LeviF Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Ok- let me rephrase.... 1.) there most certainly are veteran organizations that will help veterans that have fallen on hard times- can they help them all, no. 2.) my rant was more or less pointed at those scumbags that claim to be vets, only to con people out of a dime. Regardless if they have served in the military or not, if they are too lazy to actually WORK for money, or they have a substance abuse problem that they have to beg people for money to help facilitate future "fixes"- I have nothing for them You've obviously never served and don't know anything about the topic, so do us all a favor and stop trying to "contribute." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryCletus Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 You've obviously never served and don't know anything about the topic, so do us all a favor and stop trying to "contribute." Or I've have been serving for over 15 years... I'm not trying to claim these things as fact- it's my opinions that I have drawn from observation... Go back to your basement... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Or I've have been serving for over 15 years... I'm not trying to claim these things as fact- it's my opinions that I have drawn from observation... Go back to your basement... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Ok- let me rephrase.... 1.) there most certainly are veteran organizations that will help veterans that have fallen on hard times- can they help them all, no. 2.) my rant was more or less pointed at those scumbags that claim to be vets, only to con people out of a dime. Regardless if they have served in the military or not, if they are too lazy to actually WORK for money, or they have a substance abuse problem that they have to beg people for money to help facilitate future "fixes"- I have nothing for them I get what you're saying. I know it's not your intent to disrespect vets. But I think there needs to be a certain level of understanding for those with substance abuse problems, whether they're vets or not. As far as the vets, it's likely they've got emotional issues or substance abuse issues that are a direct result of their time served. It's easy for the general public to say, "lots of guys went to war and didn't end up as drug addicts." If everyone was wired the same, that would be a decent argument. But we're not all wired the same. One guy can see something and be unaffected; another guy could see the same thing and never be the same. Obviously, it's not feasible to determine WHY the person is homeless whilst walking by the person. It's why I don't just blindly throw money at them. But I don't think it's fair to just say that all homeless people are just too lazy to work and/or have substance abuse problems that they "brought upon themselves." Again ... I'm not bashing you for your comment. I know you have respect for vets and I know you're currently serving. I realize I'm on the "softer" side when it comes to things like this and I respect that others have a different view. My only goal in responding was to underscore the fact that the vast majority of those people don't want to be homeless; they don't want to be addicts; they don't want to have mental disorders; they don't want to be scarred for life from their wartime exposure. And there's no way for any of us to know why total strangers are living on the streets as we walk by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeviF Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Or I've have been serving for over 15 years... I'm not trying to claim these things as fact- it's my opinions that I have drawn from observation... Go back to your basement... Sure pal. "Miserable lazy bastards." "Douchebags." "Lazy addicts." "Lazy f-cks that claim to be veterans." "Too lazy to work for money." But I'm the keyboard warrior in the basement, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 I was leaving a bar 5 or so years ago and someone who was pretty clearly a college kid approached me and asked for money. When I said "sorry", he told me he wouldn't leave me alone unless I said "no". It was a very safe area, still light outside, and I had had a few drinks, so I decided to have fun with this. I told him that I was going to go out of my way to avoid that word completely. We walked for about 2 miles talking back and forth before I finally slipped up and said "no" in a sentence. He immediately said "alright, have a good day" and walked off. So it turned out to be an entertaining walk home and the kid got to stop by another bar after he bugged me for a while. I think it was win-win for both of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryCletus Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Sure pal. "Miserable lazy bastards." "Douchebags." "Lazy addicts." "Lazy f-cks that claim to be veterans." "Too lazy to work for money." But I'm the keyboard warrior in the basement, right? Lol... Well- I wasn't making an all encompassing statement... Maybe I over reacted to those that pose, though... I'm sorry for over reacting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 (edited) My big Pet peeve is panhandlers on busy intersections or highway ramps. Very dangerous. They have them here too. They are called the fire department with their boot out to collect the money of course... Or The Lion's Club, hope they have good glasses to dodge the busy traffic. Heck, even the Kiwanis gets into the act. Who doesn't want to stop iodine deficiency/goiter in a third world country! Hey... It must be a very lucrative business hustling donations from the street. It's one of my pet peeves too, but a reflective vest and a stale Tootsie Roll is supposed to make it better. ;-) I stopped giving money to panhandlers years ago when I realized that most of them here shun the homeless shelter (except on the rare occasion that it gets cold at night) and just sleep under bridges and use the money they get for cheap booze. One exception was recently when I saw a man in filthy clothes standing at the side of the road holding a sign that said 'I have no one'. That was a little too much for me, so I gave him 10 dollars. My friend watched him hobble across the street and said 'he's just going to use it to buy alcohol'. I said 'good - I hope he does'. We also get some real idiots out there panhandling - I saw one at the corner of Riverside & IH-35 wearing a gold chain outside his t-shirt. I actually give them money when I know it is going for booze! BUT, one stipulation is, they can't ask or make a motion towards me. I was @ a main street crossing on Lincoln Highway (US 30) in Chicago Heights a while back. There was no red light, just a stop sign... I was about to get going straight across Lincoln Highway over 4 lanes and the middle turn medium when what appeared to be an indigent man was walking towards me and was hesitant to walk in front of the car. I rolled down the window and said: "Hey Buddy, here's a little something." I gave him a 20 dollar bill that was trying to burn a hole in my pocket for the last week. Boy was he happy! Boy did it liven him up! From the way he was walking, I think he had an artificial leg. Nothing like going on a bender for a while! How much Wild Irish Rose do you think a 20 will get him to kill the pain! :-) Edited June 3, 2015 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I'm just the opposite....I am more likely to give to someone that puts forth the effort to ask for the donation than I am for those that sit there with just a sign or even worse....shake their cup at me....that is a definite HELL NO in my book , one stipulation is, they can't ask or make a motion towards me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 (edited) I'm just the opposite....I am more likely to give to someone that puts forth the effort to ask for the donation than I am for those that sit there with just a sign or even worse....shake their cup at me....that is a definite HELL NO in my book Yeah... Kinda the same here. What I meant is they usually can't be looking for it, gotta be going about their life or maybe lack of. One time in da hood, a young kid approaches me from a strange angle (leaving me no out... I did have the pump handle in my hand though) while pumping fuel. I will get defensive in a rough area. He backed off. When I went to pay, I think I gave hima few singles or something. BUT, I scolded him and told him that it was an awful way to panhandle... Somebody might hurt him... Even getted doused w/fuel. LoL Hope he took the lesson. Speaking of fuel. True story. My brother is a trucker and he seen two truckers get into @ a truck stop. One must have done something on the road. The other pulls up while the trucker was pumping fuel. They both get into it. The dude pulls the nozzle out of the tank and starts spraying the other... Boy, my Bro said it was a real mess... The PoPo had to called of course. Wow... Edited June 3, 2015 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azalin Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 They have them here too. They are called the fire department with their boot out to collect the money of course... Or The Lion's Club, hope they have good glasses to dodge the busy traffic. Heck, even the Kiwanis gets into the act. Who doesn't want to stop iodine deficiency/goiter in a third world country! Hey... It must be a very lucrative business hustling donations from the street. It's one of my pet peeves too, but a reflective vest and a stale Tootsie Roll is supposed to make it better. ;-) I actually give them money when I know it is going for booze! BUT, one stipulation is, they can't ask or make a motion towards me. I was @ a main street crossing on Lincoln Highway (US 30) in Chicago Heights a while back. There was no red light, just a stop sign... I was about to get going straight across Lincoln Highway over 4 lanes and the middle turn medium when what appeared to be an indigent man was walking towards me and was hesitant to walk in front of the car. I rolled down the window and said: "Hey Buddy, here's a little something." I gave him a 20 dollar bill that was trying to burn a hole in my pocket for the last week. Boy was he happy! Boy did it liven him up! From the way he was walking, I think he had an artificial leg. Nothing like going on a bender for a while! How much Wild Irish Rose do you think a 20 will get him to kill the pain! :-) I know a couple homeless guys that live under a bridge near a bar I frequent. One is kind of 'twitchy' and potentially violent, but I don't see him too much. The other one is named Monk, and is just a burnout in his late 50's (if you ever see the TV show called 'Jail', they have an episode filmed here in Austin where Monk gets taken into custody by the Travis County Sheriffs - long messy dark hair, beard, and incoherent, drunken, Texas drawl - and gets attacked by another inmate). Whenever Monk sees me outside, he comes up and shoots the breeze and never asks me for money. One time when I had a flat tire late at night in the rain, he rode up on his bicycle and changed my tire for me. I gave hime the last 20 I had on me at the time, and then gave him another 20 the next time I saw him. I haven't seen old Monk in a while, but when I do, I'll usually offer him at least enough for a 40 without his asking. His problems are 100% self-induced and he admits it, but he's actually a pretty decent chap in his own way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 (edited) I know a couple homeless guys that live under a bridge near a bar I frequent. One is kind of 'twitchy' and potentially violent, but I don't see him too much. The other one is named Monk, and is just a burnout in his late 50's (if you ever see the TV show called 'Jail', they have an episode filmed here in Austin where Monk gets taken into custody by the Travis County Sheriffs - long messy dark hair, beard, and incoherent, drunken, Texas drawl - and gets attacked by another inmate). Whenever Monk sees me outside, he comes up and shoots the breeze and never asks me for money. One time when I had a flat tire late at night in the rain, he rode up on his bicycle and changed my tire for me. I gave hime the last 20 I had on me at the time, and then gave him another 20 the next time I saw him. I haven't seen old Monk in a while, but when I do, I'll usually offer him at least enough for a 40 without his asking. His problems are 100% self-induced and he admits it, but he's actually a pretty decent chap in his own way. Yep... That's how I kinda see it too. There is a similar Dude here... Is 60 years old, probably too much acid from Woodstock. Rides his bike a lot. BUT about 2 weeks ago, my wife is coming down the street and sees him staggering down our block... Blood all over the place. Looked like he got rolled or something... We rushed to his attention and called the paramedics. I guess this time he was walking and fell down. It was a pretty ugly sight. He didn't even have a his bike that time. I guess the cops are responding to him a lot... I asked: "Does this happen alot?" The paramedic shook his head "yes." WTF! Effing Woodsatock I tell you! ;-) I gotta admit... He made it like 3 blocks before we seen him... He was walking home, huge gash on his head, snot coming out his nose... Total untouchable mess... Had he collapsed staggeing down the road, I would have had go catch him... I grabbed a towel but wasn't protected from any bloodborne pathogens... WTF! Anyway... I saw him back on the bike a last week... Probably doesn't even know what happened. Spent a few days getting his fluids up and vitamins in him, cleaned up a little and he's back to being a champ! ;-) Oh wait... That is where I have been... ;-) ;-P Edited June 3, 2015 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 So this just happened to me. Go to pick my son up from work at target. Pulled my car on the curb easement. Right in front of a no standing sign. I'm in my car, engine on. Son should be out in 2-5 minutes. Local cop swings by, tells me I have to move. I say ok, also tell him I'm just waiting for my son to finish work. I move, no issue. As I pull away it hits me that a known panhandler is sitting against the wall near the exit about 10 feet behind my car. Has his backpack that looks big enough to hold supplies to climb Everest. His dog is also sitting there next to the guys sign. People are walking out putting money in his collection plate and feeding his dog. Cop rolls by and doesn't bat an eyelash. In the grand scheme of things, absolutely no inconvenience to me in any way, shape or form. But thinking back, it really frosts my chaps, or grinds my gears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clippers of Nfl Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I get what you're saying. I know it's not your intent to disrespect vets. But I think there needs to be a certain level of understanding for those with substance abuse problems, whether they're vets or not. As far as the vets, it's likely they've got emotional issues or substance abuse issues that are a direct result of their time served. It's easy for the general public to say, "lots of guys went to war and didn't end up as drug addicts." If everyone was wired the same, that would be a decent argument. But we're not all wired the same. One guy can see something and be unaffected; another guy could see the same thing and never be the same. Obviously, it's not feasible to determine WHY the person is homeless whilst walking by the person. It's why I don't just blindly throw money at them. But I don't think it's fair to just say that all homeless people are just too lazy to work and/or have substance abuse problems that they "brought upon themselves." Again ... I'm not bashing you for your comment. I know you have respect for vets and I know you're currently serving. I realize I'm on the "softer" side when it comes to things like this and I respect that others have a different view. My only goal in responding was to underscore the fact that the vast majority of those people don't want to be homeless; they don't want to be addicts; they don't want to have mental disorders; they don't want to be scarred for life from their wartime exposure. And there's no way for any of us to know why total strangers are living on the streets as we walk by. Do you call this lazy. A lady told me. The govt gives me 1400 bucks a month. If I work part time and make 400 bucks for example, the government takes away what I made and only gives me 1000 bucks. So she logically thought I might as well not work and keep 1400. Is this lazy, smart, dumb, or all of the above? I'm just the opposite....I am more likely to give to someone that puts forth the effort to ask for the donation than I am for those that sit there with just a sign or even worse....shake their cup at me....that is a definite HELL NO in my book If a bum doesnt ask me, they're not getting anything. So now I have to put the effort in just giving money away.... If they want my 60 cents, they better beg for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Not sure what I call it. The cop choosing the lesser of two evils maybe? Odds may be that I will move without resistance, but if he asks the panhandler to move, perhaps he faces an argument from someone with seemingly less to lose and flack from the public for asking a poor helpless person to stop trying to better himself for maybe just that evening. Just kinda built up in me as time has passed Do you call this lazy. A lady told me. The govt gives me 1400 bucks a month. If I work part time and make 400 bucks for example, the government takes away what I made and only gives me 1000 bucks. So she logically thought I might as well not work and keep 1400. Is this lazy, smart, dumb, or all of the above? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 This is why you don't feed the pigeons. http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Chronic-drunks-treatment-costs-S-F-big-bucks-3219972.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 (edited) So this just happened to me. Go to pick my son up from work at target. Pulled my car on the curb easement. Right in front of a no standing sign. I'm in my car, engine on. Son should be out in 2-5 minutes. Local cop swings by, tells me I have to move. I say ok, also tell him I'm just waiting for my son to finish work. I move, no issue. As I pull away it hits me that a known panhandler is sitting against the wall near the exit about 10 feet behind my car. Has his backpack that looks big enough to hold supplies to climb Everest. His dog is also sitting there next to the guys sign. People are walking out putting money in his collection plate and feeding his dog. Cop rolls by and doesn't bat an eyelash. In the grand scheme of things, absolutely no inconvenience to me in any way, shape or form. But thinking back, it really frosts my chaps, or grinds my gears.I can see your point... Is there an ordinance against what he is doing. Say a sign like there is about vehicles standing in a no standing zone? Now... If Target put out a sign against panhandling, I suppose the cop would say something? Afterall, you were the textbook example of standing in a no standing zone. It is for safety so they can get emergency vehicles in there, etc... The panhandler, FWIW was less of a problem, that's why the cop didn't bat an eyelash? Your one vehicle isn't a problem, but you have to stay moving around or more vehicles become a bigger problem, as explained above (safety, heck... even robberies, etc...). Just my 2 cents. Not sure what I call it. The cop choosing the lesser of two evils maybe? Odds may be that I will move without resistance, but if he asks the panhandler to move, perhaps he faces an argument from someone with seemingly less to lose and flack from the public for asking a poor helpless person to stop trying to better himself for maybe just that evening. Just kinda built up in me as time has passed FWIW... His was the lesser of two evils. Was it even against the law like what you were doing. You standing in a no standing zone IMO is more of a worse safety issue. It becomes habit and more start doing. Now don't get mad @ me, what you were doing was worse. Edited June 6, 2015 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I should clarify. The sign was no parking. I was "standing" at the no parking sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Do you call this lazy. A lady told me. The govt gives me 1400 bucks a month. If I work part time and make 400 bucks for example, the government takes away what I made and only gives me 1000 bucks. So she logically thought I might as well not work and keep 1400. Is this lazy, smart, dumb, or all of the above? I think it's an entirely different topic that would immediately move this thread to PPP, which I'd rather not have happen. I'll say this ... unless $1400/month allows this woman to live in a nice home, drive a nice car and have whatever she wants for dinner every night, then it certainly isn't smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I should clarify. The sign was no parking. I was "standing" at the no parking sign. Yeah... You are right. I wonder what the cop's problem was? I know what it was. They don't even know the laws they enforce. I got into it one time with a police officer in my town... He tailed me all through town @ 0830 in the morning... BTW, the year BEFORE Ferguson. He was on a "fishing expedition" and noticed my cracked windshield that was NOT obstructing my view. He said: "That doesn't matter." even when I showed him the IL Motor Vehicle Code on my phone... Wrote ticket anyway... I had to go through appeals (lose) and then petition the Chief of Police, cite court cases, the code, etc... This is what he wrote back: Dear Mr.**********, After reviewing your notice of appeal concerning citation ********** and speaking with the Officer that issued the citation I concur with your reasoning and have ordered the citation declared void. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention, it's very much how we learn and hopefully change for the better. Sincerely, ***** ***** Chief of Police Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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