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scathedobsidian relates his experiences offering food to street beggars. Mine are broadly similar. The last time I got taken in by a panhandler, I swore I'd never again give money. Now I tell them, "I only give food." Hardly anyone ever accepts. Here's a typical encountre from about a week back:
I swung by Mei Shung on my way tomonshu's and picked up two entrees and and an appetiser. At the door to the lobby, I was politely accosted by a scruffy middle-aged black man. He started into a typical shpil and when he came to the part about not having eaten in a couple days, I said, "I've got food!" I started rooting around in the bag for something to give him. He said, "No, man, I don't want to take away your dinner. That's rude." I told him, "There's plenty--here" and offered him a small box, saying, "There are onion cakes." He looked into it and said, "I don't even know what those are." I replied, "They're just onion, flour..." but he was already moving away and apologising for having bothered me.
I was reminded oftopaz_munro's generalised account of offering leftovers to beggars in Hyde Park, of having to field suspicious questions about pad thai and have the person turn it down in the end. After year upon year of experiences like these, it's hard not to grow cynical and sceptical.
scathedobsidian relates his experiences offering food to street beggars. Mine are broadly similar. The last time I got taken in by a panhandler, I swore I'd never again give money. Now I tell them, "I only give food." Hardly anyone ever accepts. Here's a typical encountre from about a week back:I swung by Mei Shung on my way to
monshu's and picked up two entrees and and an appetiser. At the door to the lobby, I was politely accosted by a scruffy middle-aged black man. He started into a typical shpil and when he came to the part about not having eaten in a couple days, I said, "I've got food!" I started rooting around in the bag for something to give him. He said, "No, man, I don't want to take away your dinner. That's rude." I told him, "There's plenty--here" and offered him a small box, saying, "There are onion cakes." He looked into it and said, "I don't even know what those are." I replied, "They're just onion, flour..." but he was already moving away and apologising for having bothered me.I was reminded of
topaz_munro's generalised account of offering leftovers to beggars in Hyde Park, of having to field suspicious questions about pad thai and have the person turn it down in the end. After year upon year of experiences like these, it's hard not to grow cynical and sceptical.