It's Only Stupid If Something Goes Wrong

[KSanford33]

Today I was driving to a work meeting, and I'm currently listening to an audiobook in my truck called Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink. It's about 20 degrees out today, and I pulled up to an intersection where someone is standing with a cardboard sign that says, 'Homeless Veteran, Anything Helps'. I don't know what layer of hell you go to if you're listening to a military audiobook and just look at a homeless veteran and drive on, and I don't want to find out. So I pulled over, rolled down my window, and said, do you wanna get lunch? He said sure and hopped in. I took him to lunch before my work meeting and we talked for a bit. He's had a rough go of it since he got back from his deployment (he told me what he was in, but I know nothing about that sort of stuff. He could've said he was in the lollipop guild and I just would've said ok). He finished eating and said, you know, I'm really grateful for what you did, but that's pretty dangerous. I smiled and said, well, you didn't shoot me while I was driving us to lunch, so it turned out ok.

 

 Fast forward to my wife getting home... She was less than thrilled by what I did. ?

 

I don't want to turn this into some debate about politics, but there should really be some sort of support system for returning veterans so they aren't just left to their own devices. They're far braver than I am, I think they deserve better than that.

[gim]

You could have been conned by someone.  I bet there's a lot of peddlers out there that hold signs like that who really aren't veterans and they know that someone might have a soft spot in their heart for them.  Just sayin'

[A-Jay]

@KSanford33

You had good intentions and IMO, you did a good thing for another human being.

Dangerous ?

We each manager our own risk.

As for help for veterans, there's quite a bit.

Some don't know or aren't willing to accept it.

But it's there.

https://schenectadycounty.com/veterans

https://veterans.ny.gov/

A-Jay

[KSanford33]

13 minutes ago, gimruis said:

You could have been conned by someone.  I bet there's a lot of peddlers out there that hold signs like that who really aren't veterans and they know that someone might have a soft spot in their heart for them.  Just sayin'

I completely agree. But for me, I’m going to take you at face value until you prove otherwise. 

 

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

@KSanford33

You had good intentions and IMO, you did a good thing for another human being.

Dangerous ?

We each manager our own risk.

As for help for veterans, there's quite a bit.

Some don't know or aren't willing to accept it.

But it's there.

https://schenectadycounty.com/veterans

https://veterans.ny.gov/

A-Jay

Thank you sir. You’re absolutely right; we each manage our own risk. 
 

My wife always tells me I’m in danger of becoming a decent human being. I’ve still got a long way to go before that happens though. 

[Catt]

13 hours ago, KSanford33 said:

I'm currently listening to an audiobook in my truck called Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink

 

I listen to Jacko all the time!

 

Loved the series he did with John Stryker Meyer (Tilt) about MAC-V-SOG.

 

13 hours ago, KSanford33 said:

But for me, I’m going to take you at face value until you prove otherwise.

 

?

[Deleted account]

14 hours ago, KSanford33 said:

It's Only Stupid If Something Goes Wrong

No, stupid is stupid regardless of outcome, they tell me it has something to do with survivability bias. If he accepted a meal, chances is he is really homeless or destitute, a veteran? maybe. Folks who are straight scamming will most times want money. I have bought (or given my takeout) to some, but would never give them cash, unless I knew his/her status for sure. 

[DitchPanda]

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

No, stupid is stupid regardless of outcome, they tell me it has something to do with survivability bias. If he accepted a meal, chances is he is really homeless or destitute, a veteran? maybe. Folks who are straight scamming will most times want money. I have bought (or given my takeout) to some, but would never give them cash, unless I knew his/her status for sure. 

This here. Has a guy approach me once begging for money. Told me he was homeless and starving. So I said what do you want to eat, there's a grocery store and a restaurant down the street ill buy you some food. He said no I want the money, I just shook my head and walked away. I'm not funding somebody's crack addiction or alcoholism.

[flatcreek]

Buy them a sack of food and put it out on the curb in clear view.This works

[Deleted account]

51 minutes ago, flatcreek said:

Buy them a sack of food and put it out on the curb in clear view.This works

It's not legal to bait fields here...

[Jig Man]

We have people on most busy corners in Springfield.  My grandson is a corporal on the police force there.  He was talking to a guy on a corner in his area.   He isn’t a vet or homeless .  Come to find out the guy only lives a few blocks away and makes $60,000 tax free on that corner.

[Jigfishn10]

We had c couple hanging out at my job site one year. After a couple of weeks you can tell who are legit homeless from the one's who peddled as a part time job.

 

To be fair, the one's I knew who peddled as a part time job were the ones who couldn't find full time employment and worked part time at a minimum wage job. They were peddling to keep up with the bills.

 

The couple I knew that were legit homeless I'd buy coffee at break every now an then. I'd allow them to step inside the door to warm up while they drank their coffee. Wasn't supposed to do that from an insurance stand point, but it was cold and all the tradesmen were on break. 

 

One day I came out and a homeless person I didn't know gave me some lip service. Out of the blue one of the guys I gave coffee to started yelling at him, Told him to leave me alone or he would cut him up...LOL

 

I guess a cup of coffee buys you protection...   

[TnRiver46]

4 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

We have people on most busy corners in Springfield.  My grandson is a corporal on the police force there.  He was talking to a guy on a corner in his area.   He isn’t a vet or homeless .  Come to find out the guy only lives a few blocks away and makes $60,000 tax free on that corner.

That’s what my LEO friends say too, I don’t believe it for a second . Maybe in NYC 

 

I know I wouldn’t be standing on a street corner begging in the pouring rain if I had 60 grand 

[KSanford33]

2 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

We have people on most busy corners in Springfield.  My grandson is a corporal on the police force there.  He was talking to a guy on a corner in his area.   He isn’t a vet or homeless .  Come to find out the guy only lives a few blocks away and makes $60,000 tax free on that corner.

We have had a few like that as well. Dressed kind of ratty with a sign that said, 'God bless'. Evidently one of them started out with a sign that said something about being a vet and someone called him out about it and he got in a bit of trouble.

 

 Like others have said, I only offer food. If they take it, there's a good chance they need it. If they ask for cash, I roll.

[Mobasser]

My own brother was an easy going guy. He was sent to Vietnam and came back a different person. It took some time for him to get on track again. So, I understand helping our veterans. I have done this at times also.  It's important. I say you did the right thing.

[KSanford33]

25 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

My own brother was an easy going guy. He was sent to Vietnam and came back a different person. It took some time for him to get on track again. So, I understand helping our veterans. I have done this at times also.  It's important. I say you did the right thing.

My brother in law is the same way with Afghanistan. I'll spare you the details, but he's a very different person now too.

[TnRiver46]

I was thinking about this thread last night. I was running a food delivery route and some ragged looking guy asked me for $1.50. I gave him a handful of loose change out of the cupholder of my wife’s car and he said hey buddy, take this back, you gave me an earring haha. I watched him count every single one of those Pennies, maybe 40 of them. That doesn’t strike me as the behavior of someone that makes 60k. I don’t count pennies and I make half that 

On 2/1/2023 at 8:59 AM, DitchPanda said:

. I'm not funding somebody's crack addiction or alcoholism.

Oh yes you are, it’s called taxes 

[DitchPanda]

14 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I was thinking about this thread last night. I was running a food delivery route and some ragged looking guy asked me for $1.50. I gave him a handful of loose change out of the cupholder of my wife’s car and he said hey buddy, take this back, you gave me an earring haha. I watched him count every single one of those Pennies, maybe 40 of them. That doesn’t strike me as the behavior of someone that makes 60k. I don’t count pennies and I make half that 

Oh yes you are, it’s called taxes 

Ok well not willingly...I pay taxes because prison doesn't appeal to me

[Bluebasser86]

On 2/1/2023 at 9:14 AM, TnRiver46 said:

That’s what my LEO friends say too, I don’t believe it for a second . Maybe in NYC 

 

I know I wouldn’t be standing on a street corner begging in the pouring rain if I had 60 grand 

They do it here also. One guy claimed he cleared nearly 80k one year. He parks his older Cadillac around the corner and walked down the street to his bucket and does his thing every day. He says why get a job when people will give me money for free? 

 

I unfortunately deal with a lot of vets that can't readjust when they return to civilization. I feel so bad for most of them, it really makes me sad to see after all they've done. 

[ScottW]

See a lot of the same in Birmingham around many of the off ramps around town. One or two do it for a living while the rest either need a fix or food.

[Deleted account]

6 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

I pay taxes because prison doesn't appeal to me

It's easy enough to avoid jail, I pay because I like paved roads, and trucks that put out fires... 

[slonezp]

On 2/1/2023 at 5:57 AM, Deleted account said:

No, stupid is stupid regardless of outcome, they tell me it has something to do with survivability bias. If he accepted a meal, chances is he is really homeless or destitute, a veteran? maybe. Folks who are straight scamming will most times want money. I have bought (or given my takeout) to some, but would never give them cash, unless I knew his/her status for sure. 

I've had homeless turn away food because they want cash.

 

There is a huge homeless population in Chicago. The bulk are mentally ill and/or drug addicts. They work with each other scamming folks. At my old store, there was a fake blind guy who would park his car at the grocery store down the street and was blind until he earned enough money for the day.

 

I'm leery of anyone homeless claiming they are a vet and even more leery of the folks sitting in front of the grocery stores saying they are helping veterans. I would rather donate money to a known organization like Tunnels to Towers than hand it to a homeless guy. 

 

I have paid for meals in restaurants for folks in uniform but, only if there is more than one of them. Again, living where I live, it's difficult to know whom is lying and whom is telling the truth.

I texted a buddy of mine last night to see how he's doing. Said he's going in for ACL surgery. I asked if it was because of the trades. He said "No, I left my knees in Iraq"

On 2/1/2023 at 8:03 AM, flatcreek said:

Buy them a sack of food and put it out on the curb in clear view.This works

Last year during the holidays, there was a "homeless" guy trying to sell raw meat that someone had given him instead of money.

[flatcreek]

Canned goods  is what I meant..

[Woody B]

I usually ignore them.  The couple times I've offered food I got cussed.  One guy came up to me in the parking lot at a Wendy's.  He asked for a specific amount of money for some "chili beans".  I reached in my bag and offered him some.  He told me to "f" off, he wanted money.  This was decades ago.  A month or so ago I was picking up a called in order at a local restaurant.  A guy came up to me in the parking lot asking for money for a burger.   I said, "come on it, I'll buy you a burger".  I got the same response from him.   

 

My sister lives in a fairly large city with a bunch of pan handlers.  She used to keep various job applications in her car to hand them.   I guess I'm a cold heartless son of a gun.....but I'm proud of myself for not being mean to them.   I pat myself on the back for simply ignoring them.   

[Captain Phil]

For a number of years I was the leader of the Benevolence Fund Committee at our local church.  The fund is set up to assist people who have short term needs due to an unexpected hardship.  It became necessary to form a committee as out of town people would come to the church office door and ask for help.   This put the Pastor and the Church office personnel in a difficult position.  The most common request was for overnight lodging. The Committee implemented an application process and it was my job to investigate and approve their requests.  What I discovered was somewhat shocking.  The reason these folks were asking for lodging money was it needed to be acted on immediately and the money could be used in other ways.  As soon as it became known that the church was giving out money, the word got out and we were flooded with requests. One man even had the nerve to panhandle with his wife and kids in the parking lot before and after the church service.  We offered him a job, but he wouldn't take it.   We helped many people who were behind on their utility bills.  One lady who was living on one social security check with a handicapped daughter, had a water leak under her kitchen floor.  Her hot water wasn't working, so she was heating water with a coffee maker.  The County sent her an $800 water bill and was threatening to turned off her water.  I was able to renegotiate her bill and found a local plumbing company to fix her leak at no charge.  There are many people who seriously need help.  There are many more people who make a living pretending to.

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

For a number of years I was the leader of the Benevolence Fund Committee at our local church.  The fund is set up to assist people who have short term needs due to an unexpected hardship.  It became necessary to form a committee as out of town people would come to the church office door and ask for help.   This put the Pastor and the Church office personnel in a difficult position.  The most common request was for overnight lodging. The Committee implemented an application process and it was my job to investigate and approve their requests.  What I discovered was somewhat shocking.  The reason these folks were asking for lodging money was it needed to be acted on immediately and the money could be used in other ways.  As soon as it became known that the church was giving out money, the word got out and we were flooded with requests. One man even had the nerve to panhandle with his wife and kids in the parking lot before and after the church service.  We offered him a job, but he wouldn't take it.   We helped many people who were behind on their utility bills.  One lady who was living on one social security check with a handicapped daughter, had a water leak under her kitchen floor.  Her hot water wasn't working, so she was heating water with a coffee maker.  The County sent her an $800 water bill and was threatening to turned off her water.  I was able to renegotiate her bill and found a local plumbing company to fix her leak at no charge.  There are many people who seriously need help.  There are many more people who make a living pretending to.

I would agree and it’s not up to me to decide who needs and who doesn’t, once the loose change leaves my hand, I’m in the clear haha

 

the rest is none of my business