Monday, April 03, 2006

don't help me, give me money

Today as I walked home from the grocery store, I walked over the Ha'Penny Bridge and saw someone begging for money. OK, I always see someone begging for money on the bridge. However, today the guy was freezing. He was shaking and his teeth were chattering because he was so cold. I went home, looked for a piece of clothing to give him to make him warmer and counted out some change so I could buy him hot chocolate. I put Caineal on her lead and we left.

We then walked to the bridge and I offered the fleece that I had found to him. He said no. When I tried to tell him to take it because he was freezing, he said no, "It has dog hair all over it. And it's too small." It wouldn't have been too small and it didn't have dog hair on it, it had white fuzzies. I put the fleece back in my bag that I was carrying it in and kept walking. I didn't buy him the hot chocolate or offer him the money because if he wasn't willing to take help in the form of clothing, he probably wouldn't take the hot chocolate and I won't give someone money who won't accept other forms of help.

John thinks that the guy probably isn't homeless. He thinks that they just beg and try to look grungy. Why would people try to look homeless? Do that many people give money? Oh well, I will just stick to my principle of offering tangibles like clothing or food to people begging because I don't know what they would use the cash for.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

buy them a tea, but don't give them money,,You know there are a huge amount of facilities out there for them to use, I had a homeless man in my taxi going to a night hostel and he was so amusing as he told me how cheap dublin is to survive in as far as cities go, I found out where to go for breakfast , lunch and tea ,,He siad he never had to beg,
Paul