I'm taking a poll out of pure curiosity...

[movingforward]

There is a local burger stand downtown close to where I work that sells awesome organic burgers (walk-up or dive thru only place). While I was in line a kid who looked to be about 17 or 18 with a small dog on a leash came up to me and said that he and his dog haven't had anything to eat and they are really hungry and have no money. I said I didn't have any cash on me and was paying by CC. He said he didn't want money he just wanted something to eat so I ended up buying him a burger. Just out of pure curiosity I would like to take a poll - would you have bought him food?

BTW - The place was packed so I am not sure why he picked me. It is casual day in the office so I do happen to have on the T-shirt from a local animal rescue organization I volunteer with. Maybe that is why he picked me to be the sucker of the day - LOL

[Deleted]

I think i would have bought him a burger.

[8 Bit WWBG]

I would have told him that I knew for a fact that the burgers weren't REALLY organic, and see if that scared him away.

DW and I once had a homeless person explicitly refuse our offer of leftovers from the TGI Fridays we'd just left, because he wanted food from Starbucks.

[frep]

I would have bought him some food.

[sheilaincali]

I would have bought him a burger.

[moxie]

"Just out of pure curiosity I would like to take a poll - would you have bought him food?"

I would have bought him the burger...and sat with him for a conversation about his life.

[moxie]

"DW and I once had a homeless person explicitly refuse our offer of leftovers from the TGI Fridays we'd just left, because he wanted food from Starbucks."

Yep...that was my last experience...a PARTICULAR AND GREEDY homeless person.

[Waffle]

I probably would have bought him a burger. I once gave money to an apparently homeless person - I saw him go straight to McDonalds with his money. He seemed so happy.

[milee]

Yes.

[daisylu]

I probably would have bought him something to eat.

[Green Eyed Lady]

I would, and have, bought the food.

Good for you, almost40.

[Deleted]

I would have told him to ask 5 other people and if they all said no, then I'd buy him one. I wouldn't want him to think it was that easy and I want the embarrassment to sink in. Lets call it "tough love".

[Deleted]

I would have given them a ride to the Centre for Youth we have in town. They would have fed him and followed up on why he was hungry.

I can't imagine offering another human being my leftovers as their meal. It would be like feeding them out of the garbage can.

[cronewitch]

I had a man tell me he was hungry in the grocery store parking lot as I was putting my groceries in the trunk. First I don't like people to beg when I can't just walk away so felt trapped. I considered the food I just bought and most was raw meat or other things he couldn't eat, I did ask if he had a way to cook. So I asked if he like grapefruit and he said no. He wanted money but I told him I didn't carry money. I would have given him some food if he was really hungry but not something expensive. Some fruit or hot dogs or even a loaf of bread is good food when you are hungry enough.

My ISO was driving truck once and got robbed of his wallet. The company had an account for gas but he didn't have any way to get food for over a full day. I would hope if he begged someone would have given him something so I understand it can happen that someone needs food. Most people don't have a Semi to deal with so can go to a soup kitchen or are local so should have friends and family to help them in hard times or they can offer to mow a lawn or something to get a meal so I am not a push over. I wouldn't buy them an organic burger in a restaurant when for the same money they could get rice and beans for a week.

[Deleted]

Jun 1, 2012 14:34:05 GMT -5 @mmc said:

I would have told him to ask 5 other people and if they all said no, then I'd buy him one. I wouldn't want him to think it was that easy and I want the embarrassment to sink in. Lets call it "tough love".

You're not easy?

[kgb18]

Yes, I would have bought him the food.

[Catseye]

Almost40!

I'm not sure if I would have bought him the burger. I get hit up for money so often from people who don't look like they need it that I'm used to saying "no". I even get panhandled INSIDE Wal-Mart and Kroger. I've got one of those faces, I look like I care. Problem is, so many of the people that ask for money have such an air of entitlement, it's offensive.
Last year, this obese woman with 3 skinny kids (oldest looked to be around 7) guilted me into giving her a dollar in Wal-Mart. Said she needed to feed her children. I wanted to tell her to take off the feedbag and share it with her offspring instead of humiliating them in front of strangers. Poor kids.

[movingforward]

I wish I had asked him about his situation. I rarely give people money but when he said he just wanted food I felt like I should buy it for him.

[Sam_2.0]

I would have fed him. I generally operate under the assumption that people are not all out to scam you (I know...this is YM).

[movingforward]

"Off topic -Almost40, were you Pushed40 on the old YM? I was wondering what happened to her."

No, that's not me. I was never a member on the old board though I did lurk quite a bit.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

You failed a YM test. You were supposed to say no, then tell him what a rotten waste of a human being he is for daring to ask you, a hard working productive tax paying citizen to buy him food and how he is in the situation he is in for not going to private school and then getting an STEM major while in college that he paid for by working three full time jobs.

I would have bought one and probably another one for the dog. I am a softy when it comes to animals.

[movingforward]

"I am a softy when it comes to animals"

Me too. I kind of did feel bad that I didn't buy one for the dog. He was a cute little mutt too.

[jarhead1976]

Great move Almost. Sad to say ,I would have bought them both burgers and more than likely gave him all the freakin cash on me . ( I only carry a debit card , little cash.) Nice read.

[mmhmm]

Sure. I'd buy him something to eat and take the time to see if there was anything we could do about his situation.

[zibazinski]

I'd have gotten him and his dog a burger. You did a good thing.

[wvugurl26]

If someone asked me for food, I'd give it to them. And one for the dog if I thought about it. I'm skeptical about money but if someone asks for food, I figure they are really hungry.

[dannylion]

I'd have bought him food and some for the dog. You never know when a small kindness might make a huge difference to someone.

[weltschmerz]

I would have bought him a burger and there's always dog food in the car for his dog. I give it out to street kids with dogs.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I'd have purchased a burger for him and one for his dog. Then I would've seen if he needed dog food, flea meds, anything for the dog.

[Golden Cavalier]

I would definitely have bought a burger for him and a burger for the dog. I hate when people ask me for money. I always feel like I'm being scammed, regardless of what the sob story is that goes along with the request. But if someone asks me for food, I figure they can't do anything with it but eat it, so how much of a scam could it be? I would never let a person go hungry (or a dog, for that matter).

The stories about picky homeless people make me think of the Seinfeld episode where one of the characters (I don't remember which one) decided to go into business selling muffin tops (no, not THAT kind of muffin top) and figured they would bring the bottoms of the muffins to a homeless shelter because the homeless would be happy to get free muffins in any form. When they bring the muffins in, they get screamed at and humiliated for thinking that the homeless should be grateful to get muffins with no tops, while while everyone else got the best part of the muffins.

Okay, I'm sure it was funnier on the show.