5 ms·

I don't give money to panhandlers, I think it encourages bad behavior. But to anyone who asks, I look them in the eye, and say "sorry, not today". I'm surprised

I don't give money to panhandlers, I think it encourages bad behavior. But to anyone who asks, I look them in the eye, and say "sorry, not today". I'm surprised how few people do this, it takes less effort than actively ignoring someone.

paulcole 9y ago
>"sorry, not today" How does this not encourage more panhandling (aka "bad behavior")? You're implying that maybe you'll have something for them tomorrow despite the fact that you never will. Does saying that do anything other than make yourself feel better about not "actively ignoring someone"?
- akvadrako 9y ago
  What would be a better thing to say? You don't want to start a conversation or be too rude, but also want to acknowledge them. Personally, I try to ignore panhandlers to discourage it, but that is kinda like protesting elections by not voting. It feels a bit too much like apathy.
  - Fargren 9y ago
    Panhandling is probably bad enough that it discourages itself. There are reasons not to give, but I don't think you reduce panhandling by not giving, so "discouraging" is not a good reason. Hopefully some people will manage to get enough to move to something less bad.
    - akvadrako 9y ago
      Why would you say that? One person doesn't make much difference, but naturally panhandling follows the law of supply and demand like anything else.
    - ams6110 9y ago
      Talk to anyone who works at helping the homeless or impoverished, they will tell you that the vast majority of panhandlers are substance abusers looking for just enough money to get high. They are not doing it to eat (community kitchens are free) and they are not doing it to save up for something less bad.
      - Fargren 9y ago
        I would wager that changes a lot by locale. There are plenty of places without such a thing as community kitchen, where if you don't have money at the end of the they you are not going to eat. And I also don't believe you are doing any favors to poor drug addicts by denying them access to drugs. The whole situation is shit, and there are forms of altruism that are much more effective than giving to panhandlers. But I have much trouble seeing it as "encouraging bad behavior". As I said, it's going to happen regardless.
  - tmnvix 9y ago
    > What would be a better thing to say? "Sorry"
enraged_camel 9y ago
Why is it "bad behavior" to ask people for change? A lot of pandhandlers panhandle not because they enjoy it, but because they believe they have no other choice. And that is often times the case: they don't have the resources (logistical, financial, social or other) or stable enough health (physical or mental) to find and hold onto jobs. And since they've got to eat, they panhandle. People with your mindset are usually unable to really put themselves in the shoes of a homeless person. Rather, they think, "gosh, if I became homeless tomorrow, I would go get a job somewhere!" because for them, getting a job is relatively easy. They don't understand what chronic homelessness is like.
- Kalium 9y ago
  There's a very common view that panhandlers and the homeless are principally the same population. It's possible that this view might not be completely correct: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/panhandling/endnotes/#endnote26 http://www.popcenter.org/problems/panhandling/endnotes/#endn...
  - omginternets 9y ago
    I skimmed through this and haven't seen anything supporting this claim. Maybe I missed it. Could you elaborate?
    - Kalium 9y ago
      The footnote I linked contains several references and full study texts. The short version is that homeless panhandlers are definitely a phenomenon, but the overlap between the two populations is often significantly smaller than might be naively assumed.
      - omginternets 9y ago
        Yes, I read the text cited by footnote 26. I don't see where it says that.
deleted 9y ago
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paulcole 9y ago

>"sorry, not today" How does this not encourage more panhandling (aka "bad behavior")? You're implying that maybe you'll have something for them tomorrow despite the fact that you never will. Does saying that do anything other than make yourself feel better about not "actively ignoring someone"?

akvadrako 9y ago
What would be a better thing to say? You don't want to start a conversation or be too rude, but also want to acknowledge them. Personally, I try to ignore panhandlers to discourage it, but that is kinda like protesting elections by not voting. It feels a bit too much like apathy.
- Fargren 9y ago
  Panhandling is probably bad enough that it discourages itself. There are reasons not to give, but I don't think you reduce panhandling by not giving, so "discouraging" is not a good reason. Hopefully some people will manage to get enough to move to something less bad.
  - akvadrako 9y ago
    Why would you say that? One person doesn't make much difference, but naturally panhandling follows the law of supply and demand like anything else.
  - ams6110 9y ago
    Talk to anyone who works at helping the homeless or impoverished, they will tell you that the vast majority of panhandlers are substance abusers looking for just enough money to get high. They are not doing it to eat (community kitchens are free) and they are not doing it to save up for something less bad.
    - Fargren 9y ago
      I would wager that changes a lot by locale. There are plenty of places without such a thing as community kitchen, where if you don't have money at the end of the they you are not going to eat. And I also don't believe you are doing any favors to poor drug addicts by denying them access to drugs. The whole situation is shit, and there are forms of altruism that are much more effective than giving to panhandlers. But I have much trouble seeing it as "encouraging bad behavior". As I said, it's going to happen regardless.
- tmnvix 9y ago
  > What would be a better thing to say? "Sorry"

enraged_camel 9y ago

Why is it "bad behavior" to ask people for change? A lot of pandhandlers panhandle not because they enjoy it, but because they believe they have no other choice. And that is often times the case: they don't have the resources (logistical, financial, social or other) or stable enough health (physical or mental) to find and hold onto jobs. And since they've got to eat, they panhandle. People with your mindset are usually unable to really put themselves in the shoes of a homeless person. Rather, they think, "gosh, if I became homeless tomorrow, I would go get a job somewhere!" because for them, getting a job is relatively easy. They don't understand what chronic homelessness is like.

Kalium 9y ago
There's a very common view that panhandlers and the homeless are principally the same population. It's possible that this view might not be completely correct: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/panhandling/endnotes/#endnote26 http://www.popcenter.org/problems/panhandling/endnotes/#endn...
- omginternets 9y ago
  I skimmed through this and haven't seen anything supporting this claim. Maybe I missed it. Could you elaborate?
  - Kalium 9y ago
    The footnote I linked contains several references and full study texts. The short version is that homeless panhandlers are definitely a phenomenon, but the overlap between the two populations is often significantly smaller than might be naively assumed.
    - omginternets 9y ago
      Yes, I read the text cited by footnote 26. I don't see where it says that.

deleted 9y ago

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