These days I can’t think of a time I haven’t gone into a city and seen people begging at intersections, signs with sad stories, etc. Really wish there was more I could do to help them get back on their feet but also have to be weary of the fact that some of them are just posing and scamming.
but also have to be weary of the fact that some of them are just posing and scamming.
The amount of people doing this is infinitesimal compared to the actual homeless population. This is basically a right-wing talking point to undercut empathy with people who are experiencing homelessness.
Also you should never feel bad for not giving a panhandler money, but if you feel called to do more, just find an organization to volunteer with. There are people facing homelessness right now or in the near future in every urban and rural area in the US
panhandlers may not even be actually poor themselves, and some actually refuse to work or get help(the worst ones are probably upper middle class with no job), that delegitimizes the actual downtrodden people.
I live in a country where I make roughly 85€ per day. My job is close to a mall in a touristy area and there is this woman, clearly foreign-looking (adds to the “I can’t work” aesthetic), begging with a little board claiming she has 4 kids and needs to feed them.
Thousands of people walk into and out of that mall every day, and I’ve seen that woman get money from begging several times, 5€ bills and shit.
Months later she’s still there. Makes me wonder, with that amount of money people are handing out, she’s probably making more money than me in a day just from sitting on her ass.
It depends a lot where you are, really. I’m from Finland and if someone is begging in the street corner, they’re always non-natives, usually from Romania, and they’ve been brought here by criminal gangs to collect as much money as possible. Even with the worsening flaws in our system (thanks to right wing extremists), begging is still something you don’t do to get by, so this is easy to spot. Giving them money just makes the criminals use more people
Traveling to cities.
These days I can’t think of a time I haven’t gone into a city and seen people begging at intersections, signs with sad stories, etc. Really wish there was more I could do to help them get back on their feet but also have to be weary of the fact that some of them are just posing and scamming.
The amount of people doing this is infinitesimal compared to the actual homeless population. This is basically a right-wing talking point to undercut empathy with people who are experiencing homelessness.
Also you should never feel bad for not giving a panhandler money, but if you feel called to do more, just find an organization to volunteer with. There are people facing homelessness right now or in the near future in every urban and rural area in the US
And lots/most of them aren’t.
panhandlers may not even be actually poor themselves, and some actually refuse to work or get help(the worst ones are probably upper middle class with no job), that delegitimizes the actual downtrodden people.
I’m not sure why you’re downvoted.
I live in a country where I make roughly 85€ per day. My job is close to a mall in a touristy area and there is this woman, clearly foreign-looking (adds to the “I can’t work” aesthetic), begging with a little board claiming she has 4 kids and needs to feed them.
Thousands of people walk into and out of that mall every day, and I’ve seen that woman get money from begging several times, 5€ bills and shit.
Months later she’s still there. Makes me wonder, with that amount of money people are handing out, she’s probably making more money than me in a day just from sitting on her ass.
It depends a lot where you are, really. I’m from Finland and if someone is begging in the street corner, they’re always non-natives, usually from Romania, and they’ve been brought here by criminal gangs to collect as much money as possible. Even with the worsening flaws in our system (thanks to right wing extremists), begging is still something you don’t do to get by, so this is easy to spot. Giving them money just makes the criminals use more people