Get a Job You #@!%ing Bum

[hitrack]

Christ sakes got asked for change twice coming outta the lick-her store, once at 7-11 on Hastings and Lakewood then again at the 7-11 on KGH and 102 (I think).

Can ya spare some change....Can ya spare some change....Can ya spare some change.....Can ya spare some change.....etc.

FUCK NO is my answer. Not for a perfectly normal looking 30 something yr old male who is perfectly cabable of working at any saw mill, green house, meat packing plant, etc...

I need my change as much as they want it, nobody gives me money for doing fukk all.

ps: it takes approximately 46min to chill a 710ml Heineken in the freezer.

 

[static]

Do good onto others.

Good karma goes farther than a couple bucks here and there.

 

[The Lizard King]

It's like feeding the pigeons...you keep feeding them, they'll keep coming around. HANDS UP. For the most part, I'm one of the guilty ones. I can't help it. I think it's as much feeling fortunate for what I've been able to accomplish along with feeling very bad about their turn in life.

Hate to cross post but imagine how much good the money politicians, active and retired, soak us for could really do.


"I guess I'm still seething from hearing Chretien's pension being $150k or so per year. This is unjustifiable, no private pension plan comes anywhere close, and CPP is minimal. Shake my head? You bet, shake my head in shame for our country and how the Robinsons and Chretiens of the world have raped and ruined it."

 

[static]

150 000 bucks? He must have good karma, therefore he must deserve it.

 

[wolverine]

I don't give money to panhandlers either.

Instead, I donate about $30 per paycheck to the United Way each year. And rather than taking my empty bottles to the depot, I look for a homeless person with a grocery cart and give it to him.

 

[The Lizard King]

That's good. I'm still "guilty" of handing out change at times. What about the kids though? Panhandlers aren't all drunks. Anybody support Covenant House?

 

[D Duk]

Don't forget that these individuals are often collecting welfare and or employment insurance. They may do squeegee stuff too (with a squeegee that they ripped off from a local gas station which adds to the price of our fuel and convenience items purchased at a station).

All of the cash they get is undeclared tax-wise which in effect increases the amount of money they actually take home and even though they don't pay income tax, they are taking money out of our social net which also comes from our pockets.

I agree with hitrack that they should just bugger off. Unless they are mentally incapcitated or deficient, missing two or more limbs or similarly handicapped, there are tons of jobs out there that they can do.

If non-English speaking immigrants can support a family picking produce or fruits in farm fields, or do janitorial work or even just wash dishes, I don't understand why I should see giving handouts to these individuals as good karma.

You realize that these individuals are experts at taking advantage of people's kindness and the social net system in Canada.

 

[zlmmm]

I'm with Hitrack & Lizard King on this one.

I strongly believe giving them change just perpetuates their dependence. I am much more likely to give dough to a street performer (don't see any here though) who is trying to earn.

Occasionally I will also go into a subway or pizza store and buy some food for a kid who looks down and out on their luck (something other than drugs), sepcifically to make sure that the cash doesn't go to Smack or booze.

At least most of those begging here are fairly polite if you remain polite. In San Francisco if you politely decline the giving they almost always give you severe crap...to which I reply with my standard: "F@*k you, get a job." I've only had to use that one once in the 2 years I've been here.

 

[Fudd]

Do immigrants have better work ethics?

I don't get it. There are large number of immigrants who come to this country with barely anything. They work hard and end up owning homes and sending there kids to university to become professionals. I have never seen an East Indian panhandler, and I've seen only one Asian panhandler. A large number of panhandlers I've noticed are white English speaking and all of employable age. If new immigrants can make it why can't someone who has grown up in Canada?

 

[jim]

Re: Do immigrants have better work ethics?

I don't get it. There are large number of immigrants who come to this country with barely anything. They work hard and end up owning homes and sending there kids to university to become professionals. I have never seen an East Indian panhandler, and I've seen only one Asian panhandler. A large number of panhandlers I've noticed are white English speaking and all of employable age. If new immigrants can make it why can't someone who has grown up in Canada?

Very good observation. This country was built by immigration.

 

[Massagegirl]

The other side of the coin.

You guys will hate me for this but I do give to them daily, about a buck each to 1 or 2 of them. I call it "taxes". I had a friend phone me last week and say "remember that girl(about 50 yrs old, skinny and obvious drug addict) you gave money to today? Well I just saw her talking to her drug dealer saying she would have the money in 15 minutes. So I just wanted you to know the money you give her goes to drugs." I said she could spend it on whatever she wanted, and I don't mind helping her to meet her quota and get up off the hard cold pavement a little quicker.

I went on to say if I spent my paycheck on booze and pot should my employer not pay me? I believe it is judgemental to not give if you don't approve of what you think they are spending it on. After all, a lot of charitys only put 10% of donations towards the cause, the rest goes to their paychecks and printing more junk mail to solicit more people. But I did compromise and get her a bag of chips and a juice as well as her dollar the next time. I love the squeegy guys and street performers, they get $2 each. Young healthy males do get less from me, nothing if they look scary or are scowling.

Usually I give to women and older bums, and hey if they need some alcohol to keep warm and make it through the night, who am I to disapprove until I have walked a mile in theior shoes? I talked to one old bum once who had lost his wife and kids in an accident and could no longer function in society. Could you? Cuz I would be such a mess I would probably die of a broken heart within weeks, or overdose on pills or something.

I just wanted to speak up for the other side, as I believe these people are there for a reason and saying it perpetuates the problem won't make the "problem" disappear. Any less than prohibiting Marijana keeps people from smoking it.

In Europe there are way more poor people, one Ethiopian woman I saw in Greece had a child draped over her lap with a huge bloated tummy! In Morocco they line the streets not asking for money but saying "Allah (God) is great" and other stuff I didn't know. It is one of the 5 tenements of their faith to give to those less fortunate, and I gave there too, daily. I guess it is ingrained in me now.

But to each his own! I am not in any way suggesting you infidels give if you don't want to. Lol.

 

[PinkLady]

Job

hitrack

Christ sakes got asked for change twice coming outta the lick-her store, once at 7-11 on Hastings and Lakewood then again at the 7-11 on KGH and 102 (I think).

Give him a job, at least make him squeegie your windshields or something.

 

[wolverine]

There are several answers to the immigrant question.

1. Most immigrants I know were already highly-educated professionals before they come here.

2. Many more of them hail from impoverished countries ruled by repressive and corrupt governments. When people from these countries move to Canada, they do not take their newly-found freedom for granted. And they never want their children to live through the same poverty and repression that they had to live through.

 

[_Ruffian_]

i usually don't give anyone anything, but if they keep asking and annoying me, i'll eventually dump a bunch of change on their feet and tell them to fuck off.

 

[Sultan]

If you don't want to give to panhandlers, then don't. No one is forcing you to. Why does the presence of poor people annoy someone so much? Or is it the asking that is annoying? Why be annoyed at all? It doesn't bother me to walk by panhandlers asking for change for the same reason it doesn't bother me to walk by SWs asking for a trick.

Some people need to stop whining.

I never give to (poverty) charities as all they do is institutionalize poverty by making poor people dependent on them. Not to mention the adminstation costs and religious bureacracy. The poor can spend the money better themselves, and should be allowed that dignity, than can charites and other poverty pimps.
If some people have figured out a way to get by without working, all the more power to them. It's better than being dependent on a job. No one should be forced to work for any reason, just like no one needs to justify their existence or ask permission to be alive. Whining about 'bums' who don't work just sounds like jealousy.

As for immigration, for a long time Canada has been lowering the number of refugees allowed in. Getting in is usually a long process and new refugees aren't allowed to work until all the paper work has been done. According to stats canada, most refugees remain in the lower income brackets throughout their lives. Some do manage to become well off. The other types of immigrants are carefully selected based on their wealth and potential business investment in Canada. That's why you don't see "a lot of East Indians and Asians" in the streets. People from most of those countries don't qualify as genuine refugees, only as invetment-type (for lack of a better word) immigrants.

 

[Makhno]

Meanwhile, on a shady trail in Stanley Park.....

 

[hitrack]

Make no f-ing mistake these lazy fuks just wanna suck on the govies teet and ride the free train all the way to gravy city. They don't wanna work, or want fukkin sandwiches, ...etc They want coin, free money for just asking.

They don't give 2 shitz if you say no, someone will give them some.

 

[Fudd]

The Mentally Ill Homeless

I must admit that I simpathize with the mentally ill homeless because they cannot help themselves (unlike those panhadlers that are perfectly functional).

I don't know if its my imagination or not, but I've noticed that there are a lot more homeless that don't seem to be playing with a full deck. Maybe it's because of the cut backs and closing of various provincial institutions in the last few years that were ment to help them.

 

[wilde]

You ain't seen nothing yet

A quick trip to China will open your eyes, there are professional beggars "working" most of the tourist districts. Some of the hardened ones even buy or steal kids and train them to be their associates/employees. Sometimes these kids have a handicap or two which makes them better suited for their jobs, while other kids have their handicap created for them. To these people, begging is their #@!%ing job. I get depressed just thinking about it.

 

[Buntoss]

I wouldnt be so upset about pandhandlers if they were genunine about their needs or made an effort to get out of their situation.

It's like what several of you have said, you offer them food and they spit it out. For many of them they only want the money for booze or drugs.

Yesterday, I saw the owner of a fence powerwashing off some graffiti that said "Will do anything for money except work". This is the mentality of many of the people, and unfortunately the social system that our govenment has encourages this type of behaviour.