidating. I offered him $2.00 to stay away from my car.

He looked very offended and said he would really prefer to work for the money. I liked his attitude. I gave him the $2.00 and went into the store.

I've never had cleaner windows.

Don't remember that... its been about 5-1/2 years since I lived in CO.

GuardTanker, i would like to thank you for that story.

there are far too many of our vets in this same situation right now. a little kindness can take a person a long way. if by chance you ever find his grave leave him a rose for me, ok?

Just yesterday, in Palm Springs a lady asked me for $$ to buy 5 pcs. of fried chicken.  She was a pretty nicely dressed older woman, so it seemed strange.  I would have gladly hooked her up with a buck or two for beer, but 5 pcs. of fried chicken is just plain greedy.  She was S.O.L  

[img]http://www.ar15.com/images/postPics/stealth.jpg[/img]

I've seen alot of human nature both good and bad. A dozen years ago I'd pick up hitchhikers and often as not let them spend the night. Never had a problem, but quit doing that long ago. The boss I worked for then did that all the time, one guy married his niece, a few others became long-time employees. Lots of different characters out there. One guy, relatively young, was pretty much traveling the country homeless, working in one place for a time, then moving on. Just a chosen lifestyle, no major malfunctions. I've heard of a musician that lived off his guitar, roaming the land for a while and staying where invited. At the time the person who told me about him heard him play, he claimed to his audience to have spent only one night out in the open in his months on the road.
A friend of mine met another guy sleeping on the docks in Sausalito. The guy went by the moniker "Flatnose Bob" and along with his missing eye and wits, looked and acted every bit the crazy miner you'd expect to see in a grade B western. In actuality, he had a cabin and a gold mine outside Downeyville CA and thats how he lived. He was good enough to be the star in a video someone produced to teach gold panning. He was locally regarded as a crazy loon, one of those guys that could get along with wild animals. Get on his good side and you'd see he had a heart of gold. I spent the night at his cabin with my friend once but they had a falling out later. If any one lives in that area I'd be curious to hear of any news of him.
Man, you guys could get me going.

Why is dating a homeless woman a good deal? When your through with them you can just drop em off anywhere! [8D]

Also live in Boulder.
I think that we've actually got some pretty talented people on the Pearl St. Mall.  If any of you have witnessed the Zip code guy at work, then you'll know what I'm talking about.  With that in mind, I think that I'm generally willing to provide handouts to people who have the talent to make up a good story.  I think that a good joke is worth at least $.25, and that a really sad story may be worth much more.  I think that you're on to something with your clever sign idea.  Something along the lines of "Need new tires for my Range Rover" is trite, yes, but can be enough to draw a grin on my face and my hand to my pocket.  They've got it pretty good here, I think, despite the couple of men who froze last winter.  Alchohol related, I'd guess.  The sullen punks in front of the arcade on the Hill are another story.
I'll have to rack my brain tonight, and keep my eyes peeled for some really inspired signs.  Other than that, I wonder if there's an enterprising guy somewhere that rents the Sharpie markers out to everyone at the shelter.  Could be some wine to be made there.

I'll edit, and add a reading recommendation:  "About Ed Ricketts" by Steinbeck.  It is a tribute to Steinbeck's best friend, and is a short read of about 50 pages.  In there is Steinbeck's take on what he considers to be the Lotus Eaters of our time, and an anecdote about the clever ways that the bums trick Ed into buying them beer.  I first read "AER" because it was in my version of "The Log from the Sea of Cortez."