Sunday, March 21, 2010

Ask Not and Get A Job



Are times really getting rough, or is the world just finding more ways to bilk people out of their money? Everybody has their hand out. Can you spare a couple dollars? They beg on the street corners. If they could get their hand in your pocket they would definitely do it. I saw on the news, a problem they were having in London. In one area motorcyclist would wait for people to walk by and they would grab their purse or package or whatever they had and take off. It was so bad they had to close that area to motorcycles. Of course, that isn’t begging, it’s just plain stealing.
Not only is there a lot of open begging on the streets, you get a ton of stuff in your mail box asking for donations for this or that. Anyway, I do. They send little token things like address labels and note pads, which I have sent five dollars a couple times. That seems to be a mistake because I think they also sell your address to others that are in the begging business because I now get so many of them, I just pitch them in the trash as soon as they arrive.
I feel very sorry for homeless people and I don’t blame them if they ask for something, but it’s the large companies that do it with that give away gimmick. Maybe I’m wrong and maybe they truly are collecting it for a good cause, but after hearing so much about the fraud that goes on with big business people that you thought were educated upright moral folks and they can rob you without batting an eye. They rob people of their retirement money and homes. How can you trust anybody?


2 comments:

Mike Starring said...

Once again, you are absolutely right. Swing by the food banks and drop off a few can goods and then you know the people that get it, usually need it. I also drop off pet food, so many homeless people have pets. Speaking of right on, I keep looking at your jury cartoon. If it was not so true, I could not stop laughing.

Stephanie Frieze said...

My husband and I discussed the begging situation. I agree that the best course is to give to a charitable organization that helps homeless people. I also believe that begging should not be outlawed. It has been outlawed in Tacoma and so they come across the bridge to Gig Harbor. No one forces you to give to these people and I truly believe that although they are always with us (and always have been) I am seeing a "better class" of homeless due to the economy. As my daughter-in-law, who does pass a five out the car windown from time to time, says, there are just some people who are just incapable of working.

Now the charities: We went on the do not call list a long time ago, but we get 5-8 calls per evening. Thanks to caller ID we don't have to talk to them, but it is annoying all the same. They try to be sneaky and have 000 area codes. I had to call the phne company to learn that. Yes, everyone wants what little money we have.