This is becoming more common in my town. I just either feel like an ass saying I dont have cash, or lying, but I also can’t be giving out 20’s to everyone who asks.
I feel bad for most of them but at the same time I get anxiety walking down the sidewalk and seeing someone up ahead that I know is going to ask me for money. Its not like you can say “oh no, I donate to services that help the needy” because that person isn’t necessarily being helped by that. And ignoring completely feels so mean, plus I tried that one time and the person was screaming at me as i walked away that I ignored them.
I also dont want my city to round them up and send them to prison camps, something they are planning and that I know a lot of people would vote for just to “get rid of them” but im not supporting that at all.
Its tough.
Where I live, the local paper did an expose about some of those people being scammers. Most are truly in need and deserve any help we can give. But you need to be more skeptical of the most aggressive or the ones with the best spots. There’s only a small number of scammers but they will drive away the truly needy when they can find a profitable intersection
I like the one guy here with a practice of giving only to those who aren’t actively panhandling.
But that reminds me, it’s been too long since I donated to services for the needy