Do panhandlers / hobos make you nervous?

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I just show them my empty hands and smile and mean it, and say "Sorry." Once, though, I was so depressed and mad that I pushed one of them away rather roughly and ran off down the street. He was nice; all he and his friend were doing were asking for money, and I was with my mother. I feel so horrible about it still; I wish I could apologize to him. It was horrible timing. My mother had been expressing to me just then about her lack of confidence in my ability to keep away the baddies, so when I saw one I thought, basically, "Never again will I let someone make a fool of me, even if they're not trying or don't mean it!" And so I pushed him away and ran off like a coward.

They only make me as nervous as anyone else who talks to me unexpectedly.

They don't make me nervous I just get tired of being asked for money by strangers. Also another biggie here is Navajos asking for rides to the reservation. Yeah dude like I'm going to drive a drunk stranger for two hours out of my way. Oh and the other big complaints I have are the Navajos that think as a non-Navajo you OWE them money to take the bus to the rez. And the other one is the Mexicans seem to think that all dark haired light skinned people in town are Mexican like them and they run up to me sputtering away in Spanish trying to sell tamales to me. I do not speak Spanish because I am not Mexican and no I don't buy homemade food from strangers. Get the hell away from me is my usual response.

hahahaha navajos intown to get there drink on

Yeah Richard exactly. I'm angry the drunk Navajos are what caused Bunhuggers East to have to close. There was so many drunks laying around the side of the building that the owner of the plaza wouldn't renew their lease. I once saw the police arrest 4 drunkos at once that were passed out in front of the place.

For anyone wondering what the.. Bunhuggers is... its a restaurant that makes grilled burgers to order plus homemade fries and zucchini slices and has a separate bar.

Don't think we're bad. Its pathetic here. I've never lived any place where drunks lay on the sidewalk and in front of grocery stores. And they are always Navajo; I dunno why. When I worked early morning shift I had to call the police to have them go pick up a man wandering drunk in the middle of the road. They lay behind McDonalds sometimes and I've seen men I weren't sure were drunk or dead. I've also gone in another restaurant where 6 officers and 2 paramedics were trying to lift an unconscious son of a buck off the floor as he had wandered in their plastered and passed out.

They also pee in front of people on the side of the road or sidewalks. It is nasty. So I do not hand out money to panhandlers as I know they will use it for booze. I don't want to contribute to the problem.

We get trouble like that with aborigines here. There used to be a lady near the bus stop who always asked me for money. The police say not to give them any money. But she and some of the others looked so sick and skinny. There are often fights between the women or the women and the men.

I think the Indians in the US got treated worse than the aborigines here in Australia but there are some similar issues with drink and social disintegration in various groups within these races.

A couple of years ago there was this white man camped outside a shop looking for money to get a bus fare to the capital city of my state so he could get a job. I gave him some money because I think he was genuine.

Most hobos are mentally ill and their families can't look after them. I realise mental institutions had many problems but just putting people out on the streets with little support is hardly any better.

Yes, there are shelters but I think you'd find that most of them have to turn people away because there is too much demand.

I'm only bothered if they do something to me or yell or stuff. If they mind their own business then I don't care.
I also don't like blatant lies--- but i am more apt to give money for honesty or creativity. If a guy holds a sign that says " I'm not lying, i just need a beer" then I'll pitch in for that. i like the fact that he's not spouting some crap about a fake sick mother 3 states away. It's just honest.
I might give $ if the story shows a creative edge--- a sick mother who has 3 sick iguanas, one of which has iguana-dwarfism. Now that's a story! I'll give $ for that.
Another thing that might make me more apt to donate is an effort to earn the money instead of plain begging. A guy who sings for money or plays a plastic bucket-drum--- that's art! I like to give to artistic causes.

We also have buskers, including a swagman who tells bush stories for $1 AUS a pop.

wtf sort of stupid name is a panhandler?

In europe most people buy raw food and cook it themselves, none of this ready-beaten eggs in a carton business.

Even though I've had some misfortunes in life, I feel bad seeing people who don't even have a home but just giving them money doesn't solve all their problems - it's just a temporary solution.

the police pick up the drunks here all the time and take them to the hospital. they dry out at the hospital after the city pays $1000 to detox them and then drop them back on the street. then they get picked up again a few days later. the drunks are all on a first name basis with the nurses at the hospital. they don't have a shelter for them so they live either in the forest or behind stores.

a lot of native americans are missing a enzyme or something that breaks down alcohol properly. so it affects them differently than it does non-indians.

there is a difference between the drunks, druggies and mentally ill vietnam vets that live on the streets and panhandlers. panhandlers often times live comfortable lives at the expense of morons. several news shows have interviewed people who panhandle and make $30,000 or more a year doing it and own a house and so forth. they would rather beg for money than work.

Ticker makes me nervous....