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I feel that this is closely related to the homeless problem. I positively avoid most people who look like they want to approach me on the street because they ar
by jmtulloss 17y ago
I feel that this is closely related to the homeless problem. I positively avoid most people who look like they want to approach me on the street because they are almost always homeless. If they can get the point across that they're not homeless or asking for money, I open up quite a bit, but since that's not usually the case, I can be as cold as the next guy.
- zand 17y agoYou make a valid point, which had occurred to me at the time, and after living here a bit longer I fully understand how easy (necessary?) it is to desensitize to those in need. But remember I was well-dressed, articulate and (mostly) sober. It all worked out in the end, just struck me as a bit disturbing: What if I'd been physically harmed? Would your average stranger be more or less likely to lend a hand?
- jlees 17y agoLiving somewhere else where it's quite common to have a homeless person come up to you on the street and ramble on with a muttered 'excuse me madam sorry to bother you but...' low monotone that almost exclusively leads up to 'give me money' - yes. You learn what to say to instantly tell people you're not one of them. And it does lead to a general avoidance of other people on the street. Having said that, I'd like to think that if someone genuinely needed help it would be a little more obvious and they would get it...