I just received a phone call from someone who was at Wendy's who observed the two homeless guys getting into a nice car with lots of groceries on the back seat. It seems like they were doing pretty well getting people to give them money prior to getting into the car. Many weeks ago, I gave one of them $5.00. He was standing in the cold during the Christmas Rush and I had passed him several times thinking it was a scam but this time I gave in and gave him the money. I did this because I felt I truly had no way of knowing if he was homeles or not. I know now that this was foolish of me but I was feeling a little guilty after passing him by on numerous occasions.
In Monreal Canada, a panhandler can get a city license with a picture id that identifies him as being legal to beg on the streets. I encountered one during the Lions International Convention in 1996. He was well dressed and made it a point to tell you he did not like working and begging was his way of living. He was humorous and entertaining so I helped him with a couple dollar donation. In this scenario I knew what I was doing. The situation locally played on my compassion for helping someone in need.
