bdpreece wrote: I did not want to hijack someone else s thread where they were discussing helping other campers but I wanted to ask this.
Anymore there seems to be someone either out of gas/ out of money/ broke down/ hungry/ etc. at every corner and freeway off ramp. Do you help out or do you look the other way?
For me it depends. If it was in the middle of a Rain Storm, I would stop for sure. I try to have compassion for others. I will not help people who just sit around on un/off Ramps. Common Sense will tell you whether or not it is a Legitimate need.
Nashville, TN is bad that way. If anyone approaches you when you are leaving a Store, you can bet they are going to beg for Money.
I had one Guy claim that he was a Professor at St. Thomas Hospital in West Nashville and his car supposedly broke down. In the first Place St. Thomas is not a teaching Hospital.
I told him, "I will be glad to help, but first I need to determine if this is legitimate." I then asked my Wife "isn't the Phone Number for the Police 862-8600?" He got out of there Quick!
BTW, that is the Number for Metro Nashville Police. I am sure he knew that.
I never give Money. If someone needs Food, I will gladly get some Food for them. On one Occasion I was going into the Post Office on Broadway in Nashville to meet a Man who had printed some Business Cards for me to pick up my Cards.
There was a Gentleman outside who asked me for Money for Food. I told him, I am meeting someone in here. If you are still here when I come outside, I will take you somewhere and buy you some Food. He was there when I came out. The only thing he wanted was a Bowl of Chili, from the Krystal. He was very grateful to get that Bowl of Chili.
There are professional Cons. When I was in the Army at Ft. Hood there was a Fellow who sat outside the Post Office begging for Money. I was driving around Killeen, TX one Day and I happened to drive by his House and I saw him working on his Yard. He lived in a Mansion!
When he was at the Post Office he claimed to be unable to walk and sat outside in a Wheel Chair,
O the other hand, If someone needs a Battery for their Car, to get to work, if I had the Money, we would be making a Trip to a Parts Store.
I have learned what is important in Life is not what you get, but what you give!
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It depends on the circumstances. If I believe it's legitimate, I'll generally engage the person a little to look for flaws in their story. If it passes that test, than I will generally help. Doesn't always work, and have also been scammed, one which was featured on a local news story. Only lost a few dollars which is nothing to cry over, but never really think twice about it either way. The way I see it, you'll never really know if a stranger really needed your help or not. But should we exclude all for the sake of a few scammers?
I was on my way to the State Archives in Harrisburg, Pa last week and saw a man under a scanty type blanket laying on a park bench trying to get some sleep using the cement bench rail as a pillow. He reluctantly came out of his blanket as I was getting his attention but was glad when I handed him a five. Felt good the rest of the day. I knew he was not a scammer as he was old bearded and I just knew he had no job.
1492 wrote: ... But should we exclude all for the sake of a few scammers?
I think that is the problem. Seems to me that it is more than a few, more like the majority.
Actually, I think it is more like the VAST majority are scammers.
Again, for me, it comes down to this: there are ways to help these folks without giving them money on the street. The are plenty of organizations set up to help folks in need (that are constantly in need of donations themselves). They just require a bit of work to use. If the person is not even willing to do that little bit of work to get help, then I think there is a problem.
I made it a policy to not help anymore.
Too many scammers out there just looking for a free ride.
There was an ivestigative report in my area that tracked an old lady that stood at a local freeway ramp every day. The news crew hid in the bushes and filmed her pulling out rolls of money and stuffing them in her duffle bag.
At the end of her day, the cameras followed her and caught her getting into a new Mercedes with tem tags on it.
They then followed that car to a gated community where house prices start at $600k !!!
No more for me.
When I first started working in Boston I went home broke every day. I fell for every scam. I wised up and stopped, feeling very good about myself for not helping the drunks get booze, the druggies get fixes and the scammers pay for their Mercedes.
One day I was sitting outside a grocery market and I overheard two young people counting change. It sounded like they were trying to figure out how much baby food they could afford. I drove off.
It is now 20 years later and I still kick myself for not getting out of my car and buying them baby food.
I'd rather be scammed by 20 people and help one than never help anyone at all.
It helps that I am now in the suburbs and don't encounter the off-ramp artists anymore.
03Ultra wrote: I'd rather be scammed by 20 people and help one than never help anyone at all.
That pretty much sums up the difference in views on this subject. I look for a "return" on my charity investment. So I'd rather miss that one in twenty person on the street knowing I helped (at least) 20 others by my regular donations to my "vetted" charities.
Gosh, You are some hard folks on here. Back in 1970 when I was 17 I left home and hitchiked to California. Yes it was a foolish thing to do,but it was also the adventure of a lifetime. I had about $40.00 on my person which did't last all that long. People I met were nothing but fantastic,buying me meals,giving me a place to sleep or bathe,etc. I found day labor on farms or just folks yards whatever. I panhandled and at one point did some shoplifting to eat.
I landed in Bakersfield where I was told of a way to make a few dollars.
Would go to a corner that had a small shed on it and got a ticket from the man inside. A truck would pull up and hold up a number of fingers and all would scramble for the truck climbing over one another to get on. Most days we would travel out into the desert and clear brush from oil wells. When we got back the agent would deduct eight dollars for the truck ride two dollars for the sandwich and water and hand me a ten. Shoplifting food and panhandling were much more profitable.
I spent close to a year living this way and only had a few scary experiences. I stopped when I called home and was told that I had a letter waiting for me from Uncle Sam,being an 18 year old high school dropout meant a guaranteed ticket to Viet Nam, but you could trade a two year hitch in the Army for a full 4 in another service, so I ended up in the Marines who had stopped being deployed in '69.
Now a days when I see someone in need I hand over a few bucks,just because.
03Ultra wrote: I'd rather be scammed by 20 people and help one than never help anyone at all.
That pretty much sums up the difference in views on this subject. I look for a "return" on my charity investment. So I'd rather miss that one in twenty person on the street knowing I helped (at least) 20 others by my regular donations to my "vetted" charities.
It's just a difference in POV.
I think I agree. I think the same amount of money gets through to people who really need it regardless of whether you hand it out directly or go through some of these national organizations.
I will say that in times of natural disaster, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the United Way all come through. However, a lot of the money run into these charities is used for operational expense, management and overhead. And, they are not exempt from pilfering, as we have seen here in Massachusetts over the past few years.
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