I had a guy ask me for money for a sandwich one time and I gave him 3.00 and then I watched him ask a few more people. I waited about 10 minutes and watched him eventually walk over to the ABC Store. I knew when I gave him the money (somehow you just know) and just hung around out of curiousity to make sure my instincts were correct.

I also watched a man in Portland sit down and eat a salad (big surprise) after asking me for lunch money. He was pretty filthy, but hey he ate well and if he was a customer he could use the bathroom to cleanup (which he then did after he ate - priorities afterall).

The will work for food signs bother me the most. I've seldom had anyone take me up on the offer (not that I want any homeless person to know where I live). If they actually agreed to menial labor for food I would just give them the money.

I also knew a guy (he is despictable to me now that I know what he does) who it turned out was spending every day panhandling and he made almost as much as I do a year by begging for change. The good spots are important - some people will toss 20.00 bills in their hats - get a few of those a day and you've done well - and all tax free! He even had a nice car that he would park blocks away from where he was panhandling.




>>>>>Unfortunately, that's the way it always is. The only type of politician we ever get a chance to vote for is the type who lusts for power. The ones who don't have that lust, don't run. And it doesn't matter on which side of the fence one sits.
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>>>>Isn't that like saying that the only ones who go to restaurants are those that want food? :)
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>>>Maybe, but for the most part, the ones who really want food the most, can't afford restaurants, so they seek me out on my way to or from work. ;) There is a really big guy who I've seen around for at least 10 years now. These days he panhandles in the entrance to one of the underground malls near the subway, and his line is, "Please. For toast and an egg." My philosophy is 'never trust a starving fat person'.
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>>Wait. Canada has panhandlers and beggers? I thought Canadian government took care of all that.
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>Of course we don't. We do, however, have a plethora of folks who apparently are just shy of enough money for lunch or a subway ride. I don't know why I keep hearing that they're going to buy booze. Not one has ever asked me for money for booze. See, that's how unfortunate stereotyping gets started - by rumour.
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>Actually, I gave money to a guy because his approach was so unique (at least to me). I was walking by and he asked me for directions. I asked him where he was trying to get to, and he said, "The nearest spare quarter." Cracked me right up.