A woman in Baltimore was stabbed after giving money to a woman standing with a baby at an intersection. After giving the woman money a man approached the car and tried to steal her wallet. After a struggle he stabbed her and she later died.
I’ll admit the only time I’ve given money is when I see firefighters with boots collecting for a cause.
This article just reminds me to be aware of my surroundings as I go in and out of my car doing errands especially around the holiday season.
Horrible that this happened to this kind hearted woman who was just trying to help.
I never roll down windows/unlock doors for anyone that I don’t know. Frankly it makes me nervous when people pan handle near intersections, or worse yet, in the roadway. I don’t only worry about my own safety, but theirs.
No, I don’t. I feel like I might just be supporting a drug habit by giving cash. In my city there are places to go to get shelter and meals, and I do support those places.
I have given food to people on corners…once we made some snack bags for this purpose, and once I happened to be bringing a bunch of catering leftovers home from an event.
I never give to organizations in intersections because I think its dangerous and distracting. Sorry! I do give charitably in other ways, both time and money!
I don’t give to people on intersections at all. I think if I were to start to be so inclined then I would give a $5 or $10 gift card to a fast food restaurant and have them on hand in the car for such a purpose. That way I would know the money was either going for food or the person had to work a bit to trade it for money for something else.
My husband has occasionally gone to McDonald’s and bought a hamburger and fries for a person standing at an intersection. We don’t give money.
I see a lot of these folks early in the day when I’m out running. I don’t live in a big city and I frequently see them later in the day near my office where there’s a day shelter. I have ziplock bags of dog food that I give to folks with dogs. McDonald’s gift cards for the people. I rarely have cash so I never think about giving it. I support the food bank and the Salvation Army. I wish there was more that I could do.
I don’t give money to panhandlers.
I shop in a small city & all the intersections near the mall have beggars with signs. I have been in a backed up line and watched them change shifts behind the adjacent strip mall. Beggar walks from corner behind the building to a car that just pulled in, trades places with the driver and the driver wanders out to the corner. The one clocking out had a big roll of cash.
I never give them money.
I’ll preface this by saying that I do a lot of volunteer work with that community. And the answer is no, I don’t give individuals money. If we’re talking a fairly large city, there are resources available, including regular meals. I’m also cognizant of the fact that some of the cardboard signs they hold may as well be laminated; I’ve seen guys who have “Today is my birthday” or “I need to get to my mother’s funeral” for literally weeks on end.
That said, for “regulars,” I have been known to tap them into the subway with my card or buy them an item like a thermos.
No, I do not.
It is a tragic story! No I do not.
My children and I have bought food for the homeless, and at times have given the food we bought for ourselves. There are simply moments when that seemed the right thing to do.
There is a regular guy I give the same amount of quarters to when I see him, manning his station off the freeway exit. He is lovely to me and greets me as if I am a niece he has not seen in a long while. When he is not there for months on end, I worry a bit, and speak to him about his absence when he returns.
Reading of the unfortunate and scary incident in Baltimore instantly made me reassess my habit of rolling down the window to greet him and hand him change. While I have long considered that it might not be safe or wise to do so, I have never felt that I was in danger. But, this story has jarred me.
Generally no. But I never feel good about them having/choosing to be there and I don’t feel good about not giving either. Don’t like the feeling of avoiding to make eye contact.
I choose to not judge why they are there or what they are collecting for. I’m sure sometimes it’s legit and sometimes it’s not. But as I sit in my nice, functional car with the heat or AC on and my hands on the power button to be sure the door is locked, I still don’t feel comfortable that anyone is spending time on a street corner asking for handouts.
No.
My understanding is that they are working for someone else (the ones at the intersections).
We’ve worked with a meal site for a long time.
Years ago, I decided that if I meet St Peter, I’d rather be faulted for being generous and maybe making a mistake, than ignoring need. But here, also, there’s an issue with streetcorner folks being bussed in.
Over time, we’ve heard many stories through the meal site. So many are genuinely down on their luck or are the working poor. Do something, especially in this holiday season.
I used to give to panhandlers, but then saw a segment on a show like Dateline (not sure it was that specific show) which showed how many of these folks do it professionally as a job - sometimes earning six figures. The conclusion of the show was that it’s better to give to organizations helping the homeless and others in need of a hand. We shifted our giving.
I feel for the lady and her friends/relatives. It sucks to lose someone you love, period, but to lose them for something like this? Totally senseless.
Not usually, but every now and then I feel like I really want to, when someone looks like they are in serious need and not a serial druggie panhandler. I’m not pulling out my wallet in an obvious fashion.
The police here tell people to NOT give. You are just enabling drug addiction and alcoholism. Give to shelters and missions and other charities.
It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Do what your heart or the situation tells you.