We have all had our special little encounters with those homeless people. You all know that hairy man who needed a quarter to call his parents and you had mistaken for a neanderthal, that poor man on a bench sleeping under some newspapers, and the man who caused you to role up your window in fear while he stood in the middle of the highway holding up his infamous "veteran" cardboard scrap. Some of them are for real, and need help, and some of them just leach off hard workers so they can get drunk.

I don't give any of my money to homeless people because...I dont want to(my money is MY money) :) and all the bad ones give all of them bad reps.

So... what are YOUR feelings on the homeless??

I feel sad about the homeless. Because parts of me want to help them...and although I want to help them. There are parts of me that are unsure because they may use the money I give for other things. I always feel bad especially in the winter because Philadelphia winters since a few years ago have been worse than before. Each time I see a homeless person, I pray for them that their lives may turn around for the better and that they keep the faith.

We just have to remember that all homeless people and junkies were once, what we call "normal" people, before in the past. i treat them like if they were any other normal person waiting on the street. but sometimes gotta be careful lol. never know what someone will do

I think we should have a better system for homeless people, we should give them odd end jobs, something easy and anyone can do. Then see there skill and have them work there way up from there.

Normal people...i would act towards them as such...i wouldn't sneer at them, but at the same time, i wouldn't give any extra help either (even though if a good oppurtunity presents itself to help them, i would).

however, i wont see them as normal people...they are homeless, beggars on the streets at the mercy of passerbys...ant that's all they are because it's reality

ZipLoc

I think we should have a better system for homeless people, we should give them odd end jobs, something easy and anyone can do. Then see there skill and have them work there way up from there.

here in australia, there's a local newspaper that prints out a monthly magazine that are given to homeless people to sell.. any magazine they sell, they get to keep the money. that's just one example of an odd end job for homeless people to start somewhere. but i really feel many of them just want to keep living in that way regardless. :\

Someone told me once that there was some survey or study done on homeless people, and the people said they actually made really good money begging, and that they wanted to keep doing it. I didn't read this study myself though, so I don't know how much of it to believe. I guess one argument in support of this is that you see more people begging on the street around Christmas, because they know the "christmas spirit" will make people more likely to give homeless people loose change.

What if tommorw you, yourself were homeless, knowing you are not a drunk or junkie or just crazy? How would you feel if people you knew and people who didn't know you started acting the way you do the homeless. I think people would get depressed and turn into junkies and drunks. I mean who is gonna hire a homeless person who doesn't have good clothes, can't really shower or bathe. Not McDonalds, not you. So you have to think, I cannot help every homeless person but maybe if I give to one he might do something good with that.

Stop being mercantilous. In order fro the for people to become successful in the world, you have to make your other successful to, to a certain degree. Who knows maybe the guy/girl raving gibberish on the street conrner, is as smart as Einstein or Hawking was/is . Nobody helps him/her out, they get depressed, abuses their body and is left a mass of quvering flesh raving about their drug enduced paranoia.

*If you have it in your heart to help out these people*
Maybe try asking the homeless person what he/she is gonna do with the money. If they say buy food, ask them what type of food they like/want. Tell them your gonna go in for them and buy them the food since most businesses do not like having the really rough homeless in their stores especially if they know them. If they get mad at the idea, back away and say that you only have a debit card, and walk away. If not they don't care go and buy them some food. Then bask in the new found glory that you might have just saved someone from starving to death.

I am not saying you have to do this every day or everytime you see a homeless person. Heck try it once and if it actually happens nobody said you have to do it again.

I will give them some food or drink instead, but only to those who looks really can't earn money.

There are many people begging for cash in Shenzhen, a city next to Hongkong. Most of them can "earn" more money than one who has just graduated from universities...

Never seen a hobo for real. i hope i never do. i've felt what they feel every day... with no love, no friends, no family, and nothing to look forword to. i'm not sure how i'd react if i saw one... i don't pity them. I ...think i fear them..

Here is the kicker for you, remotely based on the topic. Have you ever seen an asian homeless person in the U.S, this obivsouly excludes Asia in general. I live in Texas and I have yet to see one.

PixelGloss

Here is the kicker for you, remotely based on the topic. Have you ever seen an asian homeless person in the U.S, this obivsouly excludes Asia in general. I live in Texas and I have yet to see one.

I don't think I've ever seen one... well, I'm from a small town that really only has one resident "homeless" person (not really sure if he's homeless, or just a little crazy. He stands outside McD's with coffee and talks to himself). But, I've never even heard of an Asian homeless person. I honestly think they are all so much smarter than us because their school system is so much better that they come over here and can get any good job they want. I also think they have a better work ethic than we do. My roommate said it was culture shock when she came to the US, walked into a store and the salespeople were talking and laughing amongst themselves, and not actively waiting on the customers.

I wold think homeless people should not be living in the streets. I feel compassion toward the people who has to suffer through living to survive all the hardships living in the streets, trying to earn money and get food. If someone was faking to be homeless, it would be hard to tell, but it isn't right for people to do that to get money from people. I wold be willing to give money to the homeless, whether they are true and false.

I wish I can give them help. But I only weak person. But if I able to do that, I'll help them

When ever I see one I always feel that I wanted to help them don't know why.