Basic Human Kindness- Page 3

Posted: 10/2/08 at 3:34pm

Tax-free cash. It really drove me nuts to sit there unable to get anything done thinking that they were making so much more than I did.

My strategy for supporting the homeless when I lived in Chicago was that I picked ONE panhandler that I would always give to. Whenever I saw "my" homeless person I'd give them whatever I could- usually a buck. Then if any other one asked me I'd say "Sorry, I only give to Gentleman George" (An actual homeless guy who panhandled in front of my store.) Most of them would say, "Oh, OK man, that's cool."

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 3:40pm

I only give out bananas.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 3:44pm

Despite where this thread has gone, it is never too late to start being kind.

[Mistress Overdone]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 3:54pm

Re: the panhandling issue...

I give to organizations that help people in need - offering clothing, nonperishable foodstuffs, and time. So I don't feel guilty when I walk past the guy begging for money. And a few times I've offered to buy a panhandles a sandwich or a bag of groceries, and every time I've been refused.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 4:08pm

thanks, weezie, and here's hoping we do meet someday~

re: borstal. To this day, I can't help but think he looks just like Chris Meloni. I associate him so strongly with his av.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 4:16pm

"it is never too late to start being kind."

Oh yes, I agree. EVERYONE should take that advice!

Posted: 10/2/08 at 4:19pm

Another Chicago Panhandler story: When I worked in Lincoln Park, there was a guy who sat out front of the store almost every day. He dressed pretty grubby and he would sit there with a cat on a leash. People would always stop to talk about the cat. When people worried the cat was hungry, he'd send them to Burger King to get a whopper- he'd take off the meat and give it to the cat and eat the rest himself (He was a vegetarian). Every day he was out front, customers would come in worried about that poor cat. I'd assure people the cat was fine, he showed up almost every day and cat and human both seemed fine. (No one ever talked to me because they were worried about the human.)

So eventually I got to know the guy and heard his story- They made tons of money panhandling together. They weren't homeless, they had a nice apartment, and panhandling with the cat was his full-time job. He said he used to take his cat for walks and whenever he'd stop to hang out a while, people would come up and worry about the cat. So he started dressing down, asking people to buy the cat food, bottled water, bumming cigarettes- he used to say he never "Asked" for money, but put his hat out and people always gave plenty. Seemed like a pretty good living.

[tazber]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 4:25pm

When I was in NY, there was this homeless man who would sit outside of the hotel I was working at with his kitten every day.
I used to buy him and the cat lunch and water every day I was working.
I suggested he apply to the hotel as they were hiring painters. He did, and he got the job.
A week later I see him again, now positioned on 57th street, a few blocks away from my hotel.
So I asked him what happened, and he said he really didn't want to work. He did better panhandling.
(now he had two kittens!)

Anyway, whenever I saw him around I still bought him lunch, but really it was only because I felt bad for the kittens. I mean, I couldn't very well bring him cat food and no sandwich.

Posted: 10/2/08 at 4:27pm

Yeah, you can bet I bought him more than a few cat-whoppers.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 5:09pm

Updated On: 1/13/09 at 05:09 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 5:11pm

Oh, fromage, there is a jazz band and a pair of dancers whom I am obssessed with. Not only should they be getting money "in the hat", they should be on a broadway stage.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 5:16pm

There are some extraordinary street performers in NY! Not to imply that they're all panhandlers, of course.

Anyone ever come across the Ebony Hillbillies? Spectacular!

[Weez]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 5:39pm

I used to live in Bath, where there were a LOT of aggressive beggars who'd get really verbally abusive if you said "sorry, no" (yeah, because calling me names is REALLY going to make me want to help you ¬_¬) and a LOT of Big Issue sellers (on my twenty minute walk to work, I could've bought seven Big Issues on any given day without buying more than one from each seller). A comedian once made an amusing joke about the homeless situation in Bath by saying they were homeless in the city with underfloor heating, so no wonder there's so many. ^_^

The other thing Bath had in spades was street performers. You'd grow immune to the charms of the violinist who only had one (albeit really impressive) piece in his repertoire, or the tightrope-walking violinist, or the random bagpiper, but I still have a fond fond place in my heart for the xylophone/marimba trio and the brass quartet.

There were nice homeless people in Bath and I didn't mind helping them out when I could, and I did buy the Big Issue, but I don't miss the abundance of homeless people at all; it's almost a little like stage-dooring - I'm just trying to get home from work after a long day, please stop asking me for things because it'll make me feel terrible when I have to say no.

I totally miss the street performers though. Especially the brass quartet.

Updated On: 10/2/08 at 05:39 PM