not news for me since I lived in NYC

I can haz duh?

I've always suspected that about the UHO guys, but then, as Robert Guillaume said in Sports Night, "I hope they spend it on booze!"

They're just looking for a little change to believe in.

TheGreyPiper: They're just looking for a little change to believe in.

Heh.

Not all snow is wet. fark

Headline: Sidewalk solicitors in NYC purporting to collect money for the homeless are pocketing the funds themselves. In other news, sky is blue and snow is wet

Are you sure this is the analogy you want to go for?

Diggin: Not all snow is wet. fark

And not all sky is blue.

/and some of the soliciters are legit. Problem is, you can't know.

Don't feed the trolls, I mean street urchins.









Donate:
nycares.org

Link (new window)

I see your story and raise you a Mayor stealing from the Toys for Tots children's Christmas gift program in Mandeville, Louisiana...and he is still on the job!

Link (R)-etard)

Link (and pulled over after creaming stop barrier suspision DUI and let go)

There's a liquor store here where some guy has two girls standing outside asking for money (forget what cause it is for) They are usually standing out there early in the evening. Why the hell am I gonna give someone begging outside a liquor store money?

I'm collecting for homeless firefighter kids with breast cancer.

I want my 17 cents back

nytmare: I'm collecting for homeless firefighter kids with breast cancer.

Collect all you want, but do not drag down firefighters for your cause.

/Don't ever piss off the guys that carry axes

Diggin: Not all snow is wet. fark

Came here to say this.

In the Rockies, our powder is deep and dry.

Some woman tried this on me in Penn Station a few years ago. I asked her what charity she worked for and she stammered and I laughed in her face.

Article wasn't really necessary. Most of us know that beggars, whether or not they have a table and a water jug, are "professionals" who might actually make more money per hour than many legitimate workers. All you need to do is be a little observant. The thing that they most often forget about is the shoes. Wearing $100 Nikes? Probably not a real homeless guy.

Italian bums are worse than NYC bums because if you do give them something, they'll ask for more unless you yell at them. Here, any time I've actually given booze money to a bum they were thankful even if it was just a nickel.

sky is only blue during night, and snow is only wet when it melts.

Fail tag kicks obvious to curb. Irony chuckles.

I gave at the office.

I'm a sidewalk solicitor in NYC, purporting to ask for directions while actually marketing my cawk to the cutest bidder, so I'm getting a hummer after their replies.

In other news, sky is blue and snow is wet, and smitty hasn't come up with a creative headline yet.

Back a few years ago in Toronto, there was a well publicized case of a "homeless" woman hanging out around the Toronto Stock Exchange on King Street.

A reported followed her home, knocked on the door to her CONDO and was greeted by the sight of leather couches, a big screen TV, etc., etc., etc.

For his troubles, he got assaulted by her...But the report he made stirred up the pot...there were people going nuts because they had given her $20's, $50's around Christmas...and it was all a huge scam.

Turns out that she was making more money per hour then a lot of the people she was getting money from.

I allow any homeless that are hanging around my office building, free coffee. Provided of course, they aren't offensive to the nose and are reasonably presentable. They may be homeless, but should still have standards.

Gifted Many Few: I allow any homeless that are hanging around my office building, free coffee. Provided of course, they aren't offensive to the nose and are reasonably presentable. They may be homeless, but should I still have standards.

/FTFY

On the plus side, you get a clean windshield.

I've got a bridge in Brooklyn that I'm selling for charity. Would you be interested in purchasing it?

MBooda: On the plus side, you get a clean windshield.

Honest living, honest living.

/shouldn't be too obscure

I was on the train once and two UHO guys did a neat little begging comedy show of sorts. It was amusing to the point that I almost gave them a dollar... almost...

/better than the guy and girl yelling WE ARE THE UNITED. HOMELESS. ORGANIZATION. WE PROVIDE FOOD, SHELTER, AND VITAL INFORMATION TO THOSE IN NEED

Here in Austin it's blindingly clear that the homeless are organized and are doing well for themselves. The hippy/religious guilt angle never fails.

The UHO are the guys that ask if you could spare some food or change on the subway?

I saw them turn down two food items because they would go bad,which was understandable I guess, until i offered my energy bar and they told me to keep it.

HUGE duh. Although I can't stand the ones who literally go after you for not stopping, lay the guilt trip on you.

The absolute worst was the Policeman's Beneficiary guy that called, I think once I told him I was only 14, it wasn't even my place and he kept going on "You don't have anything to give? Not A DIME?! Do you have an uncle nearby or anything?" Eventually I went down to the office he was calling from and asked him why he can't take no for an answer it was all "Look buddy I'm just doing my job, the same was I did my job protecting your ass from getting killed which I guess you don't appreciate. You don't wanna help out heroes I wanna know why!" At the time I was in college and living paycheck to paycheck and he STILL harped on me.

Terrible things from 9/11:
1. All the death & fear it caused that day
2. It turned even the dirtiest, biggest douchebags into "heroes" because they happen to be a cop or fireman.

You've got to be kidding.

If I didn't have a soul, I'd hit the first train to NYC.

To think of all the money I raised for non-profits and charities and actually gave to them...

/stupid, stupid, stupid
//sometimes I curse my having a soul
///it doesn't help in troubled financial times

that said, I only give to charities I know (and on the street, only Salvation Army with the locked bucket), except to a few homeless guys I know personally are just decent folk who're just stuck - it's hard to get a job when you don't have an address, when you keep randomly passing out without a drop of alcohol in you. That lady in Toronto really f--ked it up for a lot of them, as did the city tearing down the place they usually slept when they had a dollar, but I have an easy litmus test - anyone I've had a conversation with, who hasn't turned down food ('cept a few times they said they were just taken care of, and don't bother) - they're usually legit. and even if they weren't, two dollars for a fruit plate and a handful of cigarettes for some awesome conversation and someone watching my back when i'm walking home late at night ... i'm cool with that

Thanks Subby! I would have never have known this otherwise!

/sarcasm.

I find that in my limited experience of the homeless and beggars outside of NYC, I always end up appreciating how the NYC homeless are the most polite. I don't know if it's because of the cops, or the fact that New Yorkers generally don't take shiat, or maybe just because there are so many homeless, and so many pedestrians, that they don't feel the need to harass a person all the way down the street.

I've also noticed that begging on a train must be more profitable than many jobs I've had. There have been plenty of times when I've been unemployed or working for $15 a day, and seen a homeless guy walk through the train car. I may feel selfish that I have a home and stuff, until I do the math. Even if he gets only $1 per car, there are 10 cars on the train, and it takes maybe 2 minutes to go through each one. If he spends only 5 hours a day doing this, he could make $150 per day, tax free. We're all in the wrong business.

Years ago, when I worked near Penn Station, a dude asked me for 50 cents for the LIRR to make up his shortage. A week later, he asked me again, at which time I made a comment about him never having the right fare. A few weeks later I saw him hustling again at which point I told him next time I'm going to call the cops on him. In hindsight, that may not have been too bright. He disappeared not long after, but he left me a permanently jaded New Yorker.

ThisSideofSteinway: Robert Guillaume said in Sports Night, "I hope they spend it on booze!"

I sometimes give the dudes who are admitting they're spending on booze a dollar.

jappa7: HUGE duh. Although I can't stand the ones who literally go after you for not stopping, lay the guilt trip on you.

The absolute worst was the Policeman's Beneficiary guy that called, I think once I told him I was only 14, it wasn't even my place and he kept going on "You don't have anything to give? Not A DIME?! Do you have an uncle nearby or anything?" Eventually I went down to the office he was calling from and asked him why he can't take no for an answer it was all "Look buddy I'm just doing my job, the same was I did my job protecting your ass from getting killed which I guess you don't appreciate. You don't wanna help out heroes I wanna know why!" At the time I was in college and living paycheck to paycheck and he STILL harped on me.

Terrible things from 9/11:
1. All the death & fear it caused that day
2. It turned even the dirtiest, biggest douchebags into "heroes" because they happen to be a cop or fireman.

I swear they have a list of people they call who don't give. Maybe take an extra minute or two to respond to that robbery call, y'know...

Seriously, the only thing that annoys the f--k out of me more than the policemen calling was my dad's alma mater / grad school college begging for donations after they received the biggest donation in the history of the university.

Oh wait, I lied, it was my alma mater calling me less than a year after I graduated.

"blah blah blah... can you help out with $500?"
"No"
"blah blah we understand blah blah... $200?"
"Look, I still owe you money, and we both know this is just going to go back and forth, and I know it's your job, but I'll save you time and just let you know I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY"
"... well, we have a career center...."

Better yet was the call asking me to finance my own damn graduation.

"blah blah blah... can you help out with $500?"
"No"
"blah blah we understand blah blah... $200?"
"NO. Look, maybe I could give $10, but I need to think about it. Send me something in the mail."
"Thank you so much for your donation..."
"Listen: I said I might be able to donate. You are NOT going to bill me anything, right? I do NOT agree to that. Send me something in the mail and if I decide to do so, I'll send it back with a check."
"Well..."
"You were gonna just bill me, weren't you?"

/bash head repeatedly against phone

whenIsayGO: I find that in my limited experience of the homeless and beggars outside of NYC, I always end up appreciating how the NYC homeless are the most polite. I don't know if it's because of the cops, or the fact that New Yorkers generally don't take shiat, or maybe just because there are so many homeless, and so many pedestrians, that they don't feel the need to harass a person all the way down the street.

I've also noticed that begging on a train must be more profitable than many jobs I've had. There have been plenty of times when I've been unemployed or working for $15 a day, and seen a homeless guy walk through the train car. I may feel selfish that I have a home and stuff, until I do the math. Even if he gets only $1 per car, there are 10 cars on the train, and it takes maybe 2 minutes to go through each one. If he spends only 5 hours a day doing this, he could make $150 per day, tax free. We're all in the wrong business.

At least we can say we do honest... work...

Aw, hell, what does that matter anymore?

I just wish I thought of the "pay off my credit card bill" before that dumbass shopaholic chick did it online.

How about "pay off my student debt and rent for me so I can have the freedom to get the hell out of Dodge, not have to worry about working a job I'm vastly overqualified for so I can pay my reasonable yet all-consuming bills (especially the ever-rising health care copays), go to grad school, national lab, or into diplomacy, make the world a goddam better place, and I will pay you back with interest within five years."

Eh, boring website, that.

Don't give on the street. Decide how much you want to give in a year and write one big check.

Advantages:
1. You can vet the organization.
2. Your money is much more likely to go to the needy. If you give to an organization, they have professionals who can allocate the funds better than you.
3. The organization doesn't need to hire solicitors.
4. Bums have to seek out institutionalized help which can get them off the streets; your $5 just encourages them to stay poor.
5. You can get the cancelled check and donee acknowledgment you may need (depending on amount given) for a tax deduction.

whenIsayGO: I find that in my limited experience of the homeless and beggars outside of NYC, I always end up appreciating how the NYC homeless are the most polite. I don't know if it's because of the cops, or the fact that New Yorkers generally don't take shiat, or maybe just because there are so many homeless, and so many pedestrians, that they don't feel the need to harass a person all the way down the street.

I've also noticed that begging on a train must be more profitable than many jobs I've had. There have been plenty of times when I've been unemployed or working for $15 a day, and seen a homeless guy walk through the train car. I may feel selfish that I have a home and stuff, until I do the math. Even if he gets only $1 per car, there are 10 cars on the train, and it takes maybe 2 minutes to go through each one. If he spends only 5 hours a day doing this, he could make $150 per day, tax free. We're all in the wrong business.

Had one guy who I'd seen a couple times in the subways, once selling candy and once doing magic tricks. I recognized one day when he was just riding home and he was excited to have someone remember him and he kept insisting "Not taking any money today, going to see my kids in Jersey." and I asked how much he makes a week and he ran through the times of year and why he changes gimmicks and I made a remark about "Must be some nice spending money." and he told me most of those guys are spending it on drugs/booze or are using it as a diversion for theft, but every dime he ever earned from it over the 7 years he'd been doing it went into a college fund for his 2 kids because his ex was going to take them down south and the only way he could convince her not to move away was if he paid for their college education someday, and he knew he'd never be able to get the a loan or didn't want to put the pressure on them to earn scholarships & grants and it was the only way he could guarantee it. Even pulled out the account statement that he was taking to show his ex every month. I like when someone works around the system, if he did it legit working multiple jobs he'd still be scraping by and not getting early enough saved for them with taxes. So he works 2 part time jobs and does that 4 nights a week in the subways.

Sidewalk solicitors?

Australian translation: Pathway lawyers

///I find it funny how we call solicitors lawyers and Americans call solicitors prostitutes and homeless people

///Can relate to the prostitute reference sometimes

I was in NYC on Friday for business and those damn UHO guys outside Penn Station jus would not leave me the fark alone. Don't try to make me feel guilty for my Starbucks while you're screaming in my ear. Now pay attention while I drop a couple of bucks into the Salvation Army bucket and thank the guy for being unobtrusive.

/yes, I like the bell-ringers. Makes it sound more like the holidays

Whadjisay: I read somewhere once that only 6% of a dollar donated to ANY charity ever makes it to the people it's supposed to be for

Depends upon the charity.
Never, never, never donate to the Red Cross or the United Way.
Big, bloated bureaucracies is all they are.

"I'm sorry, I don't carry cash."

Are these linked to the hard sell 'sir can I ask you a question?' kids who shake down people for money in the DC metro?

I have worked in NYC since 1978 and I have known about these clowns since 1978.
brigid_fitch: They have these guys working all corners at Penn for at least 18hr split/shifts, every day of the week.

michaeld5: Never, never, never donate to the Red Cross or the United Way.
Big, bloated bureaucracies is all they are.

Not just bureaucracies either. The ARC especially encourages some odd attitudes amongst its people on the ground - such as the practice of charging individuals restaurant style for food at relief sites. Or the Farker who was burned out of his apt house, but was refused aid because they would only help one resident (the one who accidentally started the fire).

Whadjisay

I read somewhere once that only 6% of a dollar donated to ANY charity ever makes it to the people it's supposed to be for


Charity Navigator investigates almost every charity and they rank them.

charitynavigator.org (new window)