Panhandling....

[TheWalleye]

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people. Have some people gotten so complacent on being lazy that they need to beg for money? An who the frick gives them cash?! I saw a guy today on the corner by Wal-Mart in Mandan asking for gas money... you have a car... count yourself luckier then some. Not to mention there is a god damn help wanted sign half a block down the road for Wal-Mart. Just blows my mind that people have the audacity to beg when there are plenty of jobs in the area.

;:;rant

 

[jpv]

Its easier for them to ask for your money than to earn it themselves.

 

[H82bogey]

They are called liberals. And I've come to realize if the world didn't have them, we would have about 90% less topics to bitch about. Which would be great, it would give us more time to discuss important issues like how to grille a steak so it cooks evenly, hangover cures, boobies, girls with a thigh gap, and which, jig, crank, spinner etc catches more walleye.

 

[fly2cast]

I agree. It pisses me off that people should have the balls to sit on their asses for hours at a time begging for money rather than work during that time. They ask me to give them money so they don't have to work when I work two jobs to support my four children.

I do wish people would quit giving them money and food. Those hunger pains could be a great motivation.

In addition, there are people around this world, in these crap-hole, third world countries that do really need our money. They really do live in poverty. These are the ones to give money to.

 

[TheWalleye]

I fired a girl one time for telling me to "F$ck off" when i was the GM, a few months later she was begging at south Walmart. I've also had homeless people tell me that they're not going to work for less then $15-20 an hour, which blows my mind because they had no definable skill sets and it was an easy sit-on-your-ass job (call center).

A defining moment in everyone's life is when you finally realize that the world doesn't owe you shit, if you want something get off your ass and work for it like the rest of us. I should keep random job applications from Job Service in my car so i can hand them out to people when i see them.

 

[FishSticks]

Most of the panhandlers in ND are people that do not live here. They are migrants. In Fargo, they camp out in Lindenwood park for the summer.

I lived in Denver for 3 years and realized pretty quickly that the people that beg for money typically use it for drugs and alcohol. If you want to give back, give your money to a charity or give your time volunteering.

 

[Kenneth]

A lot of them (homeless in general) suffer from mental illness. Schizophrenia, multiple personality, and so on. Plenty of beggars in Eau Claire. Pretty sad to see.

 

[Allen]

I am expecting a banner year for panhandlers in Bismarck. Uggh....

 

[TheWalleye]

I'm pretty sure its illegal in city limits isn't it? Maybe if enough people bitch it will be enforced, or at least addressed. ((found clarification -- aggressive panhandling is illegal and w/in 20 ft of an intersection))

I also disagree with the mental illness comment, while no doubt some of these people are in that category I would venture to guess that a good 95%+ of them are not - they're just lazy pieces of shit who cant or don't want to get a job. If you have a mental illness there are plenty of resources beyond begging.

 

[Kenneth]

I'm pretty sure its illegal in city limits isn't it? Maybe if enough people bitch it will be enforced, or at least addressed. ((found clarification -- aggressive panhandling is illegal and w/in 20 ft of an intersection))

I also disagree with the mental illness comment, while no doubt some of these people are in that category I would venture to guess that a good 95%+ of them are not - they're just lazy pieces of shit who cant or don't want to get a job. If you have a mental illness there are plenty of resources beyond begging.

never volunteered at a soup kitchen have ya

 

[TheWalleye]

I have, on various occasions actually. And being homeless and panhandling are two very very different things.

 

[JayKay]

No offense to anyone, but I think that guess-timating that 95% of the panhandlers are perfectly capable of landing and maintain a job, might be a bit high. I'm not saying that they're all incapable, but there are a LOT of people who used to be in institutions, who got turned out on the street when the money ran out. I'd like to see where the 95% number comes from, instead of Kentucky Windage.

 

[3Roosters]

And about raising the minimum wage. In these days of, I would submit, darn near 0% unemployment rate, one has to wonder just what kind of employee is only making minimum wage. ME thinks in these times we live in, that if an employee is only making minimum wage, their work performance must be barely adequate and functioning because if they were anything more than just occupying space, the boss would be paying them more to keep them.

 

[TheWalleye]

No offense to anyone, but I think that guess-timating that 95% of the panhandlers are perfectly capable of landing and maintain a job, might be a bit high. I'm not saying that they're all incapable, but there are a LOT of people who used to be in institutions, who got turned out on the street when the money ran out. I'd like to see where the 95% number comes from, instead of Kentucky Windage.

Complete guess, no statistical data to back it up - which i would imagine you'd have a hard time finding it. I'm just going off of my personal experience and the people i've seen doing it. If you genuinely need help there are plenty of other ways to get it. Every circumstance is different and I'll agree that my rant was pretty one sided but if you can afford/operate a vehicle and a cell phone (both items this guy today had) i'm sure there has got to be SOME sort of job out there you're capable of handling. I've known enough people with mental handicaps who were entirely sufficient financially because they worked, sure they needed help managing the money and some every day things, but they were able to land and hold a job.

 

[FishSticks]

never volunteered at a soup kitchen have ya

People at the soup kitchens are not usually the ones on the offramps with signs. The mentally ill ones typically are not capable of begging. Just my experience, maybe yours is completely different.

My uncle is schizophrenic and does not have the capacity to panhandle.

 

[DirtyMike]

There's a guys sitting at the eastbound off ramp on 94/state street. Seems to always have someone hunkered down there asking for handouts.

 

[TheWalleye]

Yea, that's another one thats pretty "busy".

 

[JMF]

And about raising the minimum wage. In these days of, I would submit, darn near 0% unemployment rate, one has to wonder just what kind of employee is only making minimum wage. ME thinks in these times we live in, that if an employee is only making minimum wage, their work performance must be barely adequate and functioning because if they were anything more than just occupying space, the boss would be paying them more to keep them.

High school kids are starting out at 9.50 for entry level positions in Bismarck/Mandan.

 

[Duckslayer100]

What I don't understand is how folks actually attain unemployment, and not for seasonal or injury reasons.

When I was laid off from my last job, I tried getting unemployment to help. Part of the deal was you had to make three contacts with NEW business that you were willing to take a job with every week. At first that wasn't difficult, but it quickly became impossible in my professional field. Especially when interviews and follow-ups rolled around. Packing all that in, plus attempting to find job openings and another firm wasn't happening.

I started my new job six weeks after getting let go from my last job -- had four weeks severance so we really only panicked for two weeks. Came to find out we weren't qualified for unemployment, but whatever, I guess we didn't need it.

But if I had, I would have been screwed. I would have had to start making up companies to apply for just to keep up with the three-per-week quota.

 

[fly2cast]

People at the soup kitchens are not usually the ones on the offramps with signs. The mentally ill ones typically are not capable of begging. Just my experience, maybe yours is completely different.

My uncle is schizophrenic and does not have the capacity to panhandle.

People like your uncle do need help from us, and we should try to help them. Unfortunately it is so hard to know who is a true bum and those who have real mental issues.

Mental health advocates need to start blaming the bums for taking all of the resources that would go to help people with mental issues.