How Much For Beggars?

[Jollygoodfellow]

53 minutes ago, davewe said:

I don't agree with the minimum - let alone one Euro - and certainly not to be reprimanded for it. Are you giving out of "goodness", guilt, or because you are genuinely trying to improve their life. Either way you are not obligated, so any amount you can manage seems appropriate.

Exactly, in the case of the Philippines or anywhere its about all those small coins that add up when you need them. 

[Bruce]

In the Philippines I give to small kids and old women. In the US it is different. Stopping at a traffic light there are no shortage of beggars looking for money with a sign gimmick. Sometime times it is a veteran sign, god bless sign or healthcare sign or a gas needed sign. I do not give. However if the sign says I Need A Beer!,  I might make a $1 donation.   

Three days ago, I was filling up the gas tank (28 gals, $2.35 a gal) and a nice looking white women in her mid twenties came over to me. Wearing white tee shirt, white long pants and white running shoes, like a food service worker. Her gimmick was that she and her husband (not seen) were driving to Tallahassee (400+ miles away) and need $5 or $10 for gas.

However she had small open sores on her face and arms.. the telltale sign of a crack addict. So I declined to donate!  

[scott h]

Being asked for money grew real old real fast for me. From walking around a corner seeing little boys playing, smiling and laughing and once I am spotted smiles disappear, one hand goes to tummy the other is extended towards me and big puppy dog eyes appear to the old grand father who just walks around town with his granddaughter all day every day (we must all look alike, because he cant remember I turned him down yesterday lol) to weekly a supposed representative of the garbage collectors asking for "donations" for a colleagues funeral (being a garbage man must be the most dangerous occupation in the Philippines because they drop like flies) even the carolers (the kids banging empty cans, singing off key) night after night during Christmas season. My modus operandi is when a hand is extended towards me, I smile, reach out and shake the hand with a "how ya doing??" (usually to the smiles and chuckles of locals who see it, which tells me they don't like beggars either).

I don't mind the guys that "help" me park (though I ignore them lol) and those types, they are at least providing a service of sorts.

I didn't give to beggars back home and I don't give to beggars here. That might make me a scrooge, miser, cold hearted elitist or just an ugly American. I came to the Philippines so my wife and I could enjoy our golden years, not to try and save the world.

[bows00]

What happened to the saying "beggars can't be choosey"?

[Jack Peterson]

 Please take this  it sounds, I am in no way doing the family Down because they are a nice little Family but They are beggars It all started when he ( Our 2nd Cousin) Lost his Job ( Company went Broke) about 4/5 years ago, they have a nice little House, a M/C and the Kids all go to school. He was forced (He tell us) to stoop to this to feed the family and keep his Roof over their Heads.

I guess soon he realized that he could earn more begging than the pittance he was Paid (about 130 a day then. So another side to the coin here. Really I think my hat should be raised to him for this but.....

 Now he and his wife go off in the mornings he to start and she joins him after taking the Kids to school.

BTW the kids are never neglected, if they are at Home so is the Wife. They are not Greedy from what I gather, they beg for just enough to cover Today's Meals and maybe to pay a bill or two.

As I said in another post I was certain it is a Business to some, on this issue I am not sure.

What do you think to this people?

[chris49]

40 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Please take this  it sounds, I am in no way doing the family Down because they are a nice little Family but They are beggars It all started when he ( Our 2nd Cousin) Lost his Job ( Company went Broke) about 4/5 years ago, they have a nice little House, a M/C and the Kids all go to school. He was forced (He tell us) to stoop to this to feed the family and keep his Roof over their Heads.

I guess soon he realized that he could earn more begging than the pittance he was Paid (about 130 a day then. So another side to the coin here. Really I think my hat should be raised to him for this but.....

 Now he and his wife go off in the mornings he to start and she joins him after taking the Kids to school.

BTW the kids are never neglected, if they are at Home so is the Wife. They are not Greedy from what I gather, they beg for just enough to cover Today's Meals and maybe to pay a bill or two.

As I said in another post I was certain it is a Business to some, on this issue I am not sure.

What do you think to this people?

We are confronted with such situations almost daily. We do not know the background.

Whatever is your personal ideology you follow. Nothing is always an option. Or a few coins. If you are giving a larger amount you are basically throwing the money away.

I don't put it in my mind the back story or whether they are 100% genuine or not. A few coins won't hurt me. However if the kid is well dressed and well fed I ignore him. He doesn't need it that badly.

[sonjack2847]

There is a man up the road from lee plaza on the sidewalk most days begging. He is blind so sometimes I give him a few coins but I don`t give easily to able bodied people. If I was to give and they said it was not enough I would do what I did in Cebu city 6 years ago and take it back.Anybody who is begging and questions your generosity,IMO, doesn`t deserve it.

[Queenie O.]

It's a tough call when you see beggars. I give mostly on a case by case basis, and that would mostly handicapped and the elderly. Sometimes in some areas children are forced into syndicate begging for a boss.

Once in a while someone will stop by our gate in the province with a sad but honest sounding plea for a little money, so we oblige. Yesterday my husband overheard an old lady trying to bargain 5 pesos of vegetables down to three, and he said that she looked quite poor. He passed her a hundred peso bill and she was just so grateful. He said smiles all around and he felt glad to help.

As for beggars and street people, I try not to sweat that I can't help everyone. I try to save my energy to help in concrete ways with the people I know through family and neighbors.

I'm also a great tipper if that counts!LOL

[chris49]

42 minutes ago, Queenie O. said:

It's a tough call when you see beggars. I give mostly on a case by case basis, and that would mostly handicapped and the elderly. Sometimes in some areas children are forced into syndicate begging for a boss.

Once in a while someone will stop by our gate in the province with a sad but honest sounding plea for a little money, so we oblige. Yesterday my husband overheard an old lady trying to bargain 5 pesos of vegetables down to three, and he said that she looked quite poor. He passed her a hundred peso bill and she was just so grateful. He said smiles all around and he felt glad to help.

As for beggars and street people, I try not to sweat that I can't help everyone. I try to save my energy to help in concrete ways with the people I know through family and neighbors.

I'm also a great tipper if that counts!LOL

It does. Without going overboard an extra 50 or even 20 pesos can mean a lot to these people. My barber gets 50 + 50 for really excellent service over time.

But although 50-100 is a nice gesture at street level it is a total overkill to the situation. 5-10 is good depending on what coins I find in my pocket.

[Reboot]

17 hours ago, Bruce said:

In the Philippines I give to small kids and old women. In the US it is different. Stopping at a traffic light there are no shortage of beggars looking for money with a sign gimmick. Sometime times it is a veteran sign, god bless sign or healthcare sign or a gas needed sign. I do not give. However if the sign says I Need A Beer!,  I might make a $1 donation.   

Three days ago, I was filling up the gas tank (28 gals, $2.35 a gal) and a nice looking white women in her mid twenties came over to me. Wearing white tee shirt, white long pants and white running shoes, like a food service worker. Her gimmick was that she and her husband (not seen) were driving to Tallahassee (400+ miles away) and need $5 or $10 for gas.

However she had small open sores on her face and arms.. the telltale sign of a crack addict. So I declined to donate!  

Common scam in Florida, and those are meth, not crack, sores.