panhandlers

[Deni]

There was a lady where we used to live in Texas that stood on the corner panhandling. I hired her a few days a week to clean the house.

So she was working 2 days a week for me and 2 days a week for my neighbor. She also begged at night 5 days a week. When we were moving into a new home, she moved into our old house paying 800.00 a month in rent. Now she was making a killing ..

Imagine her rent and bills I am sure it was over 1500 a month, Mine was.

So she basically was making more money than me all together...

[Karried]

Well, it's really hard to compete with someone who told someone else something and it's all hearsay so I'll just have to concede the argument.

For me personally, I'm not going to assume that every homeless person standing on the corner has a 50K Mercedes... in fact, I really don't believe that to be true at all... but if a policeman told your roommate, could be true, who knows? I hope that there is some truth in it, otherwise think of all of the prejudice against the homeless people based on stories such as a 50K Mercedes, when in actuality, they may just be cold and hungry and really down on their luck.

But, everyone has to do what they feel is right. I'll just keep giving someone standing out in the cold a hot cup of coffee or a McMuffin ... stories of them getting 'rich' don't phase me a bit.

[Mandy]

I just want to make it clear that I wasn't saying they don't deserve your charity. I was just relaying information I was given to add to the conversation.

I give to them regularly. Whether or not they're honest or not isn't on my conscience. But I'm not naive enough to believe that every single indigent person standing at an intersection is somehow above human greed.

[mranderson]

I don't know how much they are paid, but they can't afford $50k cars. He said he has seen a panhandler end his "shift" and drive away in a $50k new Mercedes.

How do you know they can not afford a $50,000 car? Some of these deadbeats make more than most of us. And yes. There have been confirmations of these beggers getting into their newly bought current year model Cadillacs. I can not retrieve them, however, there have been newspaper articles about this.

A man with a sign "will work for food." My response: "GET A JOB!"

[Easy180]

Give me a break about the Mercedes....Thinking 95% disappears within the walls of the nearest convenience or liquor store...That is their main motivation not being able to afford their Nichols Hills mortgage payment

Hey if they make a good amount standing in the heat, cold and rain then fine with me...I get paid well to sit in a comfy chair where it's always 72 degrees typing crap onto a computer

Just a slightly better asset to society let me tell ya

[Karried]

I don't know how much they are paid, but they can't afford $50k cars

She's talking about the police officer.

[zoowall]

So Anderson when you run for office your stance on helping the homeless population will be "GET A JOB?" You'll get tons of votes. good luck.

[mranderson]

So Anderson when you run for office your stance on helping the homeless population will be "GET A JOB?" You'll get tons of votes. good luck.

Yep. BTW. Most are not "homeless." They are bums that are that way by choice.

[zoowall]

Yea youre right. I bet if you offered them a job and a place to live they would turn it down.

[mranderson]

Yea youre right. I bet if you offered them a job and a place to live they would turn it down.

Yes. Most would. Plus I am very careful when it comes to people I offer to stay in my home. When I was as young as most of you, I helped people right and left that were what you call "homeless." I got ripped off 99% of the time. So, by experience, no more help like that unless they proove they are willing to help themselves. That rarely happens.

[zoowall]

you are so wise

[BailJumper]

Don't worry, ANDERSON will never run for anything as it would out him.

Personally, a person would be nuts to offer a homeless individual thier home for the night.

If you are homeless and jobless then by definition you have to either beg for money or commit crimes to get money EVERY DAY just to eat, have a place to stay and feed your addiction(s).

I've seen the 20/20 special about the guy who makes a 'good' living panhandling and then once a year treats himself to a spending spree in Vegas like a superstar. He is certainly the exception and not the rule.

'By choice' is up to individual interpretation.

[Karried]

Personally, a person would be nuts to offer a homeless individual thier home for the night.

Well, yes, I've been called a nut recently, I guess I really am a nut ... I was driving home one night in CA and it pouring rain, sheets of rain.. I see this little old lady huddled up against a building trying to stay warm.. 'heavy sigh', I pulled up and asked her if she needed a ride somewhere. She said she took the bus into town and couldn't reach her friend to pick her up.. she was in tears. At that time we didn't have a homeless shelter so I didn't know what to do. I told her she could come to my house and use my phone.. my husband was a little peeved.. she ended up having dinner with us and staying the night in the guest room.

She must have been about 80, I wasn't worried about it. I took her to a community center in the morning and she hugged me and said she would never forget our kindness.

Could have gone either way, but I thought of my grandma out in the cold rain.. what can I say? A nut, that's me.

[zoowall]

Agreed Bailjumper. I didn't mean to imply offering ones own home to a homeless person. Places such as the Cross and Crown Mission near downtown have a great program that works with struggling people to help them get out of that kind of lifestyle. Its a pretty neat program.

[zoowall]

Thats awesome Karried. This is an appropriate time to use the

[mranderson]

Well, yes, I've been called a nut recently, I guess I really am a nut ... I was driving home one night in CA and it pouring rain, sheets of rain.. I see this little old lady huddled up against a building trying to stay warm.. 'heavy sigh', I pulled up and asked her if she needed a ride somewhere. She said she took the bus into town and couldn't reach her friend to pick her up.. she was in tears. At that time we didn't have a homeless shelter so I didn't know what to do. I told her she could come to my house and use my phone.. my husband was a little peeved.. she ended up having dinner with us and staying the night in the guest room.

She must have been about 80, I wasn't worried about it. I took her to a community center in the morning and she hugged me and said she would never forget our kindness.

Could have gone either way, but I thought of my grandma out in the cold rain.. what can I say? A nut, that's me.

You were lucky. With an elderly person, I would have called the police to check on her. She could have been a young person that was a good makeup artist.

[Karried]

Gawd, help me now..

Okay, that was my laugh out loud moment of the year.

I used my handy dandy investigative skills to confirm that her makeup wasn't running in the pouring rain and took a chance..sheesh

[Karried]

911 - What's your emergency?

Nut - I have an elderly lady here, she's soaking wet, has nowhere to go, can you send someone over to go a background check, fingerprint her and check her mascara?

911 - You're under arrest

[BailJumper]

I have to admit I'm more prone to call 911 to assist a person than I am to pull over. While I'm not too fearful of 'makeup artist serial killers' I have heard of too many people who pretend to have car trouble just to get you to stop.

I will stop to help give a driver that last push into the gas station. I even stopped once and gave a couple the number to Travelor's Aid.

I doubt there are too many homeless people that don't know where the shelters are and the unfortunate individual who is left on the streets surely have enough sense to call 911. Officers often transport a person to a shelter (if they can't find a reason to arrest them!).

[mranderson]

911 - What's your emergency?

Nut - I have an elderly lady here, she's soaking wet, has nowhere to go, can you send someone over to go a background check, fingerprint her and check her mascara?

911 - You're under arrest

If I am ever arrested for protecting myself, I will gladly plead guilty and do a stretch in the joint. It is called checking welfare and any cop will tell you to it is the safest thing to do. If you want to call me a nut for being careful and a conservative, then, well, I guess I am guilty as accused! And proud of it!

I am in good company. Think of the number of people who laughed at Henry Ford or Thomas Edison. Same thing, just different reasons.

[Karried]

I'm supposed to be the nut.. remember.. I'm from CA.. not you.

I am in good company. Think of the number of people who laughed at Henry Ford or Thomas Edison. Same thing, just different reasons

???????????? What did you invent?

[mranderson]

I'm supposed to be the nut.. remember.. I'm from CA.. not you.



???????????? What did you invent?

The point is, many people laughed at them because they did not agree with them or thought they were crazy. Who got the last laugh? Again. Point is, you never know who you are laughing at. They might just be correct.

And what did I invent? Nothing I can discuss.

[Tim]

The point is, many people laughed at them because they did not agree with them or thought they were crazy. Who got the last laugh? Again. Point is, you never know who you are laughing at. They might just be correct.

And what did I invent? Nothing I can discuss.

Austin Powers "That's not my bag baby!"

Prison Guard "One Swedish ***** Pump owners manual registered to Austin Powers..."

Austin Powers "Seriously, that's NOT my bag!"

Prison Guard "One Swedish ***** Pump warranty registration card signed by Austin Powers..."

[Karried]

Who got the last laugh? Again. Point is, you never know who you are laughing at. They might just be correct

One last question and then I'm done because I'm wasting wayyyy too much time on this.. but explain to me again what you were correct about?

To recap.. The little elderly abandoned woman stayed at my house because she could not reach her friend. She was not a waterproof make-up wearing serial killer who bludgeoned me to death as I slept. We had no homeless shelters at the time as I lived in a small town. I called the local Red Cross who told me I could drive her an hour and drop her off. It was already late, pouring rain and we were all tired. We had already eaten dinner, I determined that she was not a mass murderer and I was correct.

Not you.

[BailJumper]

And what did I invent? Nothing I can discuss.