CHARITY VERSUS PANHANDLING

CHARITY VERSUS PANHANDLING For a LONG while, this was one thing, which I had much trouble with. Turning down people, who asked only for small amounts of money. This, while these same people spent their days on street corners, either just sitting around, or holding up signs, begging for charity. Since I was raised in a family, where kindness was rewarded, I will admit that, for quite some time, I felt guilty, over the fact that these other people had neither food, nor shelter. That is, until certain events happened. For one thing, the people, in our neighboring building (where the rent was only $300.00 per month), could be, and were, spotted, first by my neighbor, then by myself, on several paydays. My neighbor and I watched as the same people, who brought in cases of beer, and name brand snacks, from a convenience store, on payday, were, later, pursued, by management, over past due rent. Personally, I did not want it to be true, until, during one, weekend, payday, my neighbor and myself, sat on his porch, and watched a neighbor bring in an entire cart load, from the convenience store. (The person, actually, BOASTED, of having spent hundreds of dollars, at the store, on the cart load.) When my neighbor asked the person "You have THAT MUCH left over, after your rent is paid?" All the person had said was "Dont worry about my rent." As to HOW such a person kept their unit, without paying much rent, neither myself, nor my friend could understand. What my friend and I had become "experts" at was knowing which new renters, in our own building, would be the shortest timers. Our original landlord was well-known, across the city, as a man, who was willing to give people the "one, final, chance", to prove they COULD pay rent. In fact, it is estimated that the man signed over 200 leases, only to have each broken, within 60 days. The process was simple: Local, social, services, paid the landlord the tenants deposit, and first months rent, then left the rest to the tenant. When the tenant did not pay, the landlord used the deposit money, and evicted the tenant. Word, around town, was that "Anyone, who could not make it, here, was headed either for homeless shelters, or life, on the street." My friend and I watched dozens of these people move, IN, then right back out. I think that what soured me, the most, were the people who just did not care. The people were the kind who, while they did not care about going without electricity, come payday, they wanted to know which stores sold beer, the earliest in the day. While, during the warmer months, some of these people sat, on street corners, on payday, asking passers by "Why do you bother breaking your neck, to pay rent? Your landlord couldn't care less. Here, have a drink." This, from people, whose only "belongings" were the clothes on their backs, and whose "roof" was any shelter, where they could sleep, at night. My neighbor, and I, were as crafty, with dealing with these people, as my neighbors, at a previous, high rise, were. The seniors, in the building, had a well-thought-out answer, to the homeless panhandlers. Since anyone, with any BRAINS, had all of their benefits, secured by "plastic", when the panhandlers came, asking for money, we told them the truth. We did not have a penny on us. The total truth, since we, never, carried cash. There was, however, some suspicion, over the reason why a homeless woman was giving $10 blows, in front of a store. While some said that the woman was too "fried" from drugs, and booze, to understand her actions, there were those who held a different view. A friend of mine informed me of what the media said, after the womans arrest. It was verified that she had been ejected, from almost every shelter, in town. This, for having sex, with any shelter man, who would hand over any money that he had. Since the woman was barred from shelter, the media hinted that she performed, in public, in order to BE arrested. While she did earn $50, before the police arrived, the woman put up no defense, and was sentenced to prison. Ofcourse, it was not just people, OUTSIDE the building, who did such things. When her rent was due, one Negress actually walked the halls, of our building, offering sex, for hire. Another woman, a white woman, who drank, and smoked, her money, away, spent the last part, of each month, walking the halls, begging for anything tenants would offer. I followed my friends line of reasoning, though. Like he said, the reason why WE had food, and shelter, is because we paid bills, FIRST, then used any left over cash, for "other things". (In fact, the very same philosophy my parents had furnished us kids with) Granted, our lives were not the most exciting, but we DID have food, shelter, and power. Yes, thats right. There were some tenants who, whenever they could get away with it, they told the power company where to SHOVE its payment demands, and, instead, plugged extension cords into the buildings electric outlets. For one tenant, this worked, but only until a new owner DID, in fact, call in an electric engineer, to review any problem, with the units electrical panel. When the engineer found out that the power was cut, at the METER, NOT due to faulty installation, the extension cords were removed, and the tenant packed up, as well. This is why I stopped feeling bad, about not giving money away. I figured, as my friend did: If we can make it, without charity, then so can anyone else. When a review worker, asked me WHY I visited a convenience store, on payday, I told them "Money orders, to pay rent with." When asked if I, ever, panhandled, or asked for money, I asked the worker to specify the question. When asked "Do you, ever, BEG people, for money?" I gave an honest "No way!" I KNOW why the worker asked if people gave me money. It was because another client, a few seats down, said that people GAVE him money. That was all the answer that he would give the worker. Never a flat "No, I never!" This is why, when the worker asked me "Do people ever give you money?" I told them "Yes." When asked if I thanked the people, I said "Of course.. It would be rude not to." I think I was asked, three, more, times, about panhandling. The reason, however, soon became clear. It would seem that one panhandler was taking the phrase "aggressive", to a whole, new, level. Whether people felt sorry, for the man, and gave him money, or told him to "Get Lost!", it seems that the man attacked the people, stole wallets, then left victims to call police. Now, healthcare workers were reminding clients that panhandling was dangerous. Using the example of the so-called "subway vigilante" (a white man, who had shot five, Negro youths, while the Negroes were in the process of robbing him, on a subway), workers reminded clients that not all victims are defenseless. As for me, I just accepted information, and kept to myself. If I could not live on what I had, then I was in trouble.