What is Digg?316 Comments
- nochilinopity, on 01/27/2009, -4/+102chaaaaaange...chaaaaaaange!
- mark925, on 01/27/2009, -5/+61....and why the hell am I working again?
- crownedgriffin, on 01/27/2009, -3/+54I used to live in Eugene, OR, and these annoying bastards are EVERYWHERE. They beg for money with f-ing Starbucks cups while listening to their iPods.
- Forbizzle, on 01/27/2009, -2/+48Blown out of proportion. The 400 dollars a day was an estimate from a police officer with no evidence. Even if he did make that much, and it wasn't a high point. You'd have to take into account days he's unable to pan-handle. This is Edmonton, where the temperature ranges from -40 to 40 Celsius. If he was out there 365 days a year he would die. I think it's realistic that some of these guys could pull in 30-50k a year, but 135k is rediculous.
- thayanmarsh, on 01/27/2009, -4/+47And some people actually are poor, living on the streets and crazy because they don't/can't get their schizophrenia meds. This person is obviously a pro, or they are referring to a busker, playing music for money, which I think is great and shouldn't be discouraged if its good.
- D3ltronZ3ro, on 01/27/2009, -16/+56STOP GIVING BEGGARS MONEY!
- Buckwyld, on 01/27/2009, -7/+42There is a guy here in Vegas that sits on Tropicana and Eastern and I see him playing the slot machines when I fill up on gas. Another reason why I don't give to the "homeless."
- snoop396, on 01/27/2009, -0/+32my guidance counselor didn't mention that one
- caramba421, on 01/27/2009, -4/+36*****. Not journalism. Notice that whenever you see one of these stories it's along the lines of, "we know a guy who knows a guy who makes $400/day." I would like to see a link with video evidence of a panhandler that lives in a high rise. Even if such a person actually exists, he would in no way be representative of panhandlers in general. People just make these stories up so they justify how callous they are about people that have ***** lives.
With the economy going the way it's going, YOU might not have a job next week/month/year. YOU not be able to make the rent. So, before you open your mouth about people living on the street, realize that under different circumstances that could be you. - gtluke, on 01/27/2009, -2/+29they aren't homeless, they are wanna be hippies with rich parents
- marleymar, on 01/27/2009, -2/+27Simply amazing. There are people who go to school for years and work their butts off everyday at a job they may or may not hate... and still make less than these guys do.
- dumbsurfbum, on 01/27/2009, -1/+26M'am, I'm here to check your house for parasites ... apparently, you have hippies.
- IphtashuFitz, on 01/27/2009, -1/+24Back about 15 years ago I was approached by a panhandler outside a McDonalds who asked for some money so he could buy himself some lunch. I gave him some money then went inside to grab my own lunch, and later I noticed the McDonalds manager telling him to get off the property. Apparently the guy was fairly well known for targeting people going into the McDonalds but he never actually bought anything from there with the money he got. That was my first direct experience with any panhandlers.
Ever since then, if somebody asks me for any money because they're hungry I offer to buy them food but tell them I won't give them any money. Every time they end up walking away. - iamstudip, on 01/27/2009, -2/+24I'm in the wrong line of work.
- monkeyboyhero, on 01/27/2009, -5/+26$100,000 a year?! Well, that's any guilt I might feel about not giving a starving homeless person money absolved. Phew!
Come on, where the hell is this figure from? This guys pulled it out of his arse - how realistic do you think it is that a pan-handler could make that kind of money even once a day, let along every day for a year?! I'm not saying that aggressively demanding money shouldn't be discouraged, but fabricating stuff like this just to make yourself feel better is ***** - Couchy, on 01/27/2009, -1/+22My comment was a raspberry
- Couchy, on 01/27/2009, -0/+19well if you hate it so much go beg for money on the street every single day for your whole life
- zeromind, on 01/27/2009, -5/+23At least the title is flawed. "as much as" does not mean every day as implied by $2800/week. If budgeted my personal account by taking my daily income and multiplied it by 365 as this bozo did, I would quickly look like a BearsStearn banker. (Maybe THAT was their problem!)
So buried as LAME. - mpichette, on 01/27/2009, -1/+19These bums should send equalization payments to the have-not bums of Canada.
- inactive, on 01/27/2009, -8/+25Don't give money to bums.
- evilregis, on 01/27/2009, -6/+23We're in one of the richest countries in the world,
but the minimum wage is lower than it was thirty five years ago.
There are homeless people everywhere.
This homeless guy asked me for money the other day.
I was about to give it to him and then I thought he was going to use it on drugs or alcohol.
And then I thought, that's what I'm going to use it on.
Why am I judging this poor bastard.
People love to judge homeless guys. Like if you give them money they're just going to waste it.
Well, he lives in a box, what do you want him to do? Save it up and buy a wall unit?
Take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a CD rack? He's homeless.
I walked behind this guy the other day.
A homeless guy asked him for money.
He looks right at the homeless guy and says why don't you go get a job you bum.
People always say that to homeless guys like it is so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants. I'm guessing his resume isn't all up to date.
I'm predicting some problems during the interview process.
I'm pretty sure even McDonalds has a "underwear goes inside the pants" policy.
Not that they enforce it really strictly, but technically I'm sure it is on the books.
From Lazyboy, Underwear Goes Inside the Pants - everfresh59, on 01/27/2009, -2/+19They're no different than telemarketers.... whats the big diff... at least you can see who' scamming you....
- psibladeZX, on 01/27/2009, -3/+20Back in 2005, a bunch of guys in the city (NYC) were doing that. They quit their jobs as financial analysts (making something like 50 grand) and each made double that... the one guy made over 120 grand in one year. They actually did it as a social experiment in order to get into grad school for a PhD I believe. One of them went to Harvard, forget where the others went. But seriously... they don't pay taxes on that money... ridiculous.
- sourmashno7, on 01/27/2009, -8/+25This is GREAT NEWS! My life plan is finally coming to fruition!
Step 1: Panhandle and make $100,00+ in a year
Step 2: Come back to the USA, and buy 2 $40,000 shirts (see yesterdays favorites)
Step 3: Be the classiest homeless man ALIVE!!! - Biscuitz, on 01/27/2009, -3/+19I'm going to quote someone that I know. They said it better than I ever could have.
"I believe in "what goes around, comes around" and if someone is scamming me then eventually it's going to come back on them. But by the same token if I'm standing their being judgmental towards someone and I don't help them because I don't think they really need it or cause someone previously was a scammer then that's gonna come back on me. It doesn't hurt me or my life in anyway if someone is out there taking a dollar from a million ppl. It's a dollar. Why ppl get so irrate and pissed off about it I'll never understand. We spend more on coffee with whipped cream or on a hamburger but no one really gives that a second thought because they want it and that's all that matters. But we'll sit and hem and haw over some guy standing on a street corner with a sign asking for a dollar. We'll wrestle with ourselves and stress over whether we should give up that precious dollar cause this guy might use it for something we don't like or approve of. We get pissed off cause they are standing outside of the coffee shop we just came out of and think they should just go inside and get a job instead of asking us for a dollar. We put more effort into giving a person a dollar than we do about most things in life. The unfortunate part about that is because we get so upset that someone took a dollar from us who didn't really need it, we don't help the next person that really does need that dollar." - dreid1987, on 01/27/2009, -0/+15I live in Eugene... it's gotten even worse. You can't walk anywhere downtown without being accosted for money. They don't even ask for "spare change" any more - now it's "a few bucks, bro?"
I find it's best to not even make eye contact. - grey580, on 01/27/2009, -9/+23uhmmm.... this whole story smells like *****.
- directedition, on 01/27/2009, -0/+14Indeed. Most homeless are actually hard workers who take day labor work making less than $5 an hour and don't pan handle. They simply can't make enough with day work to afford a home or decent food and clothing. People can say what they want about the homeless, so long as they realize that the pan handlers are a minority.
- vertigo32, on 01/27/2009, -1/+15You know, panhandling is a 'job' kinda like stripping. Sure, there might be some times that you are just raking in money...but the benefits suck, the people you are around are - at best - crazy and drug addicted, and it makes a poor long-term career choice.
I'll stick to my 9-5 with a health plan, 401k, and heated office. Is $400 / day (and some days are $20) worth spending a winter standing outside in Alberta? - stix213, on 01/27/2009, -0/+14There is a lot of money to be made if you simply lose all self respect.
- noen, on 01/27/2009, -3/+16These pan handlers are not homeless. They are con artists.
- Ma1achi, on 01/27/2009, -1/+14I know there are pan handlers on Wall Street that make WAY more than that.
- vinolencia, on 01/27/2009, -2/+15this is ridiculous for anyone to think that this one example is at all generalizable. get real, people... and to whomever put "homeless" in quotations? yeah, this entire idea of "poverty" is just a scam for lazy people to get bank off of us unknowing idiots.
- bobartig, on 01/27/2009, -2/+14Well, that figure comes from:
1) Police discovered some panhandlers make ~$400 CND/day
2) Assume they can do that every day.
3) There are 365 days a year.
4) Convert from $CND to $US.
Was that so hard? No. It may not be realistic, but its not hard to see where the figure comes from. - AgentMull, on 01/27/2009, -0/+12All right, god bless.
- mark925, on 01/27/2009, -1/+12My comment was tongue-in-cheek.
- MaxMWood, on 01/27/2009, -5/+16I'd rather work and earn half as much than sit on my arse begging people all day.
- DjArcadian, on 01/27/2009, -3/+14Having a cellphone doesn't mean he's paying for it. There are programs available that give homeless people phones so they communicate with family and friends. Just because someone can afford a cellphone doesn't mean than can afford rent.
- billbugger, on 01/27/2009, -1/+12There is another guy here in Vegas that is similar. My brother works construction over off MLK blvd & 215 and there is a homeless guy that holds his sign up for about a half hour, then goes and sits on a bench and talks on his CELL PHONE for about an hour. Every morning.
Hangs out here:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q& ...
I have no idea what those guys are doing. - pintomp3, on 01/27/2009, -2/+13There are some scam artists out there, but many of the homeless have mental problems, including veterans with PTSD.
- Technoidatx, on 01/27/2009, -0/+10Dugg for Google Street View of Hobos in Action.
- antistupid, on 01/27/2009, -1/+11Factoring in the dollar cost of benefits, as well as the discrepancy in the number of hours working as professional and the number of hours a panhandler has to work to achieve that amount of money..he's probably making alot less per hour than those people who go to school for years and work their butts off every day.
Not to mention the amount humiliation, danger, conditions, and general ***** that comes with the "job". - DAILYCROW, on 01/27/2009, -1/+11PTL Club and the 700 Club are very successful panhandler operations.
- inactive, on 01/27/2009, -0/+10@cheese: Yeah the bums in Dallas run the same scams. "I ran out of gas, wife and kids are down the street in the car". That's usually the gas station scam when you go to fill up. Ask to see their car keys and they get mad.
Another trend, at least here, is to ask for a very specific amount of money. "Can I get $2.70 so I can buy some friend chicken" is a famous one.
If someone is really in need, and they're not ***** me, sometimes I'll help. One time I was filling up and a crusty dude came over asking for money. He had the ran out of gas excuse but actually had a gas can in one hand. So, when I was done filling up, I let him put gas in the can on my tab. That's a win-win. - inactive, on 01/27/2009, -2/+12Why not? I give it to the government anyways
- Pasaris, on 01/27/2009, -0/+10and driving back in a Lexus.
- inactive, on 01/27/2009, -0/+9the same police who say 1 kilo of weed is worth 5 million dollars?
- PWoT, on 01/27/2009, -2/+11Hey, let's use this as an excuse to not ever do anything to help the poor, ever!
- chriswastaken, on 10/27/2009, -1/+10Aw . . awww . . . now i feeel bad.
- Coffeedemon, on 01/27/2009, -2/+11Any of you ever been to Edmonton in the winter? If a panhandler wants to stand on the street and ask people for money then all power to him.
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