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I think you are right! We should provide aid for people who are in danger of starvation, but it does not give anybody right to steal from fellow human. I have

I think you are right! We should provide aid for people who are in danger of starvation, but it does not give anybody right to steal from fellow human. I have a personal experience with possible abuse. I saw a man, probably a foreign (so he is probably not supposed to be familiar with local aid system), with a sign that he needs money for food because he is starving and he indeed did not look alright. After considering the situation (well, to be honest he can be pretending), I decided to give the man 10 euros because if he really is starving, he should not stay there to collect small coins, but also as a test, such that he could be given further directions when he really is in need. So, he took the money, hid it and continued his act.

mbillie1 11y ago
As though 10 euros is enough to satisfy his hunger in perpetuity? Do you quit your job and stop working when you have 10 euros in the bank, or do you put it away and try to accumulate more? This "anecdote" is pretty short-sighted.
- eveningcoffee 11y ago
  Starving means that you have not eaten several days and are in desperate need for food immediately. 10 should give you an opinion to end this situation. If you choose not to then the changes are that you were actually not starving. Of course, like I told, this is a case of possible abuse. I have no idea what was actually going on.
stronglikedan 11y ago
I usually don't have cash, but if someone comes up to me in a parking lot of a store, I offer to take them in and purchase food for them on my credit card. They sometimes accept the offer, but the majority don't.
coldtea 11y ago
>After considering the situation (well, to be honest he can be pretending), I decided to give the man 10 euros because if he really is starving, he should not stay there to collect small coins, but also as a test, such that he could be given further directions when he really is in need. Not much experience with being poor/homeless, have we? For those not faking it (which can happen too), a "starving" sign doesn't mean "I'm literally starving right now, I just need a few dollars for a burger and I'll be on my way". It means I can't support myself, I'm dead-poor, and probably homeless, and can use all the money thrown at me to get by for a few days.
- eveningcoffee 11y ago
  Well, a poor choice of words then (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation)? Anyway, I do not think that this was the case you are describing. The guy acted like he was really starving. So perhaps he was, I really do not know, I am just describing what happened.
  - coldtea 11y ago
    >Well, a poor choice of words then Well, beggars and homeless people rarely have dictionaries at hand. >The guy acted like he was really starving. So perhaps he was, I really do not know, I am just describing what happened. Well, he might very well be very hungry. Often people in those situations can have 2-3 days between a decent eat. But it's not necessary that they'd go buy something immediately as soon as they get a donation. Lots of factors can be involved, from waiting to gather some more (maybe with a few more they can even book in somewhere for the night and have a bed and a shower), down to and including some kind of perverse pride.
    - eveningcoffee 10y ago
      I think that what you are saying is right very often but not always. I have had experience with people you are describing (these are usually local people), I have seen people who can by classified as amateur level professional beggars (usually foreign) and the guy did not really fit into none of such classifications. It felt odd. So I would guess that he was either a higher level professional beggar or a man in despair. Given his reaction, I would put my wager on the first guess. But like I told, I do not know the truth. But that is not the moral of my story. What I wanted to point out is that there are people who possible do not hesitate to pretend. When given supportive legal framework, these people can then develop a lifestyle that is based on the shoplifting. When caught, they can then pretend that they are in desperate need and given such court decisions, people may let them go without involving the authorities. I think that in this case the court made a right decision in general, but it should not become a common practice applied without though due diligence.

mbillie1 11y ago

As though 10 euros is enough to satisfy his hunger in perpetuity? Do you quit your job and stop working when you have 10 euros in the bank, or do you put it away and try to accumulate more? This "anecdote" is pretty short-sighted.

eveningcoffee 11y ago
Starving means that you have not eaten several days and are in desperate need for food immediately. 10 should give you an opinion to end this situation. If you choose not to then the changes are that you were actually not starving. Of course, like I told, this is a case of possible abuse. I have no idea what was actually going on.

stronglikedan 11y ago

I usually don't have cash, but if someone comes up to me in a parking lot of a store, I offer to take them in and purchase food for them on my credit card. They sometimes accept the offer, but the majority don't.

coldtea 11y ago

>After considering the situation (well, to be honest he can be pretending), I decided to give the man 10 euros because if he really is starving, he should not stay there to collect small coins, but also as a test, such that he could be given further directions when he really is in need. Not much experience with being poor/homeless, have we? For those not faking it (which can happen too), a "starving" sign doesn't mean "I'm literally starving right now, I just need a few dollars for a burger and I'll be on my way". It means I can't support myself, I'm dead-poor, and probably homeless, and can use all the money thrown at me to get by for a few days.

eveningcoffee 11y ago
Well, a poor choice of words then (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation)? Anyway, I do not think that this was the case you are describing. The guy acted like he was really starving. So perhaps he was, I really do not know, I am just describing what happened.
- coldtea 11y ago
  >Well, a poor choice of words then Well, beggars and homeless people rarely have dictionaries at hand. >The guy acted like he was really starving. So perhaps he was, I really do not know, I am just describing what happened. Well, he might very well be very hungry. Often people in those situations can have 2-3 days between a decent eat. But it's not necessary that they'd go buy something immediately as soon as they get a donation. Lots of factors can be involved, from waiting to gather some more (maybe with a few more they can even book in somewhere for the night and have a bed and a shower), down to and including some kind of perverse pride.
  - eveningcoffee 10y ago
    I think that what you are saying is right very often but not always. I have had experience with people you are describing (these are usually local people), I have seen people who can by classified as amateur level professional beggars (usually foreign) and the guy did not really fit into none of such classifications. It felt odd. So I would guess that he was either a higher level professional beggar or a man in despair. Given his reaction, I would put my wager on the first guess. But like I told, I do not know the truth. But that is not the moral of my story. What I wanted to point out is that there are people who possible do not hesitate to pretend. When given supportive legal framework, these people can then develop a lifestyle that is based on the shoplifting. When caught, they can then pretend that they are in desperate need and given such court decisions, people may let them go without involving the authorities. I think that in this case the court made a right decision in general, but it should not become a common practice applied without though due diligence.