@Sofia
Let them Try and retaliate. I'm more than up for it.
Listen, these are not your fathers homeless/beggars, these are verbose and sometimes aggressive Assholes who actually feel they are owed something from me because I'm.. functioning? Wearing clean clothes and able to buy something for myself? What is it? And what if they're doing their "begging" outside a liquor store, what say you then?
Two Sundays ago my wife and I were downtown and she was going to run in to a coffee shop to get us something hot to drink for our hike. Two guys who were together split up in order to hit her up for change at two separate points in her roughly 80-90 ft walk to the coffee shop. They have a system - it's thought out - it's strategic! They're looooooserrrrrrs. She told them that she saw what they did and preoceeded to tell them to "get a life" and in case you're wondering she could've dropped either one of them should they get overly aggressive or physical with her.
2014. June. I had just finished a job and was walking into a close by bank to make a deposit. there was a guy sitting on the cement near the door with a sign. I can't remember what it said but I really felt for the guy for some reason. On the way out I told him I was going through a Wendy's drive thru for a burger and asked him if he wanted one, of course he nodded his head and muttered yes. Not yes please - but no big deal. When I drove back I pulled up as close to the curb and motioned for him to come grab the bag (A big Dave's classic Tripple W cheese) HE! starts motioning to me to park and hand deliver it TO HIM! Really?? we were no less than 25 ft apart...
..I put my hazard lights on got out of my truck and unwrapped the burger a little as I walked towards him where I threw it at him as hard as I could so that the slightly unwrapped burger would be destroyed upon making contact. He was now wearing it when he could have just got off his fucking ass for eight seconds to come get it. Read that last part again please. HE COULD NOT BE BOTHERED TO GET OFF HISS ASS.
You work sometimes two jobs! Howe can you not see my point or at least be willing to meet half way on this?
If he got up, it might have aggravated his thirst. And with renewed thirst, that burger wouldn't go down very well. He also might have had a leg injury.
That said, don't hate me because I totally get what you are saying. First of all, most beggars presumably are on food stamps, which even without a kitchen should last at least 2 weeks out of the month.
I was able to get a young, healthy, lying beggar arrested for begging in a grocery store parking lot about 9 years ago. At a Walmart. He rubbed me the wrong way because he said he needed money to get back to a college town and when I asked if he worked, or had family helping him, he got indignant and self-righteous, saying angrily that he didn't have to answer any questions. I didn't like his attitude. So, after watching him repeatedly bilk little old ladies for
bills (
that came as a shock to me), I was able to get that one arrested. I'd complained about him before. He was a total nuisance to every woman in the parking lot every evening.
So, you and I are on the same side here. I merely was concerned about your physical safety, and readers' safety. Most people are not as strong as you, or your wife. I hate the impositions of false, young, healthy, male beggars and I resent them with a fury for approaching me, as a woman. No young, healthy male should ever approach a lady, and usually after dark. One time I just lost it and spat out, "Would you want your mom talking to some strange man after dark in a parking lot!" Made sense to me at the time. But later, I thought about how the guy could have retaliated, and I decided never to back talk beggars again. I am lucky that one was nice. The most I usually say now is, "Please ask a man". Or, "I don't talk to men I don't know". (Especially strong-looking ones).
In this national housing crisis, though, if a beggar is a senior (lots here), or disabled in such a way that they probably can't get disability, then the need for rent money is real.
But yes, there are so many druggies and career beggars. Sometimes they act annoyed when I offer food. That's when I remember they often get food stamps. So unless someone is hungry, I've quit offering any snack. Although I did leave a couple cans of dog food with a lady whose dog looked worried with hunger. And I wish I'd done so again later another time, which reminds me to move a pet food can to the front seat because I don't feel comfortable getting into the trunk around just anybody. Dogs can eat cat food. But cats don't get adequate nutrition from dog food. I offer canned with flip tops, because some pets have tooth aches. Nice to offer a plastic utensil, too. I wish everyone carried these things (and a collar and leash) in their vehicles. Pets are people too and a whole lot nicer!
Water is more important though. Recently I gave water to a young, healthy man begging for water. Dehydration is very serious, especially if he was diabetic. After I drove away, I regretted not giving him two, but the whole thing came as kind of a shock to me. I had never been begged for water before. It was in a part of town where there just were no stores at all, almost no habitat (no espresso stands, no fast food, nothing). I figured he'd find bushes to pee in. I hate parts of town like that, especially when you have to drive through them to get to work. Because if anything happens, you're up sh** creek. The Seattle corridor has a lot of places like that, because of the Boeing fields and trains. Just nowhere to pull over and take care of small medical crises or anything, no potty, no nothing. With no bushes, no trees and traffic zooming by.
I have balanced 3 part time jobs since November. Today I had a good interview for a 4th part time job which would fit in fine. I've applied for a lot of full time jobs, but computers have really decreased the need for any secretary and most call centers are in Pakistan, etc... I'm kind of excited about hopefully being able to say soon, "I have 4 part time jobs". I think it's a little funny.
On the sad side though, I am worried a man at one of my jobs might be doing pedophilia in the restroom, so it's only a matter of time before that job goes down the drain. No other employees care from what they've told me. So I will be the one who monitors, reports and subsequently gets fired for "unrelated" (supposedly) issues. If anyone here works/used to work in law enforcement, I could use some advice. I need the job desperately and would like to have the guy caught without risking my neck.
