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I've brought over a bagged lunch to a homeless person specifically asking for food, only to be roundly rejected without comment or inquiry. Guy begged for food

I've brought over a bagged lunch to a homeless person specifically asking for food, only to be roundly rejected without comment or inquiry. Guy begged for food daily. I've given money to a homeless person asking for money for a cab to the hospital. They had a visibly and badly injured hand. After I gave them the money they stopped me from calling a cab from my phone, and (upon perceiving me as having left), pocketed the cash and laughed. They never went anywhere and just hung out. I've had a friend offer a stack of jeans to a homeless person asking for pants, only to have them tossed all over the ground right in front of my friend. They only took their favorite pair. I've taken someone desperate for food into a convenience store to pick out a meal, only to be run out by the store owner. This makes it all the sweeter when, despite the insults, scammers, and jerks, you manage to actually help someone. Learn to see through the initial presentation.

fao_ 6y ago
> I've brought over a bagged lunch to a homeless person specifically asking for food, only to be roundly rejected without comment or inquiry. Guy begged for food daily. I imagine that this isn't the norm, though. > I've given money to a homeless person asking for money for a cab to the hospital. They had a visibly and badly injured hand. After I gave them the money they stopped me from calling a cab from my phone, and (upon perceiving me as having left), pocketed the cash and laughed. They never went anywhere and just hung out. How much do hospitals cost where you live? I'm not saying that this person wasn't an asshole, but for many people, they see no point going to the hospital if it's going to leave them in the red. > I've had a friend offer a stack of jeans to a homeless person asking for pants, only to have them tossed all over the ground right in front of my friend. They only took their favorite pair. What were they going to do with the others? Where do you think they could store them in a place they wouldn't get mouldy, wet, damaged, etc.? > I've taken someone desperate for food into a convenience store to pick out a meal, only to be run out by the store owner. Why is this the fault of the homeless person?
- coremoff 6y ago
  > How much do hospitals cost where you live? I'm not saying that this person wasn't an asshole, but for many people, they see no point going to the hospital if it's going to leave them in the red. This happens even in countries with universal healthcare - the "needing money for a cab to get to the hospital" is a well known scam; the dedicated ones learn how to keep a wound open and bleeding constantly. (There was a notorious one near where I live, who managed to keep a bone exposed, allegedly - never seen him, so can't comment further on that). In London, at least, my understanding is that most homelessness is a mental health issue; support is available, but not necessarily wanted.
  - fao_ 6y ago
    > support is available In most places in the UK, mental health support takes about 3 years to put you through the waiting list (Niche problems like for example trans healthcare are even worse, with the current estimated waiting list from approaching a doctor to receiving medical treatment from a GIC being 7+ years in some places of England), and I've know people who have had trouble with being dropped off the list when being transferred from the youth mental health support to the adult mental health support. Also, it still relies on you being in a fiscally and materially stable position where you can address these problems safely and from a place where you are not literally worrying about your ability to live to tomorrow, which for a lot of people who do not have active housing, is not viable.
    - fao_ 6y ago
      > from approaching a doctor to receiving medical treatment from a GIC being 7+ years Ah, I can't believe I managed to put this down wrong. There are two required appointments from a GIC: First a psychiatric assessment from a therapist, Second an appointment with an endocrinologist. The timeline until the first appointment is approximately 3 - 7 years, and then you need to wait up to 2 years (At least, I've heard word of people waiting that long) for the endocrinology appointment, and then finally, you will receive treatment.
- progman32 6y ago
  > I imagine that this isn't the norm, though. Agree. This is an anecdote to frame my point, not a statistical claim. > How much do hospitals cost where you live? Unjustifiably, prohibitively expensive. They were asking for money specifically to go to the hospital. > What were they going to do with the others? Not immediately tossing the clothes into the dirt in front of my friend, for one. My friend spent time sorting and folding the clothes before coming back outside to the homeless man waiting on the porch. My point is this doesn't really change the ethics. > Why is this the fault of the homeless person? It isn't, and I did not intend to have my post interpreted in this way. All that is beside my point presented at the end of my post, which was elided from your response. Let me restate my position. If I give a dollar to a homeless person, they may blow it on destructive behavior. Or maybe they led me to falsely believe they needed the help. Point is, that does not excuse not helping at all.

fao_ 6y ago

> I've brought over a bagged lunch to a homeless person specifically asking for food, only to be roundly rejected without comment or inquiry. Guy begged for food daily. I imagine that this isn't the norm, though. > I've given money to a homeless person asking for money for a cab to the hospital. They had a visibly and badly injured hand. After I gave them the money they stopped me from calling a cab from my phone, and (upon perceiving me as having left), pocketed the cash and laughed. They never went anywhere and just hung out. How much do hospitals cost where you live? I'm not saying that this person wasn't an asshole, but for many people, they see no point going to the hospital if it's going to leave them in the red. > I've had a friend offer a stack of jeans to a homeless person asking for pants, only to have them tossed all over the ground right in front of my friend. They only took their favorite pair. What were they going to do with the others? Where do you think they could store them in a place they wouldn't get mouldy, wet, damaged, etc.? > I've taken someone desperate for food into a convenience store to pick out a meal, only to be run out by the store owner. Why is this the fault of the homeless person?

coremoff 6y ago
> How much do hospitals cost where you live? I'm not saying that this person wasn't an asshole, but for many people, they see no point going to the hospital if it's going to leave them in the red. This happens even in countries with universal healthcare - the "needing money for a cab to get to the hospital" is a well known scam; the dedicated ones learn how to keep a wound open and bleeding constantly. (There was a notorious one near where I live, who managed to keep a bone exposed, allegedly - never seen him, so can't comment further on that). In London, at least, my understanding is that most homelessness is a mental health issue; support is available, but not necessarily wanted.
- fao_ 6y ago
  > support is available In most places in the UK, mental health support takes about 3 years to put you through the waiting list (Niche problems like for example trans healthcare are even worse, with the current estimated waiting list from approaching a doctor to receiving medical treatment from a GIC being 7+ years in some places of England), and I've know people who have had trouble with being dropped off the list when being transferred from the youth mental health support to the adult mental health support. Also, it still relies on you being in a fiscally and materially stable position where you can address these problems safely and from a place where you are not literally worrying about your ability to live to tomorrow, which for a lot of people who do not have active housing, is not viable.
  - fao_ 6y ago
    > from approaching a doctor to receiving medical treatment from a GIC being 7+ years Ah, I can't believe I managed to put this down wrong. There are two required appointments from a GIC: First a psychiatric assessment from a therapist, Second an appointment with an endocrinologist. The timeline until the first appointment is approximately 3 - 7 years, and then you need to wait up to 2 years (At least, I've heard word of people waiting that long) for the endocrinology appointment, and then finally, you will receive treatment.
progman32 6y ago
> I imagine that this isn't the norm, though. Agree. This is an anecdote to frame my point, not a statistical claim. > How much do hospitals cost where you live? Unjustifiably, prohibitively expensive. They were asking for money specifically to go to the hospital. > What were they going to do with the others? Not immediately tossing the clothes into the dirt in front of my friend, for one. My friend spent time sorting and folding the clothes before coming back outside to the homeless man waiting on the porch. My point is this doesn't really change the ethics. > Why is this the fault of the homeless person? It isn't, and I did not intend to have my post interpreted in this way. All that is beside my point presented at the end of my post, which was elided from your response. Let me restate my position. If I give a dollar to a homeless person, they may blow it on destructive behavior. Or maybe they led me to falsely believe they needed the help. Point is, that does not excuse not helping at all.