So what's your policy about giving money to homeless people?

Not normally, if ive been on the lash i might buy them chips or something. But if im sober i usually never do. they're normally quite polite in Lincoln but theres one big issue seller in the center of town who always shouts 'BIG ISSUE, PLEASE!' when your right infront of her. She looks reasonably well dressed, and shouting isnt going to make me give you money. She must get on everyone elses nerves too.

95% of the time I wont.
 
I used to chat to a homeless guy who lived in Leamington Spa.
He had a massive akita dog called Odin who I used to fuss when I saw him, found out that his mum had died when he was in his late teens, he had no job and they took the flat he was living in to pay off her debts, thus leaving him homeless.

I never gave him money, but I did go to the chippy round the corner one day when it was snowing and bought him a bag of chips and a saveloy for Odin. It was quite funny though, when I presented him with the chips and sausage he said "I'm glad you didn't get a sausage for me too, because I'm vegetarian!".
I also have him a pair of my thermal gloves that day because it really was freezing cold.

He said he was going to travel to a hostel he knew of in Evesham the following week and I've not seen him or Odin since. I probably got to know him over a period of 6 months and I must say although I did feel sorry for him, I was always sure to help him in ways that I knew would benefit him, not allow him to abuse the charity.
 
I ignore them. Most of the beggers in Newcastle come up with stupid stories like "here mate, my lass in having her baby in the hospital, can i borrow 50p for the bus mate". then when you reply sorry, i have no change, they give you grief!
 
Walking down Gloucester Road in Bristol infuriates me. It's a ~8 minute walk to Somerfields. I was stopped no less than 4 times on the way there.

They usually do not irritate me, I do not know all of their circumstances so it wouldn't be fair of me to judge them quite so quickly. However, there are a few pet peeves:

Campers. I never thought I would use as counterstrike term to define a homeless person, but there we go. The type which camp around a cashpoint or the entrance to a shop. Its just frustrating, you can't avoid them and they are exploiting the fact that you have change and are making you feel guilty. I guess its a fair enough tactic on their behalf.

The persisters. The ones which follow you. Dear lord, if I'm ignoring you, following me isn't going to help your case. The very worst then become insulting. Great.

"I need money for the homeless shelter". It doesn't cost money, you are lying. If you had said hostel, you might have had some sympathy.

Once, a homeless man asked me for some change (shocking I know). I said I didn't have any and instead gave him 2 of my sausage rolls from a multipack I had bought. He then looked at me and said "Sorry I'm a vegetarian, could you give me some money instead?". I walked away amazed.

How can a homeless person be that picky?
 
Couple of days ago some beggar dude approaced me and asked for precisely 21p.

I found this quite amusing so I said "I tell you what, here's 22" and handed 22p over.

Oh, and one time I gave a guy 5p, and he went mental and threw the coin at me.
 
When I've just been shopping the tramps ask me for beer. :(
And there's a heroin addict (she looks really ill) who just wanders the streets near my house asking people for 70p, as though a specific amount will make people think it's for some worthwhile cause. Can't wait til I move out of this area!
 
I do feel genuinely sorry for a lot of them. But I'd never give cash to a homeless person, who knows what they'd end up buying with it.

I give donations to the charity St Mungo's instead. People often don't realise, but anyone can become homeless, it's not restricted to the 'losers' or the sponges of this Earth.
 
Yes, I have plenty of change. No, I wont give it away. Why should I? I don't owe these people anything.

The one that hangs around outside HMV in Oxford is awesome though. I was waiting for someone with a mate, and he said he would cum on my mate if he didn't give him money. :p

His gf said they get given loads of booze, so they might not actually be wasting your money on it.
 
was out shopping a few years ago with my g/f and a friend, it was a few days before christmas and a woman asked us for some spare change and we politely declined.
she then proceeded to scream and shout abuse at us in the middle of a crowded street, it wasnt nice at all.
there used to be a homeless guy in york who everybody knew as warlock. he used to ask people to go to the shop to buy his booze for him because no where would serve him i went a few times for him because he seemed a decent bloke he was just a bit scary looking. and he used beermats to patch the holes in his jeans!
 
Nitefly said:
Once, a homeless man asked me for some change (shocking I know). I said I didn't have any and instead gave him 2 of my sausage rolls from a multipack I had bought. He then looked at me and said "Sorry I'm a vegetarian, could you give me some money instead?". I walked away amazed.

How can a homeless person be that picky?
Click to expand...

Are homeless people not allowed ethics then?

There are plenty of people in the world who would die before they went against their beliefs. Do you think that because they can't afford a meal they should throw away their belief system?

Not saying either way is correct. Just throwing some thoughts out there.
 
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I feel the same way about Big Issue sellers, most are scum. I even had to deal with an idiot who wouldn't take no for an answer and when I told him to get himself cleaned up and look for a job like everyone else, he pulled a knife on me. The silly bugger didn't reckon on me giving him a good kick in the nads while he waved the knife.

The Police where quickly on the scene and while I was giving my statement they emptied his pockets. This apparrantly homeless chap had mail addressed to his house, car keys with an Audi tag, over £1000 in cash and a load of cocaine which he was flogging on the fly. Homeless and skint my ass.
 
Not only do I not give them money, I beat the **** out of them so they can never possibly ask me again!

Seriously though, it's not often I have that much money myself so I don't give any out.
 
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