Just got off of work and stopped to get some gas. Well there's a pick up on the pump in front of me with a bunch of fencing gear no one in it, thought it was weird but whatever. Hear something behind me and there's a older fella walking up shaking his head. Just outta that courtesy ( y'all know how we are down here ) I just off had asked him how he was doin as he walked past. He stopped and point behind him at a fella standing up by the side of the road. Said the guy had a sign asking for money and he had went up and told him he needed some help for the day putting up some fence. Said he offered the guy $8 an hour a lunch and a beer after they where done and apparently he said he wasn't interested in "hard labor" . Guy shook his head and walked back to the truck in front of me saying he'll just go find a few " Migos " because they at least want to work and he'd take two hard working illegals for every guy like him out by the road. Can't say I blame him honestly

The sad truth is that he will probably make more money panhandling and not have to lift a finger to do it.

8 bucks an hour is pretty pathetic. The hobo should hold out for 10 and a 6 pack.

N Oway he'd except anything long as he didn't have to work for it

There’s been a guy on the corner of the intersection by McDonald’s here for months now. Always the same dude, alway there beggin. I never have talked to him but I’ve heard through the grapevine he gets pretty rude sometimes. I doubt any locals are giving him money after seeing him there day after day, but I think he must make a pretty good living on all the out of towners passing through. It’s right at the bottom of the off ramp on I-80. I’ll never give a red cent to someone beggin on a street corner. No excuse for that kind of laziness.

The only time I gave a panhandler a buck was when a guy was holding a sign that said "need beer". At least he was honest.

There is a guy like that hangs out at the Tim Hortons in the next town over.
People give him coffee and donuts,sandwiches etc.
I have seen him dump the coffee,and feed the food to his dog.
Apparently on Facebook someone said he was an addict and only looking for money to feed his habit.

My daughter lives near a big town and we went there one day while I was visiting. There was a guy panhandling, playing a violin and pretty good at it the whole time. At least he was doing something. I was pumping gas one day and a woman showed me a paper. It said something to the effect of I have 3 kids, need food blah blah blah. I was in a pretty good mood and gave her a few bucks and then thought- where is the baby daddy, hand him that paper.

Panhandling might be the 3rd oldest way to make a living, lol
When my father was a boy he was working with his father near a guy in sunglasses sitting next to a money bucket for handouts. My father told the old man "we should give that poor blind man something"

Grandpa told him to keep an eye on the guy around 4oclock. Sure enough, 4 o'clock comes and the "blind" mans driver comes to pick him up in cadillac ..

This was about 90 years ago

I have had more than one panhandler type tell me that they can make about 500 dollars in a couple hours at a good busy intersection. It would be hard to leave that for an 8 dollar an hour job.

There are campers that park at Walmart here and they panhandle all day long taking turns.
When night comes they just jump in the camper.

I was at Wal Mart one day at the checkout.
An older lady in front of didn't have enough cash to pay for her purchases.
She turned to me and said "a gentleman would offer to help out." I looked at her purchases and it was not food or necessary stuff so I just looked at her and said nothing.

Intersection at hiway 1 and old 218 in Iowa city has a begger that I have seen several times. I don't get there very often. I figure if you don't try to help yourself why should I.
just

I heard unemployment was at an all time lowest since 50 years. I thought about that, BS!

Fake news. Just in time for midterm elections.

Was walking out of the gas station early one morning and a young lady approached me and asked if I saw a food card that she had lost.I said no and she asked if I could give her money for a gallon of milk for her baby.I thought dang this gal got some game and if she wasn’t smoking a cigarette the whole time I would have helped her out.My thought is if you can afford cigarettes you don’t need my help.

If she ever says she lost her food card again and she will if she's still around, you should say you just saw someone give a card to the clerk and see if she even bothers to look.

Keith

Usually you can roust out the grifters by saying you won’t give them cash, but you’ll go in and purchase the milk and give it to her. If she really needs the milk she’ll accept, if not then you know the deal.

My son told me that those people with signs asking for money all work together. Its a regular job for them. They pool their money, change locations and shifts. They also have a boss. They are pros.

For a long time I have wanted to get a bunch of applications from various places, and hand them out to these folks. I know they would get trashed, but still makes a point!

a co-worker several years ago , he traveled a lot lived in an apartment where you had your room and then the living room and kitchen were community space for 3 room mates but the landlord would rent to whoever you didn't find the room mates.

so he comes back from a work trip we kept him on the road 4-5 days a week sometimes more part of why he lived in the cheapest apartment he could find.

he has a new room mate and the guy looks familiar , yup thats why, the guy was pan handling at an intersection on the way to work
"work" a few hours a day and make more than if he worked legit at a fast food joint for 8 hours
pay no taxes , qualify for any hand out on income basis , they work at not working