Helping A Panhandler Ply His Trade Definately N F

[Photoz]

Just after Christmas when I pulled into a mall out in Scarberia in the early morning, with a 24 hour Dominion, I noticed a guy approaching cars . . . . so I was pretty sure what was up. He walked over to me, explaining he'd just got a new job, was almost late, and didn't have any bus fare . . . . could I help him out? So o o o . . . . I asked him the name & address of the company he was starting with . . . . . he wasn't sure, but thought it was at Morningside & Sheppard . . . . it was a temp agency that sent him out. Couldn't remember the company name either, but would recognize it when he saw it? At this point I suggested he get a better story . . . . perhaps invest the first $10.00 he scores on a 5 litre gas can, and ask for 'gas money' . . . . . he could claim he ran outta gas & his wife & kids were waiting in the cold car . . . . . I was just being sarcastic. But . . . . . this morning, just after 06:30 I pulled into the Tim Hortons in the same mall . . . . a guy approaches me . . . . HE'S CARRYING A 5 LITRE GAS CAN . . . . "Sir . . . . can you help me out with some spare change . . . . I ran outta gas just down the street . . . . my wife and kids are in the freezing cold car . . . . . ??" I couldn't help but laugh . . . . I then suggested he should SPLIT his earnings with me . . . . . as I gave him this particular idea! (There's a regular at Victoria Park & Finch with this story already!) He just laughed, said: "What can I say," and headed for the next car! THAT'S WHY I NEVER GIVE TO PANHANDLERS, NO MATTER HOW SAD THE STORY! The clown wasn't even embarrassed he'd got caught!

[iceguy]

I think the fact he has panhandle tells ya life isn't going well for that fellow for whatever reason. I still will give to panhandlers once in a while. Hope he turns around. Interesting story.

[moose]

there are foru of them in 400 and hwy 7 area during the day doing this with signs as u come off the ramp , the one guys face is loaded with tattoos, maybe he shouldnt of got the tattoos, their are also a couple of women havent seen them in a while at hwy7 and keele and the intersection saying they have starving babies, but where are the babies

[Cookslav]

Nice.

Atleast you could find the humor in it....Some people would be reeeeely agravated by that.

I can't say with certanty I would have been as kind.

If I had my morning coffee in me, ate my weaties, and had been up for a few hours, on a say...a Sunday and it was nice and warm out, birds singing ect....I would have been just as nice

[Rizzo]

thats kind of sad and funny at the same time. Guy probably makes more with that dude story than half of us do at our jobs (after tax of course)

[Beans]

Kinda reminds me of the time we were driving back up from Florida via a very busy I95 and had pulled into a gas station for gas and to use the facilities. We were approached with sorta the same story only it was for $5 to get gas to get a few miles down the highway. As I had to go real bad I told the chap to pull up to one of the pumps and I'd use my card to get him some gas after I came back as I was short of American cash...we waited around for a short while but he never did show up...guess his story backfired when I didn't offer cash...

[Rizzo]

there's a woman in Barrie who came up to me when I first moved here 3 years ago, said she needed a few bucks for busfare to visit her dying mother in Sudbury. I gave her some money. Because she has a very distinct look, I recognized her when she aproached me again a few months back...started in with the same story...I stopped her and said not this time, I had given her money in the past...man oh man did she freak out at me for not helping! Maybe mom had 9 lives, because she's been "at death's door" for at least 3 years now!

[snag]

Hey Photoz,

 

I had the exact story (minus the can) happened to me on the Danforth!

Guy said that the wife and kid were waiting in the car.

He offered me his drivers licence to hold on to for $10 while he went and got them.

 

Typically, you might say, "No buddy, just go and take care of your family, here's some $"

 

I decided to look at the license.

 

The licence had expired 2 years earlier.

 

I told him he should run.

[Tarzan's Jane]

Well Photoz you at least helped him out by providing him with that very convincing story....I mean few people wouldn't want to dig deep and help out a family especially kids sitting in a car without heat in the dead of winter. What if such a situation is true...I'm sure it has happened...it did happen to me, many years ago coming back home from Timmins...broke down about 30 minutes from North Bay, was with my husband and young son. We got out of the car and didn't have time to get cold when two vehicles stopped. Which I guess made all the difference... seeing is believing.

[Clampet]

Good one.

 

I had a similar thing happen to me.

 

I was outside on a sunny evening washing down my car on the street.

This guy approaches me and proceeds to tell me his car broke down on the DVP. Would I be able to give him 2 dollars to take the subway?

 

I said, hold on, I'll just finish off here and give you a ride.

 

Well, then he said he would go to a pay phone to call his dad. When I came back he did not want the ride. I figured out later, when I had time to think, he never wanted a ride, he wanted the 2 dollars.