Quote:
Originally posted by Private I
sometimes I feel like I'm swimming against the tide when I give a homeless person money, then the next day I see him talking to his friend in a gas station about how much money he just made the last hour.
he lived right behind the gas station, and not in a carboard box but in a house.
things like that make me upset because
1. I feel like I just basically threw my money in a paper shredder for all the good it did
2. I feel like my good will was abused and
3. there really are homeless people in the world who could have used that money
anyone feel me on this one?
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Begging is institutionalized here in Oklahoma City. There are 'gangs' of beggars. They have all of the big intersections staked out all of the time with their cardboard signs, scruffy clothes, etc. I've actually seen the van that goes around and drops them off at their locations. I hear they can clear $20-$40/hr most days. I guess the fella in the van gets a cut?
I saw a beggar about a month ago standing there with his cardboard sign and camo pants... The one thing he had forgotten to do in order to clear up his "homeless" image was to park his $400 bike somewhere else.