Sir I have not taken food for 2 days

these people prefer to feed their vices rather than nourish their body with real healthy food, yes you are right, giving them money directly will not help them.

Sir I have not been eating for two days.. will you please send money to my paypal? LOL. I am not a professional beggar, I am still an apprentice and practicing how to beg. Oh please sir, have pity on me... I have nothing but my laptop, iphone and ipad. pleaseeee sir, pleaseee you have to send money to my paypal account.

This is such a coincidence as I was only talking to my elderly neighbour this morning who was visiting India back around the 1950s and told me that on his first visit there were girls on the street with babies who were hitting them to make them cry and approaching his family saying how hungry they were - they had some food with them they were carrying but this was refused. He realized then that they were not genuine beggars. The only experience I had of this was in Portugal in the early 1970s. There were children on the streets of Lisbon with (apparent) blood-stained bandages saying they couldn't work for money and had to beg. One young boy had his leg bent over at the knew which was appeared to be tightly bandaged and approached me for some money. When I told him that there was a policeman around corner, he quickly dropped his leg to the floor and ran off on two perfectly strong legs. I don't think he understood English, only the word policeman! _Derek_

I have met quite a few and have done the same as you. I have never paid for food for anyone because they always deny the food. I even saw one beggar throw food in the trash bin after someone had given it to them. I have seen beggars with signs that say "Will work for food" but turn down job offers. They only want money. I actually came across one who approached my car as I was stopped at a red light. He was dressed in a neat 3-piece suit and told me that he was on his way to a job interview when his car broke down a few blocks away. He was hoping to get money to take a bus to his interview. I told him that I had no cash. A few months later, this same man, dressed in the same 3-piece suit, approached my car again and told me the exact same story. The only difference was that this was at a different intersection. I told him that he had approached me before with that same story and, of course, he denied it. Once the light turned green, I left but decided to go around the block and come to this intersection from another direction. Unbelievably, this man approached my car again and began his story. He had not recognized me even though he had just begged for money only minutes earlier! But this time I surprised him. I interrupted his story and told him that he had already told me of his problem so I went to the police station and informed them of his plight. (This was a lie, I did not talk to any policemen, I just wanted this man to think I did.) I said that a police officer would be there any moment to help him. Needless to say, that man took off running as fast as his legs would carry him! I never did see that man begging anywhere since that time.

hi professor, i remember when i was in my first year college, there was this boy who was looking at people passing by and approaches some of them and asks food and money. i took him to a snack parlor and bought him sandwich and coffee. he seemed satisfied and told me he has not eaten for nearly two days. he perspired after he had some hot coffee in his belly. he said he was a stowaway and he has a friend with him who was looking for a place to stay. he came from the province hoping he will be able to find a job in the city. i think he was a little over 15 years old at that time. i knew he was genuine and after your story, i wonder what became of him here in the city. the modus operandi of fake beggars is taking in children so that people will pity them. i also knew of someone like that, she asks money for transportation saying she lost her money from thieves. she said she wanted to go home but no money. i told her you were here when i was still in college. that was more than ten years already. how come you are still here and your baby never grew up? she is still a baby. with that, she scampered away. ann

In one sense it really does hurt me to not be able to give money to beggars on the street, but the fact is that most of the people that are begging for money do not really need the money. In fact, there was a case here lately where a professional beggar in our area admitted that he was netting nearly $100,000 a year just from begging on the streets. I will do what you've offered to do for people when it is something that I'm able to do. My best friend is the same way she has been known to go back to the grocery store and get a couple bags of groceries and give them to someone that is less fortunate than she is.

hello sir... here in our place we have someone who goes "house to house" to beg or to "collect" whatever amount of money we might want to contribute to his daily income he is very well dressed and goes around from one house to another showing a piece of paper that he is from the negative leper community and is asking for contributions. one time i had a "talk" with him and told him to look for work cause he looks very fit and well and to please not bring his very small child when begging. i felt everything i said to him was useless cause it my words entered one ear and came out the other ear. i told myself i already did my part as a Christian now its up to him which path he will take.

I have encountered some beggars who behave like that. I have encountered one lady who cries and saying things which I do not really understand much. I have extra money that time and gave her 100 pesos and she actually stopped and looked at me after receiving the amount. I do not really care much if she was faking it or not but I really do not see someone crying like that on the subway. She is telling me she wanted to go home but her money isn't enough. Well, I've heard that many times but one of my colleague actually experience the same. She lives alone in the city and her wallet was stolen while on her way home. She has no money and confused. She said that the moment she asked the lady about her situation and did not give a second to hear her story, she cried. But because she wanted to go home, she asked another lady and asked if she could lend her this amount but did not believe her. Then a man came and she told about her situation, and she was very thankful that the man gave her the amount. She asked the man where she could contact her to give her payment, but the man said that there is no need to pay. Well, generally, I give money to beggars whether they are fake or not. I do not know them all, and I do not know who was faking it or not. But of course, there are some who are really obvious. I have also experience one on the subway, an old man asking me specific amount. He also said he wanted to go home but no money, I do not have much extra money that time so I just gave him 70 pesos because I heard him that is how much his fare will be. But he told me that amount is from this location up to this location only. In short, it is not enough. I smiled and tried to calm myself. I told him that money is supposed to be spent for my lunch that day and left.

Nice discussion uncle and I was busy since 2 days because Shitla mata pooja was in our home. Make all meal in day before yesterday and yesterday do the pooja. Really most of the beggers are professional because when I say okkk take some food then they say no I not need food but need money and I can purchase according to me. My hubby is also not like to give the money to begger because they earn the money in day time from us and take the drink(bear) at night time from our money.

I remember going on the truck with my husband and stopping at truck stops for fuel or food. A lot of times the beggars (what truck drivers would call panhandlers) would hang out at truck stops. They (the beggars/panhandlers) would go up to every truck begging for money. They would most generally start out saying "God bless you" and then ask for money. One time a panhandler asked my husband for some food, my husband was going to get us some food and told this man he would bring some thing back for him. While we were getting our food, this man was going truck door to truck door begging for food and money. We got him a to go container of food and of course, he was waiting for us to get back. We watched him walk away to a new pickup, new camper behind the pick up. Apparently this guy didn't like what he got him, because he threw it in the trash and got in the new pickup and drove off.

They must be fake beggars. Here in our country,beggars are everywhere also and I can still determine whether they are true or fake beggars. Of course, beggars are helpless,thin and dirty and sometimes there was a man who approached me and asked me to give him the least I can for him to buy his food. But looking at him, he was so healthy and a huge man, so I ignored him.

well, I have so much feeling for any beggars when I see them they request help I do not like to break their heart, but my husband does not let me to help them and for that I just pray for them in my heart and then I leave... some beggar misuse people and for that we really can not recognize which one is true beggar and which one is fraud.... I really wish for the earth for all people to have enough money and happiness and humanity in their heart..

we have a lot of beggars here on roads, in trains, traffic signals,etc. I have also heard about rich beggars. Once i offered food to a small kid n he denied it and whle travelng my collegue gave a boy 1 rupee coin he threw it out of the window. They have no value of money.

Wow...Prof...I am very impressed with your action, you are not only very kind but also you are so smart, you will give what they want except money. Yes, you are right, if the beggar is really hungry... I think he or she will very pleasant when you willing to give him or her foods, but in fact he or she wants money, I think the beggar just want to take your money for drink and other needs that are not proper in life. I think I also try to apply your principle, I think it the best...thank...

The other day a beggar dressed in a loose dirty shirt with a dirty shawl climbed up the bus in which I were sitting. He had only one limb. He begged from all the passengers and finally a guy (guess he knew about the beggar) asked the beggar to take out his other limb from the shirt. I was anxious at what would come of it. The beggar refused and then the guy forcefully had him take out his other limb. I was like, "What the f@ck???", and the coins I had in my hand for people like him went back right into my own pocket. It's sickening to see how they con people thinking they can have them get carried away.

I was sad to hear such kind of reality in life. Here also has the same situation of beggars, asking for money only and they don't accept food from us. You're right my friend if I will do the same if there's somebody asking for and complaining they're hungry I also bring them to food court and let them eat as they want and that is exactly the right way to help. Professional beggars are like that earning their living for asking money and pretending their hungry. I am now thinking that when we say beggar it has one way technique asking things for themselves.

I will do the same thing. I seldom give money to beggars especially if I see that they are evidently fit enough to work and feed themselves. We have some people like that in our country too and most of them are members of syndicates who wants to do the working for them.

that is quite bad and he is really feeling bad and you must help him out in this kind of situations ideally,he is pathetic also

Hello Professor, I really have enjoyed reading this discussion, where I live I do not have to deal with this however I find you to be a very wise man in how you handle this. I like the fact that you are not denying them what they are in need of however you are wise to them and are calling their bluff, well done.

hi, prof. the roman subways are full of them. they carry babies/children and ask the passengers for coins. most of these people do not want to work. they earn more money begging. a person who gets up very early to leave for work and comes home late at night earns less than them. they cater to our sentiments, dragging kids and babies alongside them when they prey on us.