What do you do if you do? I'm in an area with homeless people for the first time, and I try not to get involved, but sometimes they ask me personally for help, and after thoroughly interviewing them to make sure they aren't panhandlers, I feel like I want to help them, but I don't know what's appropriate.

Generally, no. But I have done on occasion. I saw a man with no legs begging in Zhuhai. People walked by ignoring him, which is common in China to think that all beggars are scam artists (it is how they sleep at night). I gave him some money. I'm pretty sure he isn't faking having no legs, lol. And even if it is an elaborate network of beggars, I hope they put my 5RMB towards having a beer on me. The Chinese often treat beggars as if it is a lucrative career, and I am sure there are scammers, but when you see a woman carrying her lifeless child on her back, with her hand out for some cash, how can you ignore them and go about the rest of your day? I think the odds that they are genuine is worth the small amount of money that you will lose.

In the UK, I've never given to homeless people. There is really no good reason that anybody should be homeless in the UK. You're there because you want to be. It is mostly drug addicts and alcoholics. They even drink on the street in broad daylight. I'm like "well, I know where my money is going if I give it to them!", and so I don't bother.

Depends on my mood. Usually when I'm leaving a store I'll give them my spare change or couple dollars.
Here in Houston we have a ton of them. Can usually find them in major intersections with signs begging.

I do not have any extraordinary, inspirational, The Soloist-type story, but I give them a couple dollars, and I have bought meals for them a few times.

how do you "thoroughly" interview them?

I only help the ones that come over and start talking to me.

Odd since the ones who approach with a rehearsed bit have a much higher chance of being the professional "panhandler" you want to avoid. Versus people who are obviously living hard on the street, but mind their own business and stay out of the center of attention lest they get hassled or abused.

Hmmmm. Good tip.

Only those that aren't panhandling.

I also try to give to at least one charity per week as well.

Is homelessness a thing in Alaska?

I donate to charity and volunteer but give nothing directly to homeless people. It encourages panhandlers and the mentally ill or addicts are beyond the help of my dollar.

I don't know if these people are homeless but the ones that tap on my car window when I'm about to leave scare the shit out of me... and don't get my money. In general I don't usually have cash on me so I try to avoid them most of the time sadly.

I generally don't, but I have given food and money more than a few times.

My mom usually always keeps a homeless "gift bag" in her car at all times. It has water, snacks, etc in it for them.

I generally don't. Usually they ask for money and it's very rare that I have any cash on me.

Depends.

I have volunteered at a food pantry in the past.

I never give to homeless in China, because I exactly suspect that each time. Guy with no legs, he's gotten his legs chopped him, maybe even against his will even, to be garnering money there by his "employer"...even if it's not his fault, giving money to him will only encourage that behavior. At least that's how I feel...basically I see truth in the Slumdog Millionaire part of homelessness in many of "these" countries.

Now however, I do give to homeless people sometime, but I should say in China at least to elderly women only whom I've feel I can imagine have genuinely gotten homeless by a lack of family and societal care. I hardly see any of them though.

And yeah in the Netherlands any beggar is their by choice, so screw them.

I do think, more often than not, the benefit of potentially helping someone in genuine need outweighs both the personal financial cost and any risk of incentivizing negative/exploitative behavior. If somebody comes up to me with a transparently false sob story, however, I'm not generally inclined to lend them money.

That's the attitude Chinese people have. You're meant to be better than that, dude. Are you telling me that you think, out of 1.4 billion Chinese people, there are zero homeless? All the beggars you see MUST be scammers, right? Because it makes it easier for you to ignore them.

There's some believable ones in the form of old ladies, I tend to trust them...but generally the "worse" a beggar looks, the less likely I feel like supporting them and yeah that's because of the scammer element. And I can't deny these thoughts do make it easier for me to ignore them which even it's the Chinese way, is something I agree with, not everything Chinese is bad

So every beggar besides old ladies are scammers? lmao. Nobody else falls on hard times in China besides old ladies? Dude. You cannot be serious. And I never said everything Chinese is bad (loads of things are absolutely great), but this ignorance definitely is bad. I feel it is better to "thoroughly interview" a beggar than behold this Chinese attitude that they're all scammers. It is the ugly side of the Chinese's self-centered attitude.

Well, some old ladies might be scammers too, but I feel they are less likely. Basically my rule is, the younger they are or the harder they try the more likely they're scammers. And I'd say I do "thoroughly interview" them, but scoping out their whole appearance. Maybe I said it before, I'm happy to help some people in need, but if I get the sense of a scammer, which sure is not always that easy to tell I'll steer away clear.

We should have talked about this today.

To be honest, I sort of am frightened of homeless people.

Yes, most of them travel to Anchorage from villages around the state that are super poor or suffering from drug addiction problems.

I bought some time some food for some homeless guys. Though it was obvious in those cases they must be suffering from schizophrenia or some other case of natural psychosis. And they appreciated the food. So I guess they were "real" homeless people.

Yeah, I think that's also the thing...given them food never is always a good way to help. Money is essentially useless for real homeless anyway.