maybe I AM a little paranoid/jumpy...

[peejman]

I'm pretty much the same way, I've only done something for someone when they told me the truth and that was once. Was on 2nd Ave with some friends when a homeless dude asked us for a dollar, didn't give us a sob story, just said, "Man I just wanna beer." I said, "You sir were honest with me so I'll be honest with you, I have $3..." Pulled out my wallet with a GI Joe Kung Fu death grip and got the money from my wallet, " So I'll buy you a beer." I saluted his honesty with a forty that I bought for him. May seem like I was enabling an alcoholic, which let's be honest I was, but he was honest with me and didn't give me a story that would've made for a great hollywood film, felt like that in itself deserved some kind of reward as 99% of the other 'down and outs' I could have ran into would've fed me some stupid asshattery that only a geeked out meth-head could've come up with.

 

 

I went to UTC for a few years.  Being in the middle of downtown Chattown, it wasn't uncommon to encounter folks begging.  After a few experiences, the standard answer became ..."I'm in college, I don't have any money.  But I do have a meal plan and I'll get you something to eat if you're hungry."

 

Had exactly one guy take that offer.  Got him a great big tray full of food, which he sat down and ate immediately.  He seemed genuinely appreciative. 

 

 

 

I want a beer...

 

 

I tertiary.

 

:cheers:

 

:wave:    :hat:    :cheers:

[molonlabetn]

I worked in downtown Nashville for about a year, used to eat lunch at the McD's across from what used to be Hippodrome... There was always a handful asking for money around there. Only ever had two takers out of many many offers to provide food... One was a guy fresh out of jail and the other was a homeless woman and her young daughter (broke my damn heart).

[UncleJak]

[quote name="peejman" post="1147311" timestamp="1399637173"]I went to UTC for a few years. Being in the middle of downtown Chattown, it wasn't uncommon to encounter folks begging. After a few experiences, the standard answer became ..."I'm in college, I don't have any money. But I do have a meal plan and I'll get you something to eat if you're hungry." Had exactly one guy take that offer. Got him a great big tray full of food, which he sat down and ate immediately. He seemed genuinely appreciative. :wave: :hat: :cheers:[/quote] I lived there too...had the same experiences. My favorite line: "man, my car run outta gas and the cops is gonna tow me if I don't move it in the next five minutes. Can I get 36 cents from you?" Me: "36 cents?? Are you driving a go cart??" Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[bersaguy]

I quite giving to people and any charities back many years ago. I am sure there was a few honest people that needed a little change but I never gave it up. Am I mean? Maybe but I have my reasons for being like I am and I see it more everyday and it keeps reminding me of why I don't give. Oh wait, I don't want to lie. I do give 1time each month. I write a check to St Judes every month. But that is it. I even refuse to give blood any longer. Red Cross lost me in October 2001. Never went back there again. If any of you have ever had a son , daughter, or loved one terminally ill and dying and you reach out for help you will learn very quickly that none of these organizations that claim to be there to help you "aren't". All they want is your money!!!!!  I also did give a one time donation to that organization that helped the families of the Fallen Hero's during the shutdown bring their family members home and lay them to rest. Can't even remember the name of it any more. I listen to the news about every evening and not very many days pass that you don't hear about another charity that is caught up in crime and corruption from stealing your hard earned donations for their own personal gain. Example 9/11/2001 the Red Cross located in Nashville had people lined up out the door and down the sidewalk with donors there to give blood. The even brought three of their blood mobiles to the clinic there to assist. That evening after 1000's of units of blood had been collected the following day they were informed that all that blood would not be needed in New York and the red Cross here realized that they did not have enough refrigeration to store all the blood they had collected. At the time there was 57 hospitals in and around Middle Tennessee that had plenty of storage coolers for that life saving blood and many hospitals that learned of the red Cross situation offered to take the blood and store it. Instead of the Red Cross doing the right thing and sending it to the hospitals for good use, they destroyed all they could not keep in coolers at the Red Cross. That decision was and still is totally unacceptable to me. It was determined that more than 2500 units of blood was destroyed rather than sent to area hospitals. That and then a month later the Red Cross Accounting office had misplaced 32 million dollars that had been donated on 9/11/2001 and that same week the head of the Red Cross resigns her position and there was never an investigation into where that money went? Sorry but that kind of put a nasty taste in my mouth with the Red Cross............jmho

[TrickyNicky]

I don't mind giving, in fact I like it. I just prefer to give more directly. I just bought (not 20minutes ago) a sandwich for one of the homeless downtown. He is a local homeless that I see all the time and I always stop and chat with him if I have time. I have no problem giving to him. When he wants booze he'll say "how about helpin a man get a little sumtin ta drink?" and I've got no problem giving him a buck if I have it. Today he walked up to me rubbing his stomach and said "I am sure hungry" I said don't sweat it, give me a few hours and we'll have lunch. Couldn't find him when I left but I bought an extra sandwich anyway and some chips. Sure enough he was waiting when I got back from lunch, so I handed him his sandwich and chips and he thanked me and went off to chow down. I like that. I like having a direct impact where I can see my money doing what I want it to do.

Officer Down and The Emerald Society are the only two "real" charities I donate. Would like to start sending to St. Jude as well. Maybe it's time to look at the Budget and see what I can afford.

[netmindr]

I don't give to many charities. I've known a few situations where a sorry excuse for a parent made too much money and charities wouldn't help. Its sad but true.

 

A lot of 'charities' take subsidies from the government. Guess where the government gets the money for those subsidies? That's right, us! 

 

The problem I have with that is that I don't have a choice as to how much I give or where it goes. In my perfect world, the government would hand out zero subsidies and I could keep my money to give as I see fit. That's how it should be. Taking taxpayer money just to redistribute it, in my mind, leaves less money in the hands of citizens who could and would otherwise use it for good things, like stimulating the economy or giving to charities.

 

Plus, if the charities knew they had to work harder to get citizen's money instead of from the government, maybe they would use it more efficiently.

[Gliderman166]

Right about the Red Cross, espcially....I've seen it first hand....they just want your money, and there is no accountability in their org.....witness the millions that "vanished" or was "misplaced" after 9/11........imagine that......

 

As to the "homeless" begging, it's real back here in Choo Choo.....just get pas the "tourist" areas near the Aquarium and you'll run a gauntlet of aggressive, abusive panhandlers and bums too lazy to hit a lick at a snake.....the North Shore has been infested as well, and the City does nothing.....too politically "hot" for their tastes, I suppose. We need a little "tough love" here....

 

I and my family stay away from these places. And tell everyone we know to be carefull and stay in the "safe" areas.....

[bersaguy]

Channel 5 News Investigates did a report about this sometime back and did some interviewing with some of the street corner beggars and I was shocked t see how honest most of them were. They spoke with a couple guys that actually admitted that they make more money per day just asking for money than many people do working an 8 hours day. There was a few of them that have made it their life work and have developed a system of rotating locations so same people don't see them everyday. They move around to a select set of street corners by riding the city bus and when asked where they sleep and eat they say, the Mission or one of the homeless shelters. 3 different guys admitted they can make as much as 150.00 to 200.00 a day.  i had to laugh at one guy that I use to see on a street corner. He would hold a sign that said Vietnam vet, please help. I finally asked him one day how he was doing and he said I don't do well at all and don't know why. I said let me help you out. Find some new cardboard and make you a  new sign that says Desert Storm Vet needs help. He said why would that help and I told him because son, you were not even born when the Vietnam war was going on so how can you be a Vet from it. He looked at me and said gosh sir thanks and he walked away. I figure if he is going to make a living bumming he should at least be good at it..... :2cents: 

[mnoirot64]

I never wear earbuds. They totally eliminate my ability to interpret what's going on around me. Thank goodness he was meaning you no harm. Michael Noirot Clarksville, Tennessee Life Member National Rifle Association Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk