I was recently out buying groceries at the shops when I was approached by a person begging for money so they could buy some food for themselves. I'm reluctant to give any money to beggars as I believe that some will use the money to buy drugs/cigarettes/etc. instead of food.
What do you do if a stranger asks you for money?
I don't give any money to them unless they show they earned it such as cleaning windscreen at traffic lights. There is one rule for me though, they must ask me if I want my windscreen cleaned first. Those who just shove the squeegee in front of me without asking and take me to a guilt trip don't get any money.
Other than that I normally give to Salvation Army volunteers posted at train stations. By doing so they can provide food in soup kitchens and supply blankets.
I see a lady almost every day at Wynyard station in the mornings. She hangs out in the area outside the station between the McDonalds & Hungry jacks. When people come out of McDonalds & Hungry Jacks she asks them for money and if they don't give, she turns on her water works.
She tried the crying bit on me once but then I didn't have change after that I just started to recognize her.
She is there so regularly, its almost like a job for her.. just that she does not need to pay tax.
I used to occasionally give people money but I stopped. It was always the same people and they are clearly taking drugs or drinking. I sometimes feel like i'd like to drop off the face of the earth but I continue to plod along. We are all suffering in our own ways.
I had a friend ('had' being the operative word here) that i'd known since primary school. Owned a house in Paddington. They earned over 250k and would conveniently forgot their wallet when you went out and 'borrow' money. When you'd ask for it back, they would argue that they already paid. It was painful. Starting taking advantage of other friends who had much, much less. Had to cut 'it' loose. I have generally found rich people to be the ugliest of the ugly.
I prefer to help people I know, when I actually know the situation & what's required. I have even bought items from people, not that i needed them, but because the people selling them needed the money to make ends meet (not for drugs or drinking).
If you needed a meal you would pick up rubbish for 8 dollars an hour.
Dodgy restaurants pay 10 dollars an hour.
Macdonalds pay at least 9 an hour minimum (as far as I am aware).
If you can use all your limbs, speak english and walk about. There is centrelink too. Nah you won't be getting any money from me. Not in Australia.
Precisely! I was just giving worst case examples in case some people argue that jobs are in short supply. If I am not wrong those under 16 or 18 or on some apprenticeship schemes earn less than 17/hour legally. In any case, there will always be dodgy restaurants and nobody seems to be doing anything about it (but that is another topic for another day).
Just 26 hours of work a week at the legal minimum wage will get one above the poverty line for single adults or maybe 40 hours at the dodgy rate.
Even as an unskilled labourer one can earn decent amounts of money as long as one as willing and has a good attitude. Example Kitchen hand, trades assistant, cleaner, mine labourer.
I've been approached a few times for '$1.30 to pay for their Myki fare'
This is their new way to make money off people!!
Think about this…that is a very specific amount. I, as a concession card holder, know that this is the exact price of a 2 hour CONCESSION fare in Zone 2.
If you have a concession card to know that exact price, you have a residential address, therefore you are receiving benefits.
No money EVER from me, registered Australian charities/food drops at Vinnies and Salvos only.
Yes for me, almost always. I think if I judge them on other merits (what they spend it on, how they became homeless etc) then they will never be deserving and I won't ever give. At the end of the day, if I was in their position, I would want people to show compassion on me and give a little.
My response to someone in Adelaide asking for bus ticket money, "Sorry, i need money for drugs too".
What's with this rain of negs in this post just because people are expressing their belief/opinion. I am determined to vote up all the negged comments indiscriminately from now…
Never seen so many negs on a thread. Very odd.
+1 for your username lol
A +1 for your +1:)
I much prefer to give money to registered charities like salvos and vinnies. They are working with these people day and night, and would know who genuinely needs the most help.
There's one prominent, very whiny, beggar in the Melbourne CBD, which one of my colleague sees catching the train in from Brighton every day. Before I heard that story, I once offered him some food, which he declined - saying he was looking for money for lodging for the night.
I once got 'CAN I BORROW YOUR PHONE MY FRIEND IS DYING I NEED TO CALL THE COPS' and I said 'no, if your friend was dying you could call for an ambulance, also there is a payphone over there (about 15 meters away)' and she was like 'NAH GOTTA BORROW YA PHONE'….
gold!
Does anyone know what happened with the homeless woman who would ALWAYS ask for $2 at Melbourne Central. I once gave her $5 and she actually bought herself a burger from McDonald's.
at the city i will sometimes give money to street performers but not people who just purely beg….
We already got a society of entitlement, sick of those young and able people living on welfare and having tons of kids without consideration…so no I dont give to beggars in Aus. If they can beg, they can find something useful to do with their life..
A girl who I used to go to school with had her 3rd or 4th baby recently, stay at home mum, different fathers for each kid, all in a span of 7 years…
Seriously spaying and neutering shouldn't be limited to just dogs and cats.
Amen to this.. All the mum wants is living off child payments, and the poor child basically has no financial security in the future….no wonder we're getting poorer as a nation..
This is what that is driving inequality up up up throughout the world. More people = more scarcity, just what the top brass ordered. If parent's pour all their wealth into one kid, that kid will have so much more opportunities and will do so much better.
I threw 5 cents at a begger once and told them to get a job!
how kind of you.
Dude in Brisbane one morning asks for a milk when I'm heading into the 7-11…. Yeh why not I say, thinking 600 ml, even 2L. He then goes to the fridge and pulls out the most expensive iced coffee he could find. Charity,yes. Taking advantage, no. Walked out and left him holding it.
lol
dephantom shows us how its done, like a boss
IF travelling to the US I always give some coins to people with funny signs on the street.
I figure if it made me laugh, or made me think or gave me a story to tell the entertainment factor is worth 25c.
Having said that, I am far more likely to give money to a street performer.
Think of the opportunity cost! This sums up the typical Ozbargainer perspective for me (source):
If you were to give $1 per day to the Against Malaria Foundation, one of GiveWell’s top-recommended charities, you would be able to provide ~60 insecticide-treated mosquito nets each year to people in underdeveloped countries, preventing ~20 life-threatening cases of malaria and potentially saving a couple of lives. All for $1 per day. I’m sure that you, like me, spend on average much more than that per day on things like alcohol, restaurant food, coffee, etc.
And, again, this example further demonstrates that although it can be tempting to give based on immediate, visceral, emotional impulse, incorporating a bit of reason into our considerations can help us make a much greater impact. If you were to take that same $1/day and donate it to a random homeless person, they would be fairly likely to spend it on drugs or alcohol, things that arguably worsen their condition. Even if they spent it on food, that’s hardly enough to buy a non-nutritious McDonald’s sandwich, let alone a healthy meal…
Understanding this is, for me, incredibly empowering. For some time, I’ve been skeptical of donating money*, worried that I didn’t really know how organizations would use my funds. **Effective Altruism changes that. By donating to the Against Malaria Foundation and other GiveWell-recommended charities, I can be certain that my funds will go to the people for whom they can do a sizable amount of good. This, in turn, inspires me to want to give more, knowing that setting aside just a few more dollars here and there can make a great difference.
I've become quite sceptical of charities these days. Too many people in the middle and your donations are just paying their wages so they can have meetings about scheduling meetings.
One of these days when i'm better off financially i'm going to start my own not-for-profit, either take a very small wage to make sure my finances don't go backwards or even run it part time and work for someone else part time.
The most 'ozbargainy' types of opinions are getting negged in this thread. So ozbargains are stingy, but don't want to appear to be stingy? stingy person here btw
there's a difference between stingy (mean with money, no empathy for others generosity is a completely foreign concept) and frugal (is generous within reason, wants a good deal, knows there is more to life than money)
lol so if i dont readily give strangers money for no reason other than to feel better about myself and boast about it, i have "no empathy for others"?
lol struck a nerve did we?
one donates money because it's the right thing to help others less fortunate.
no, helping others isn't confined to giving money away; you can volunteer your time or skill(s) to an organisation.
no, that doesn't necessarily involve giving money directly to beggars.
no, you don't do it to brag about it or expect something in return.
but hey, if you think ozbargain is about being a self-centred penny-pinching scrooge, doesn't sound like you have much empathy for others anyway
@tdw: so giving money to people who have less money than who is always the right thing to do? morals have no clear lines, they are grey, not black and white, e.g. is it right to steal a loaf of bread to feed your hungry child? there's a time, a place and a way to do everything that give the best possible outcomes. giving a beggar in australia is $2 is very unlikely to make an impact on their life - centrelink benefits, free feeds provided by food vans offer much, much more.
@tomkun01: why is it always about money to some people? what's wrong with helping someone who's less fortunate than you? do people really need an inc
and i never said i give money to beggars; i believe and have seen evidence that it's more effective to give to organisations that assist the homeless with shelter, clothing, toiletries, food and financial assistance.
the times i have been asked for spare change "for food", i've directed them to the Salvos' community assistance centre where they can get food hampers etc.
@tdw: because this thread is about giving money (directly) to beggars, perhaps? im staying on topic ;)
@tomkun01: you want a pat on the head then?
are you going to tell all the other ozbargainers who mentioned donating to charities instead that they aren't staying on topic?
i'll give you $2 if you do lol
kiva.org is best way to lend a helping hand,
NFP micro loans for people in need,
Giving money doesn't solve problems, it's how it is used which matters.
Try this.
Tell them you will buy them some food.
Watch them say no, theyd rather money.
Walk away.
I had this happen many times.
I work in the CBD and see the professional beggars in action. I watched one for ages, he collected many $dollar notes several times within half an hour.
I dunno, not worth giving them money in my opinion.
When I think of Africa etc, if I need to spend coin its on starving African kids rather than most of the alco's/druggies that inhabit the city.
Might be an exception if they take food in lieu of cash.
For those who want to do something about homelessness but have issues donating to individual beggars, I suggest donating to charities like the Salvation Army, Red Cross and Lighthouse Foundation. They are much better equipped to help those on the street than most of us are.
Plus for the OzB community, your donation will be more tax deductible than those coins you hand over ;)
I don't get the opinions of a lot of ozbargain here. Sure, if you give them money, they might spend it on cigs or booze. What else should they spend it on? Armani suits or saving for a place to rent?
The cigs/booze/drugs are there to numb their pain when they are already in a shitty place in life where everyone is walking past and ignoring them. I don't mind giving them a couple bucks every so often, and don't mind what they will spend it on. Who am i to judge them on the few and limited choices they can make in life.
and cigs and alcohol are so heavily taxed that the money goes right back into the system! :D
solid point.
Not a fan of giving to beggars, or even to charity these days. I work hard for ny money, sometimes doing insanely boring shit. I do happen to donate if my mates do charity runs or rides though..
i've worked for a few charities… most are like using 50% for 'admin costs'
i'd rather give $2 to a slob to buy cigs to be honest
at least he's getting 100$ of the money
i do give to beggars every so often if i feel its the easy way out… eg. i might be out with kids, rather than be a prick like i normally am i just give them $2 so i dont have any problems in front of my kid
whats $2 to me? I lose $2 down the seat of my car and its too much trouble to get out
I used to buy a croissant for the beggar with the dogs at the Central station (Sydney) everyday when I traveled to uni, I've since relocated and no longer do that, but I do give when I can, but I take care to give food items and rarely give money!
If they ask for food, give money, vice versa
Good way to suss people out, I'll use that
My friends and I had some left over dumplings after dinner, and one of them suggested we get a doggy bag and give them to someone who could use a feed. We came across a homeless lady on the Swanston Street in Melbourne and offered them to her. She didn't want them, because she was a vegetarian and didn't like tomatoes. I wonder if the dog she had with her would have eaten them… Anyway, the moral of the story is, beggars can be choosers.
Thankfully, the next person we came across was happy to accept them. He didn't look that great, but we saw him a few hours later, and he looked much better.
My suggestion is, help people however you feel comfortable. Personally, I would rather buy someone a meal, but I probably don't do as often as I could.
Once I was in a rural part of thailand, a young boy spoke to me in thai and put out his hand as though he wanted some money. I gave him 20 baht without thinking. Next thing I knew, he went to tell his mates and a bunch of kids ran after me on the streets and I had to do a 200m olympics gold medal sprint just to get the fark outta that place…thinking back, I should have dropped a bunch of coins on the ground to distract the kids while I made my escape…
Good way to train to become Olympic runner
Rookie mistake in poor countries. Done that before and it's a great way to get your own unwanted entourage.
You got Thaibargained
When I traveled in India, I kept my handbag full of calorie dense food for those kids that come up and beg. That way the kids get fed and yet their boss doesn't get the money. They were always well received.
give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime
If said man refuses to fish even if given a rod for free?
Look at how many fishing rods are at your local pawn shop
too bad
Or sell the rod for drug?
It is true that some people took advantage of other people kindness and it is sad when you meant well but end up a fool.. However , there are some people out there that truely need help and truely having bad day like lose wallet … I tend to give those people who ask me the benefit of doubt.. You never know what your few buck can help them .. And beside , it isn't like you give them everyday … What I meant is don't let few bad person ruin your kindness…
You moat likely always say you lose faith in humanity , then why don't you become faith in humanity? Be the one that make change…
I try and give money when I can. I don't often carry much cash these days though. My thoughts are that as I have plenty (in comparison) and it is my responsibility to give where I can. It's not my responsibility to make sure they use it wisely.
I offer this challenge to anyone with the excuse that they will just use it for alcohol\drugs etc. Next time someone asks you for money for food. Take them somewhere, buy food for both of you, sit down with them and eat it together. Listen to their story and then at the end leave them some cash.
I think often we use the above excuse because we are too consumed by our greed.
I don't think it's greed, I think most people don't want to perpetuate someones drinking or drug taking habits which is essentially not improving the persons life in any way.
When homeless people ask me for money, often I'll offer to buy them food.
One time I was lining up at a food truck and a guy went around and asked everyone in the queue for money (they ignored him). When he got to me, I offered to buy him something to eat. He accepted and was very polite and grateful. We chatted for a bit and then at one point he started saying "Yeah, I need to get back to move my car…" and then cut himself off as if he had said too much.
The way he behaved at that point made me think that he probably wasn't as destitute as he made himself out to be, but I bought him lunch anyway.
And it hasn't stopped me from buying people lunch when they approach me.
I don't give money to beggars but every time I offer them food as muffins, bananas or apples they always refuse.I give gold coins to buskers playing flute.
THE NEG BUTTON IS NOT A DISAGREE BUTTON.
Last year while studying for my final uni exams we pulled a very late one and during our regular breaks there was a "homeless" guy begging outside melbourne central. People were giving him money, a lot of people in the cbd just hand out money straight away so the guy was making a fair bit. I get the last train home at midnight and the guy was waiting on the train platform with his wife and kid in a pram and he was on an iphone. He was going back to his house wherever that was. I feel sorry for the people that are genuinely homeless due to mental health issues or whatever and then these pieces of shit come along and do that.
I usually give them food or Maccas vouchers e.g. Monopoly. I have seen too many dodgy beggars in my life e.g. the ones outside Wynyard Maccas who rotate with the same sign… seen them jump in and out of cabs.
One winter night many years ago I was heartbroken re a girl late at night in the CBD and then realised there were all these homeless people trying to sleep in the cold. Realised my worries were nothing compared to them and went into the nearest convenience store, bought hot food and drinks, gave it to them and had a great chat with them.
That's a really great thing to do. Even just talking and chatting to them must have made them feel really appreciated.
I usually only see beggars in the mornings, and their default excuse is "I haven't eaten anything in 2 days". In the morning I usually have my lunch packed in my bag and offer them a cookie and a piece of fruit instead of the $1 or $2 coins that they wanted. When they refuse, I know they're not that desperate because they're looking for drug money.
I use to give out spare change when asked but ever since I went cashless, there's no more spare coins anymore. So no.
Just wait till they bust out an EFTPos machine. You'll be in trouble then.
10 years later instead of brandishing tin cans and food containers your average beggar might even come equipped with a Paywave enabled smart watch..
"Excuse me sir, can you spare $2? I am now paywave enabled and I do not charge any fees like those other beggars down the street. I can also give you a receipt for tax deduction purposes".
^$2 in 10 years is the new 50c due to serious inflation.
A man asked me for spare money for food (after searching the trash).
I offered him the other half of my subway breakfast (Untouched) and he declined and continued to search for money.
Didn't know Subway breakfast was worse than trash (Although, its not far from it hahaa)
I gave money to a beggar just outside of Schnitz on Glenferrie Road. When I came out, I saw that he lit up a cigarette.
Sorry but no. Too many scammers. I been asked for food money by a woman holding a ciggy in one hand and a bottle of alcohol in the other. Also the regular beggars asking for a spare dollar for the bus, but you see them everyday. I didn't come from a privileged background but believe there are other ways of making $ (which is already on top of government benefits). I believe in charity and donating money or items to a good cause but don't believe in giving beggars money on the street
I always give money to beggars but insist on a 10% discount
i insist they give me a receipt so i claim it on tax
I stopped giving money to beggars as office works price match is 5% cheaper.
I have been waiting for an Ebay deal like free $50 voucher for any spending on beggars.
btw. whats the GO with the beggars prostrating like this:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UbLjDwoPKZs/T8Ho0uceLsI/AAAAAAAAE1…
seem to be all over the place at town hall
I never give them money, I usually offer to buy them food or a drink (whether approached or not).
Interestingly, on most occasions they don't want food and just want money…
I also don't buy the food upfront anymore, as it can be a waste - offered a guy a chicken sushi roll, he told me he was allergic to fish, I told him it was chicken and he told me he was allergic to that too, but not money evidently!
A lot of the guys actually seem to want coffee with a lot of sugar loaded in, probably to keep them running.
"A lot of the guys actually seem to want coffee with a lot of sugar loaded in, probably to keep them running."
Interesting….
Cause both coffee & sugar can give a rush.
I'm not sure if that is the case, I drink plenty of coffee and it hardly gives me a rush.
I remember one guy asking for like 7-8 spoons of sugar and the barista thought I was a nutter… I would assume the homeless guy wanted to use it to keep him running.
General theme here is they don't want food - red flag. Additionally, Centrelink provide money and myriad not for profit organisations are well equipped to look after these folk - red flag.
Sadly best case these guys are probably alcoholic and/or have mental issues. I'm not sure a $2 coin will help them a great deal. Worst case they're carny scammers.
i was once at train station and a lady (not look like a beggar at all) approached me and wanted to raise some money to buy a train ticker headed home as she said she forgot the wallet at home. I was trying to be nice and offered her a free ticket instead of just giving one or two dollars. But then she said"%^&* off" then walked away…..
They won't be able to pull off this trick any more when Opal becomes mandatory for travel and paper tickets are no longer sold.
Guess the next excuse would be "I left my Opal card at home"…
I think the choice you make shouldn't be swayed by what they 'might' buy with the money. I use to think this way, but they are just trying to survive the way they know how. Addictions are hard to break, and they are usually at such a low point it's even harder.
Generally if someone walks up to me and asks for money I usually say no (that includes those charity companies making 30 cents in the dollar whilst simultaneously ruining their brand)
I too believe in those people selling the Big Issue and sometimes I just give them the money and don't take a copy (I really don't find the stories that interesting)
People have to eat, and you need a good BS detector to avoid the professional beggars.
Do not give money to beggars, warned some charity foundations
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1339943/Dont-beggars…
I guess it all comes down to honesty. You might run into a one who might need the cash for legit reasons (food, clothing, maybe pay debt to loan sharks) but you will also run into professional con artists who are just going to use the donated funds to fuel their drug addiction. They might not even be homeless and perhaps already has government aid.
There is also an account from an ex beggar on reddit, first comment. The one about finding broken glass in a hamburger is particularly awful…
https://m.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2tbst9/reddit_shou…
Giving money to beggars cuts into the Charity racket
I was waiting in line of about 10 people in a chinese buffet restaurant in South LA and this dude walked along the line asking people for change. a couple of people gave him money, which he didn't seem particularly grateful for. he then stood at the end of the line and waited his turn. I sat at table with my food and watched him get to the front of the line and pull out a huge roll of notes and pay for his dinner.
after seeing that article about a sydney man making $50k a year begging, nope.