Homeless people

[CaramonLS]

Especially when confronted in a 1 on 1 situation, this homeless guy and his friend begged me outside of Macs. It was just a little while ago (bout 10:10).

Its not like walking downtown during the day where you can just shrug these people off.

Well after hearing the guys plee I bought the him and his buddy a sandwich, because I felt really bad for them.

When faced with the same situation what do you guys prefer to do? Ignore these people or do you also feel bad when they ask for help?

[Gugstanley]

I ask if they want to wrestle for food. Nobody has taken me up on it even when I offer a #10 can of corn

[KevanGuy]

During the day, ignore them. Maybe tell them to get a job.

At night, at macs...especially that one on 7th AVE...give em a buck or a smoke.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

I'm glad you bought the guy food rather than give him money, very altruistic of you. Studies that giving the homeless money is a bad thing to do, often feeding substance abuse habits.

Personally I live right in the downtown core, quite close to 2 homeless shelters. I've developed a sort of callous to them in a way as most people do when you live downtown - it's not a derogatory view of them but by the same token I tend to ignore their pleas for cash. Sorry, to me no change is spare. Do you think I like working for a living?

Nothing irks me more than when I hear people say that we should be more accomodating to the homeless - and this person lives in a suburb far away from it all. NIMBY at it's finest. You try living at ground zero and waking up to a lobby vestibule of 6 drunks hopped up on Listerine, and who have used a corner as a toilet. I knowingly accept all these things as a trade off to be able to walk to work in 10 minutes.

I'd much rather put my money into assistance programs to get people off the street and to be a "productive member of society".

I probably would have politely declined before he even finished his plea, and not bought him a sandwich.

[Wookie]

I usually ignore them or give'em a buck if I have some change kicking around and I'm not fairly broke at the time.

[BlackArcher101]

I say "sorry, don't have any change", but then ask them the same question as I'm a student. I get enough people calling me at home asking for donations, don't need to be bothered on the street. I may sound pretty rude, but I don't give a royal ....

[JiriHrdina]

Depending on how they approach me I usually offer to buy them some food, but I will also give them money sometimes.

I think the problem of homlessness is one of the most misunderstood issues we have. People say they should get a job, but they don't appreciate how hard it is to break the vicoius circle.

To get a job you need a residence
To get a residence you need two months rent + damage deposit
To come up w/ that amount of money you need a job.

A lot of homeless people do have jobs, however can't make enough money to get off the street.

This is to say nothing of the number of homeless people that are suffering from serious mental illness, or addiction.

So sometimes even though I know the guy is going to just use my change to buy another bottle of booze so be it. When its -25 degree outside, and the alcohol helps this guy escape from the voices in his head for the night than how wrong can that be?

Long-term am I helping him? Not at all. But for a lot of these people there is no such thing as long-term. They are just trying to get through one day.

End of rant.

[calf]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Sep 7 2004, 10:49 PM
I'm glad you bought the guy food rather than give him money, very altruistic of you. Studies that giving the homeless money is a bad thing to do, often feeding substance abuse habits.

Personally I live right in the downtown core, quite close to 2 homeless shelters. I've developed a sort of callous to them in a way as most people do when you live downtown - it's not a derogatory view of them but by the same token I tend to ignore their pleas for cash. Sorry, to me no change is spare. Do you think I like working for a living?

Nothing irks me more than when I hear people say that we should be more accomodating to the homeless - and this person lives in a suburb far away from it all. NIMBY at it's finest. You try living at ground zero and waking up to a lobby vestibule of 6 drunks hopped up on Listerine, and who have used a corner as a toilet. I knowingly accept all these things as a trade off to be able to walk to work in 10 minutes.

I'd much rather put my money into assistance programs to get people off the street and to be a "productive member of society".

I probably would have politely declined before he even finished his plea, and not bought him a sandwich.

You summarized exactly what I was going to say when I saw this topic. Good work! Except for the living downtown part - I'm in the 'burbs and talk to many people that think we should be more accomodating.

[RougeUnderoos]

It's surprising how fast you can develop the "callous", as someone called it. I don't live downtown but when I did I just shrugged them off and/or avoided eye contact.

Now that I don't, I find myself pre-emptively pooling some change in a pocket so I can just get it over with/not feel uncomfortable ignoring another person talking to me. It's not the thing to do if you actually want to help, but it's just a loonie here and there.

[moon]

I have no problem ignoring them.

I have no desire to give them hand-outs their are plenty of organizations whether federal or non-profit groups out there to help them out and I am struggling enough myself that I don't need to be giving out hand-outs to people I don't know.

[kermitology]

I became quite, uh, I don't know what word to use, I guess.. ignorant of the plight of the homeless when I lived in Victoria. I used to see kids out on the street panhandling, and making you feel sorry for them. Then you realize that these kids are packing up at the end of the day and heading back to their Oak Bay mansions with their family who just "doesn't understand them."

I got to the point where if I feel that I'm going to give change to someone they should be doing something to earn it, like the guy who plays his sax outside the C-Train platform after Flames games, or I'll specifically ask if they'll use it for drugs or alcohol. If they say no, then I won't give it to them on the basis that I will only reward honesty.

[Jaybo]

I had two encounters today that were totally different experiences...

I was walking to work under the 1st St SW underpass this morning and there were two young people (a guy and a gal) that were not exactly clean but obviously not drunks/drug addicts either (maybe travelling through though I didn't ask.) The woman asked if I had any spare change to help them buy breakfast so I stopped since I happened to have a granola bar on me that was going to be my mid-morning snack. Gave it to them and carried on. Managed to dig a granola bar out of the back of my desk at work so my own starvation was averted.

At the end of the day, I was walking back towards the same underpass (but not at it yet or this would have been even scarier.) Saw a scraggly guy approaching and prepared my usual "sorry man, I can't help you" response. But he didn't say anything...until he got right beside me and then he blurted "Spare change?" in a sort of sharp whisper. Kinda freaked me out and I just blurted "Nope!" and kept walking, my heart beating faster. Probably the most I've been freaked out by a request for change since a drunk Indian grabbed my arm and literally stopped me to ask for change just outside the Mac's at 11th Ave and 1st St. (I just clapped him on the back and gave my usual line and he let me pass without further incident.)

So to get back to the original question - when I first moved here, I was a lot quicker to hand over some change. But as I became desensitized (?) to the number of homeless people here and realised that any money I gave them more likely went to booze & drugs than to food, I resolved that I wouldn't give money very often (I judge each situation individually - sometimes if somebody has a good line, that's enough to earn a buck in my view!) but that I would always offer food if I had it on me. (The funniest offer was when I handed out big Fred Flinstone-style Tony Roma ribs to two homeless people after we ordered too much for a lunch meeting once and I was taking a near-full box back to my office with me.)

On the survey Ralph's sending out, I wish there was a box - "help the most disadvantaged people in society" and that more money would go to people on AISH ($800/month or something ridiculous), homeless people, artists, etc.

[Calgary Flames]

I only help those who are physically unable to work.. If I see a elderly homeless man i'll take the initiative and go up to them give them a couple of bucks.

But if you can physically work, you aren't getting a penny from me... this is Calgary not New York City... there are plenty of jobs in this city.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I don't have the same experiances that you guys do when it comes to the homeless monestly because:

1. I'm from a small town, where there is little homelessness (lots of unemployment though). Where you actually know the guys name and everyone has their story of talking to "Sid". If I have spare change (that's not to say loose change in my pocket) I do pass it over, good karma is good karma.

2. I spent a summer in Montreal where it's capitalism at it's finest. They ask you in French, then English, and then perfrom for you. Every subway station has a guy doing something. Dancing, singing, doing tricks. They do fairly well I bet. I saw one guy directing people to empty parking places downtown. He's see someone looking, get their attention then show them a spot, and even hold it for them. I've watched people hand over toonies, and bills to the guy. I was thinking "this guy's a f'n genious!" If he parks 5 cars and hour for 8 hours a day, seven days a week, that's $560/wk tax free. (mind you there's no job security).

So when someone approaches me on the street, and shakes a Tim's cup, I just keep walking, because well atleast the homeless elsewhere were doing something.

3. I take it on a case my case scenerio. If you approach me for money, and you have a good story to tell (true or not) I'll give you something. I try and help people out where I can (mind you I don't like being scammed; waiting at a bus stop the other day a guy in his 20's said his girlfriend took all him money, he didn't even have busfare. He asked if I had the final 50 cents he needed to get on the bus. I didn't believe him, but knowing I didn't have any change, I looked in my pocket and wallet. When I saw bus tickets (I have a pass as well) and said to the guy "I'll make you a deal you give me what you have right now, and I"ll give you a bus ticket". Sounds like a fair deal right? 50 cents short, and you get a ticket that gets you the same thing. Talk about backtrack, "ugh actually man I don't even have that". Was the guy homeless? Didn't look it but begging none-the-less.

In the end, I suppose it's best to give food, and if someone looks really down on their luck, hand them some money. The best feeling comes when you give money to a homeless person who didn't ask for it, or who is outside of a fast food resturant, and you can see the hunger in his/her eyes.

I don't usually give to kids on the street just because you get that one kid wearing a Columbia jacket asking for spare change, and then you see them pack up and go home to their parents.

I have no idea where I'm going with this right now, I just woke up

to give, or not to give, judge by each case and your GUT feeling on it.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

I hate to admit it, but I look past them or cross the street. Its something that really disturbs me and is a deep seeded fear of mine. ANYONE could end up like that. All it takes is a small short in your wiring and your will to continue participating in society as we know it disappears. I feel terrible about it, but that's the way I deal with the people and the situation.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally posted by SuperNilson@Sep 8 2004, 12:54 AM
I only help those who are physically unable to work.. If I see a elderly homeless man i'll take the initiative and go up to them give them a couple of bucks.

But if you can physically work, you aren't getting a penny from me... this is Calgary not New York City... there are plenty of jobs in this city.

Again many people on the streets do have jobs but its not enough to pay for an apartment.

Could you live on $5.80 per hour? Could save money for a damage deposit and the first and last months of rent with that wage?

Excellent point Jaybo about AISH - its unreal that they expect people to live on about $800 per month. And if those folks actually take the initiative to try and work then they get their AISH cheque cut. Its a messed up system.

[peter12]

Originally posted by JiriHrdina+Sep 8 2004, 08:25 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (JiriHrdina @ Sep 8 2004, 08:25 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-SuperNilson@Sep 8 2004, 12:54 AM
I only help those who are physically unable to work.. If I see a elderly homeless man i'll take the initiative and go up to them give them a couple of bucks.

But if you can physically work, you aren't getting a penny from me... this is Calgary not New York City... there are plenty of jobs in this city.

Again many people on the streets do have jobs but its not enough to pay for an apartment.

Could you live on $5.80 per hour? Could save money for a damage deposit and the first and last months of rent with that wage?

Excellent point Jaybo about AISH - its unreal that they expect people to live on about $800 per month. And if those folks actually take the initiative to try and work then they get their AISH cheque cut. Its a messed up system. [/b][/quote]
So if they have a job why are they out begging?? I give money to the elderly and the disabled, though later you will find out that alot of the disabled are really faking it.

I give to the mentally handicapped as well.

Tons of these young guys are just lazy, construction crews do hire street labour and pay them 10 bucks an hour. You CAN live on 10 bucks an hour.

[Cowperson]

I ignore them and give a whopper of a cheque to the Mustard Seed Society at Christmas, the money I would have spent on Christmas cards to clients.

Then I include a note in a newsletter to said clients saying I've done exactly that.

So far, no one has called me up saying they would have rather had a Christmas Card.

Cowperson

[Tron_fdc]

Originally posted by Cowperson@Sep 8 2004, 02:39 PM
I ignore them and give a whopper of a cheque to the Mustard Seed Society at Christmas, the money I would have spent on Christmas cards to clients.

Then I include a note in a newsletter to said clients saying I've done exactly that.

So far, no one has called me up saying they would have rather had a Christmas Card.

Cowperson

What a great idea; I hate doing christmas cards every year and it is much easier to cut a cheque and mail it in.

I ignore homeless people completely. I used to live on 17th, and you couldn't go 10 feet without being hounded for smokes or change. I've actually developed quite the headfake sidestep to get around all the buskers/squeegie kids/crazy cat throwing old ladies that are commonly found around the DT core.

Anyone know what happened to Cal? He was the old dude with no teeth that used to hang around the Ship about 8 years ago. He actually sat down and had a beer with me and a group of friends at the Night Gallery when he was sorta coherent, and listened to some of the crazy war stories he had. It was all fun and games until he got really liquored and pulled a 3 week old cigarette butt out of his pocket and tried to smoke it.

[Tron_fdc]

(Fotze)
He died a while back, I think of hypothermia if a remember correctly, Someone said his whole family died in a car wreck which sent him looney.

I thought something might of happened like that. All of a sudden you didn't see him around anymore.

I heard loads of rumours about that guy: that he wasn't actually homeless, that he lived with a wife nearby, that he had tons of disability money, that he gave somebody his purple heart from the war, etc etc. I always thought he was kinda funny, especially with the ladies. "Hey you!! Reach down and touch your toes.....I'll show you where the warm wind blows!!" Followed by a cackle and a dance, then a stagger to go yell at someone else.