Out of gas in Murray KY on way to AZ

[Gale_Hawkins]

A guy was at Walmart trying to raise money for gas and food in a class C so some others helped out and I topped off tank. Hoping he makes it to Phoenix.

[Chuck_thehammer]

deleted. Fight away.

I lived that life as a child.. in Cleveland.. Have YOU???????

father (small f).. deserted us when my brother was 2 DAYS OLD..NEVER seen again.
Mother was disabled.... R.I. P. Mom

[IndyCamp]

This is always a touchy subject.

It sounds like many of you live in the suburbs or rural areas, where you don't encounter "real" homeless people.

We spend a lot of time in a big city, and it is easy to see who is really homeless and who is just standing at an exit ramp with a sign.

I once had a homeless guy offer to do 10 pushups in exchange for my wife's cup of coffee. She had not yet taken a drink and we gave it to him along with $10. We told him he didn't have to do the pushups, but he did anyway. This man was clearly living on the street, not driving off in a Corvette.

When you spend a lot of time in big cities like Chicago, NYC, and D.C., you can tell who is really homeless.

Spare me the "they can get help" nonsense, as many homeless people in this country are mentally ill and telling them to just "go get help" is like me telling you to "just make more money and retire tomorrow."

[2324delk]

One of the few things we can hope for in life, is to feel good about ourselves.

If it made you feel good, you did the right thing, and had a good day.

The one question I always ask someone before I give them a little cash is.

" Do you think you could get a job if you looked for one "

If they say yes, then I give them a little money.

One guy told me yes, but he preferred to let the young people with families get the jobs. I gave him 20 bucks.

And no I do not know what he spent it on. But at least he wasn't robbing someone.

[AmericalVette]

"Law enforcement need to STOP this. But somehow these people have achieved a 'right' to steal money from the citizens."

Just this past year a man/woman team were compensated heavily when the police in a Missouri city arrested them for being in violation of a city ordnance prohibiting such activity. The ACLU came to their aid and argued successfully that it is not against the law to be homeless.

Over the next several weeks the couple were spotted at many Walmart lots along I-44. This is how they lived.... from their physical appearance it did not appear that either one of them had missed very many meals. They also had a medium sized dog with them that was very well fed. It's culls like this that make it difficult for those that truly are in need.

[Gale_Hawkins]

Thanks. The kids have turned 18 and the MH has stayed parked.

The MH being discussed was a nice clean 2000 era class C. The guy was clean too. He said they immigrated from Europe by plane 3 years ago.

[John_Joey]

Gale Hawkins wrote:
A guy was at Walmart trying to raise money for gas and food in a class C so some others helped out and I topped off tank. Hoping he makes it to Phoenix.

Nice too see you're still on the Forum. Haven't seen a post from you for awhile.

So was it this guy?

[irishtom29]

I don't care If a beggar wants a drink rather than a meal, if I help him I'll help him get what he wants, not what I think he should want. Obviously many down and out people have made bad choices in life but you can't fix that--if a guy needs a drink he needs a drink, not a display of self righteousness or a finger wagging lecture.

[Gale_Hawkins]

Chuck basically that is what happened in this case. There was no family or request for money and it was 5pm and the town was already rolling up the sidewalks for Christmas Eve so I made a unilateral decision to fund the request for gas by providing 2 tanks to get him into Spanish speaking SW USA.

[Chuck_thehammer]

if the person really needed Help with food or gas..

most churches has food/gas cards for just that need.. On Hand ...

He should go with wife/child and ASK church..

I know our church does it all the time.. and you do not need to be religious.

[Gale_Hawkins]

spoon059 wrote:

Gale Hawkins wrote:
It turned out he did have 5 gallons left in his tank when he parked at WM. At 5pm Christmas Eve he really was short on options if he was broke.

He was not lying about being out of gas.

Curious how you know that he only had 5 gallons of gas and that he wasn't lying?

Is it possibly that he just wanders from town to town, staying at Walmarts for free and scamming people?

At the end of the day, if you feel better for giving him money, good for you. As a police officer, I see the vast majority of these people are scamming, either as supplemental income (most are on SSI) or to support a chemical habit. Personally I try to carry old jackets in the trunk of my cruiser and give them to someone TRULY in need. If they want to use the jacket to keep warm, good. If they want to sell it for a rock, that is their decision.

I would never hand money to someone for nothing though. Its too easy to take that cash straight to a dealer and buy their drug of choice. If its a kid playing music on the street, I will pay for the entertainment. Maybe that kid is using that money for good, maybe he is buying dope. He EARNED that money and can do with it as he pleases.

If its a bum sitting in the median begging for cash, no thanks. I figure that between welfare programs and social security that I have given away enough of my hard earned money to these degenerates.

Because I can count. 🙂

The guy was not asking for money but for gas. I only gave him money after I pumped him 55 gallons of gas.

[n7bsn]

Gale Hawkins wrote:
A guy was at Walmart trying to raise money for gas and food in a class C so some others helped out and I topped off tank. Hoping he makes it to Phoenix.

Maybe true, probably not.

My story, 30 years ago I stopped at a rest station (east bound) in eastern Oregon and saw a couple (with kids) begging for gas money.
Two weeks later I saw them at the other rest station (west bound) doing the same.

A couple years back I saw some "kids" begging with a sign that read "need money for head lice treatment" I figured that were not lying, but I wondered how many people actually risked walking up to them to give them money.

[spoon059]

Gale Hawkins wrote:
It turned out he did have 5 gallons left in his tank when he parked at WM. At 5pm Christmas Eve he really was short on options if he was broke.

He was not lying about being out of gas.

Curious how you know that he only had 5 gallons of gas and that he wasn't lying?

Is it possibly that he just wanders from town to town, staying at Walmarts for free and scamming people?

At the end of the day, if you feel better for giving him money, good for you. As a police officer, I see the vast majority of these people are scamming, either as supplemental income (most are on SSI) or to support a chemical habit. Personally I try to carry old jackets in the trunk of my cruiser and give them to someone TRULY in need. If they want to use the jacket to keep warm, good. If they want to sell it for a rock, that is their decision.

I would never hand money to someone for nothing though. Its too easy to take that cash straight to a dealer and buy their drug of choice. If its a kid playing music on the street, I will pay for the entertainment. Maybe that kid is using that money for good, maybe he is buying dope. He EARNED that money and can do with it as he pleases.

If its a bum sitting in the median begging for cash, no thanks. I figure that between welfare programs and social security that I have given away enough of my hard earned money to these degenerates.

[spoon059]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Law enforcement need to STOP this. But somehow these people have achieved a 'right' to steal money from the citizens.

What, exactly, do you want law enforcement to stop?

You want us to police liars? That's not gonna fly...
You want us to tell people how to spend their money? That's what the REST of the government does.

[Desert_Captain]

Use a little common sense folks...

Often these people are obviously scammers and giving them money is just wrong, no other word for it. By giving them cash you are enabling their various addictions and not doing them any favors.

On the other hand some folks simple do need a a little help, case in point:

We were stopped at the truck stop at I-40 just north of Lake Havesu. A couple in their thirties who would have been labeled hippies back in the day, with the cutest little 5 year old girl were in the most decrepit homemade "sort of a Class C", held together just barely, with chewing gum and bailing wire they were allegedly bound for California.

They asked for cash for gas and I politely told them I don't carry cash (at least not enough to be giving it away to strangers). We then went into our Class C and filled a couple of grocery bags with food - lunch meat, canned goods, bread, juice, cookies, fruit etc., and then presented them with what was easily a couple of days worth of meals.

Our gift was gratefully received and we wished them well. It felt good knowing that they would at least eat decently for a couple of days and that nothing we gave could be sold off.

The other day I looked under the bathroom sink and found several canisters containing basic toiletries kits that were given to me during various hospital stays at the VA. They have soap, shampoo, razor, comb, toothbrush/paste, that sort of things. I put them in my car and now when I see a homeless person begging on a street corner they will be offered one of the kits.

When they are gone I plan on putting together similar bags for future distribution. Hotel/motel toiletries and a couple of trips to the Dollar store should stock a baggie with things these folks need and can actually use. Not much cost but better than enabling with cash.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

[davidaf]

Sometimes I give, sometimes I don't. All depends on how I feel at that moment i guess.

Was taking my StableLoads off in a parking lot one day. Some young "homeless" women stopped and chatted me up for a moment and said "You left your sunglass on the other side of the truck, on top of your tire, don't drive away and smash them" She got a $20 for 1. Saving my sunglass from being smashed, 2. For not stealing them and selling them for whatever her need was as she had plenty of opportunity. I'd rather they beg than steal any day.