Nicky Cheese

This weekend I left Texas-home for Chicago-home to be apart of SamSphere, a new media forum put on by the rich fat cats that pay my salary. Lots of good people with lots of great tips, tools and strategies for bloggers. But more on that another day…

As I rode the el from work to the airport yesterday, a bum gets on the train and, after offending everyone with his odor, makes a public plea asking passengers–section by section–for some change.

‘I’m a homeless man with no job, no money, no food–nothing. Please, find it in your hearts, help me get some food–a dollar, a quarter, whatever you can.’

No response. With arms out and hands open:

‘Please, please. Folks, I’m hungry and I don’t have a job and I need to buy some soap so I can get a job. Please folks, give some money to someone who doesn’t have nothing.’

Again, no charity. So he steps it up. Dramatically falling to his knees, he cries, pleads:

‘Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you please! I’m homeless and have nothing. So I’m begging you. Look, I’m on my knees. Would a person get on his knees if he wasn’t serious? Look what you made me do. You made me get on my knees. I had to get on my knees because of you. Now you know how serious I am.’

At which point I stood up and said:

‘Bullshit! We didn’t make you get on your knees; nobody here made you do anything. Don’t try and guilt us as if we’re are the bad guys, as if we’re responsible for your situation, for your life. As if you’re the victim, as if you are entitled to charity simply because you need it, regardless of why and how.’

Except that I didn’t say that and, instead, just rolled my eyes as four or five individuals offered the bum some money, a buck here, some change there.

There are many reasons not to blindly give out handouts. Perpetuating dependency and feeding the psychology of entitlement are good ones.

With that said, here’s a section of John Stossel’s now-classic 20/20 special “Freeloaders”.

[youtube]4teq7aKTNJ4[/youtube]

First one to figure out what my title is a take-off of is…

5 Responses so far | Have Your Say!

1. 

   baxtersbrother2
   April 2nd, 2008 at 10:01 am #

   Yea. it is so sad. Many of the street persons have major mental disorders. Therefore, sometimes it is just better to keep moving.
2. 

   missbehavin
   April 2nd, 2008 at 10:54 am #

   If you HAD stood up on the train I would have applauded you. And not just the “normal” woo-hoo applause. I would have brought the slow-clap out.
3. 

   Nicky Cheese
   April 2nd, 2008 at 12:07 pm #

   baxtersbrother2,
   I recognize that many homeless individuals do have mental problems (although there are plenty of perfectly sane individuals, as Stossel’s video and my experience shows), giving an irrational mind a handout in the form of money is not a good way to help that person. At all.

   Not sure if you were going there with your comment but I’d thought I’d mention it.
4. 

   I'm Not The Only 1
   April 6th, 2008 at 9:24 pm #

   I don’t give money to panhandlers unless they plan to entertain me in some way (singing, magic tricks, break dancing, playing musical instruments, etc.). I certainly don’t hand out money to any panhandler who is wearing nicer clothes than myself (and they’re not entertaining me in some way).

   I liked how you responded to the stubborn panhandler. Good work!
5. 

   Nicky Cheese
   April 6th, 2008 at 11:37 pm #

   Well, it was only a “thought” response to be fair.

   But yeah, I was actually going to include something like what you’re saying in my post. Which I absolutely agree with. If a panhandler is creating some form of value, then great! No complaint whatsoever. In fact, if he/she brightens my day with a song/joke/random act/expression, I will probably give that person some money.

   But this was obviously not the case with the bum in question, clear b/c no one organically gave him anything. It was only when he procured their pity and (irrational) guilt that he received a handout.