Ask Lemmy

I usual walk around with some small cash, change, etc, and definitely give it out as I'm walking until I'm out.

I just keep a mental note of it and skip the next coffee or odd lunch date, so my budget evens ~ out.

My standard is to say something like "I don't have any cash to share, good luck to you though." I work in homeless services and know a ton of folks who survive on panhandling. In my area, people have no problem finding food, there are a ton of social service orgs and churches that provide food daily.

The following is not a judgment and is a generalization that is far from universal. This is just a description of what I commonly observe. The unfortunate reality is that much of the money people get from panhandling goes to purchasing cigarettes, alcohol, meth, K2, crack, and/or fentanyl. For this reason I avoid giving people money directly.

You don't need to explain yourself to anyone, and if you feel bad for not giving someone money because you feel the inequality, consider donating your time or money to organizations in your area that are doing the work to help people gain employment or housing, meet their basic needs, or treat their physical or mental health needs.

I almost never have cash or even change now, so that's what I tell them. I used to give them some money if I had it and wasn't immediately going to use it. One of my old friends used to give them a beer out of a pack he bought if there was a person outside the store or on the corner begging on the drive to wherever he was going.

Ignore them.

Say "Sorry can't help right now", and keep walking.

Panhandling is a numbers game - both parties know this and it’s okay to say no.

If I were to go back to walking into work and dealing with it daily then I’d have my headphones on and would be ignoring.

I don't carry cash, so that's an easy answer.

I don't usually have cash so I say "sorry I don't have any" and move on. I also volunteer my time with various local orgs so I don't feel bad

Call in the national guard apparently.

i actually give to those who do not ask

like a lady in the subway, visibly mentally challenged with all her belongings, drawing and ~~striking~~ words in her notepad. she made me sad, so i gave her a bill when leaving the train. her face became lightened when she saw it, she said thank you and I left

sometimes I leave at where they sleep like under pillow next to head

If I can spare it, I share it. I used to be homeless myself and would never have gotten out of that without help. It seems to me I have an obligation to pass that on.

I tell them the truth: I don't carry cash.

20s? Someone recently told me "my dad taught me to always carry some change with me, other people need it more than me" and now I'm doing it too. There really isn't any other way to act if you pride yourself on your humanity, anything else is rationalizing selfishness. And I often hear the "they're just gonna use it for booze/drugs!!!" line as if it meant anything. Sure, they might, but even if you're a strict teetotaler (and if you're in any Western country odds are you're not, lol), what else would they do? Have you ever slept on a cold floor while hungry? People kill themselves/complain about life and they have beds, meals, narcotics and internet connections, nvm all sorts of legal drugs to help them cope with everything (something like 15 percent of women in the US are on antidepressants, according to the CDC...). Life is hard sometimes, perhaps they also need to disconnect a bit, idk.

Give when you can, don't rationalize it when you can't. We're all collectively responsible for the playground God made for us and everything/one in it, but you're also just one man/woman. Maybe they'll turn their lives around, maybe your grain of sand will help them reach that point.

Its not like you can say “oh no, I donate to services that help the needy” because that person isn’t necessarily being helped by that.

I had a friend say exactly that to someone. When I asked them further about it, they said, "he knows where to find a cot." That was more convincing to me before I listened to the "According to Need," Podcast. It looked at homelessness in the Bay Area (where we live) and getting a bed is nearly impossible.

I don't usually give money cause I rarely carry small bills. But sometimes. And I will without fail buy food for anyone who asks.

I hate when they come by the car and look in your car.. if you move a little they think your gonna give them money..

Sucks I know but come on what’s up with the pressure ?

If you don't have the means to help with what they're asking for, a quick "Sorry, can't help today" and going about your business is they way to go. It's not a full on engagement, but it is an acknowledgement.

Back when I was a smoker, if I didn't have means to help with cash but had some smokes to spare and a little time I'd say "No, but if you smoke I can share one with you" and, if they were into it, stop and chat for a cigarette break's length of time. Lots of factors to consider here before doing that, but for the most part people enjoyed the acknowledgement for a few minutes. YMMV.

If I have money, I give it to them if they aren't raising any danger flags. Like there's one woman who just screams "I'M HUNGRY" at people, and I'm sure that's true, but I don't engage with her because it feels unsafe. There's one whose name I learned, and another couple we recognize each other now.

I used to make good money (low six figures). Giving away $20/week to people asking for it wasn't even noticeable in my budget. I could probably have done $200/week without noticing. I think my peers are just bad at budgeting though.

I've been unemployed for a while now, so I don't always have cash to give. I tell them the truth.

I don't expect people who have nothing to give a lot. But I know many of my six figure salary peers could give without even noticing the money, and they don't. They don't give to charity, either. They just buy video games they don't play, run the AC so they have to wear a hoodie inside, and so on.

Peacefully coexisting is the hope imo. Just leave people alone, offer help if you can, otherwise wish them well.

Anyone harassing either has drug or mental issues, not much you can do but limit interactions.

Sound like asylums may be returning, so that will probably be horrible.

simple answer: if I have any I can afford to give, I give it. Sometimes I have not had any and in various cases taken someone out for a meal or given them a meal from my plate. but mostly just money.

I once experienced , in my 22. I gave out about 10 dol , then got keeping asked (i was too shy to reject!) so at last i gave out 50 dol, all what i took from school my college. bad grammar sry

Where I live, there isn’t much walking, but the homeless stand at intersections and hold signs and look at you while you wait on the light to change.

My wife, who is a much better person than I, will keep $5 McDonald’s gift cards in her vehicle and sometimes hand those out. She says that there is a McDonald’s within walking distance of almost anywhere in town, and that $5 is enough to get a couple of things off the value menu and a free cup of water. If they’re really homeless and hungry, at least they will have something to eat.