Do panhandlers / hobos make you nervous?

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One time this guy came up to me and started talking to me. It was so weird because he didn’t even ask for money. He acted friendly started asking me questions like if I was married and what I did for a living. I tried to play along but obviously I was nervous. After a while he started saying some very strange things that I could hardly understand. I’m guessing he might have had schizophrenia or something. He asked if I was nervous because he was black. I wanted to tell him that wasn’t the case, but I had nothing to respond. At that point I tried to walk away but he followed me. I eventually just showed him a five dollar bill to see if he would leave me alone. It worked and he took off. I wasn’t really afraid for my safety as I’m I big guy and this happened in broad daylight with other people around. It was just awkward.

Now I pretty much don’t even look at panhandlers or homeless people for fear they might bother me. I don’t have enough money myself to be giving people handouts. Sometimes I feel bad about being afraid of them though.

I see the same panhandlers on the same spot every day. They don't make me any more nervous than anyone else.

I usually look straight ahead, and don't make eye contact with the panhandlers. On some occasions, I'd quickly say: "I don't have change, sorry." One time, when the person was asking he strange questions, I picked up phone (pretending that it just rang while set on vibrate), paused for a few seconds, the said: "Are you serious? He's in the hospital? Which hospital!?" The panhandler who was about to hassle me for money got a really uncomfortable look on his face. I gave him an "I got bigger problems now" look, and took off.

Perhaps this is a method you all can use. It embarrasses the panhandler in a fairly harmless way, and gives a few seconds of time to escape him quickly and easily.

Homeless people here in the UK sell a magazine called the 'big issue'. I normally just say to them "Not today thanks" and keep walking. I do occasionally buy the magazine though, as its sometimes pretty interesting.

I tend to blank them and walk on as if I haven't heard them, which is easy as I usually have earphones in.
Occasionally, I will feel a little bad and give money for the big issue or just give money and not want the big issue.

The problem was the one guy that bothered me just walked up to me and just started talking to me. I don't even recall looking at him. He must have wanted money because he finally went away when I gave him money. But he didnt' even ask for money. He just kept following me and talking to me. I really think he was either mentally ill or on drugs. It was just too bizarre.

Usually the obvious ones who stand on the corner with a sign will not walk up to you if you ignore them.

Not all homeless people go around begging for money, thats just a sterio type. Ive been homeless before and Ive spent time with homeless people. I know that not all of them are "bad".
Oh, and I worked with them at the stop & shop. There werent many though. Most of the ones I knew didnt even have jobs though, but they all had legit reasons.

On a crowded subway in Mexico City, I had a run-in with a (apparently very drugged) Jamaican man. At first, he just sang random bits of "All the lovely people", but then he started to talk to me, in part English, part gibberish. Most of it was unintelligible, but I picked up stuff about Martin Luther King jr, Mike Tyson, and Micheal Jordan.

I wasn't scared at all; I've always considered myself a hobo of sorts. I found it interesting how what seemed to make no sense at all to me, could have made perfect sense in his brain.

Back in the US, I tend to ignore the hobos on the street corner. Just pretend to be a stuck up kid in his parent's car. Not really because I dislike them, but because all they do is buy drugs with the money one gives them...

I'm offended by them. Most are certainly capable of doing some sort of work. But there seems to be an epidemic of people who simply won't, who would rather bum off of others.

And then we're told that illegal aliens do jobs that us Americans won't do. Yea, they'd rather be bums. Put the homeless people in the fields picking strawberries, and send the illegals home. Two problems solved.

I'm didn't say they are bad. I don't really care if people beg for money either. I'm sure if they could easily get a job they wouldn't be begging. I don't judge them.

Just some of them might have schizophrenia or something else and act strange. They probably cant’ help it. The guy that decided to follow me was saying some weird paranoid sounding things. I just get nervous because I don’t know what to say when I’m approached by such people.

no. i was homeless once, (i never asked for money) but still. i knew where i could eat for free. alot of people i ran into were alcoholics, and thats cool. (to a point) alot of them were mentally ill. like schizos and should have been treated better

I am usually not bothered by homeless people. No hobos around Indy that I know of.

Usually, I just say "sorry" and go on. Occasionally, I give something, but not often. There are times I have actually wanted to help, but my budget is very limited at this point.

There used to be a lot of pan handlers at the bus stops but a recent city ordinance put a stop to most of that. Now the people go elsewhere and move around more.

What I find really strange is when an old lady (70+) with carrier bags and an old shopping trolley approaches and asks "Do you have a few dollars? I need to buy food for my children."

Also, I get the old "My car ran out of petrol at such and such place and I need money to get more."

One man asked me this, but he made me really suspicious because the crossroads he mentions where his car died was not an intersection a well dressed white man would walk in at 11:30 in the evening, certainly not to the city centre from.

Two strange bus incidents I recall are:

1- Besides myself there was one other man on the bus. I was toward the back. He approached, took out a small plastic container of some white substance. He showed it to me and said "I know you want some. It'll make you feel real good." I said emphatically, "no, thank you." and quickly moved to the front near the driver. He then left me alone, as the driver would radio for the police.

2- Sad, but slightly humourous...I was on a crowded bus in early evening and this young black lady suddenly stood up and started singing "I love being black. Everyone one should be black..." and somewhat twirling around. Then she started asking people, black and white "Do you like being black?" She got to me. I simply played along with the poor soul and answered "Yes." She kept on. Then back to her sing song. Another older black lady shook her head and rolled her eyes. She turned to me and said "She does this every everytime she gets on this bus!" Finally after 20 minutes she got off. You could hear the sigh of relief on the bus at that point.

For those who don't know, the Big Issue (printed in the UK) newspaper is put together by homeless people. It basically deals with issues pertaining to the down and out and other similar issues. It helps them earn some cash.

I don't know how you can make such general assumptions. I would think being homeless would kind of suck. I know if I had a choice between living on the street and flipping burgers I'd choose flipping burgers. I would think there's something besides just laziness that's preventing them from working. Maybe there's a few that actually like being bums, but I wouldn't guess the majority do.

I generally don't give money to panhandlers in the US though. They can get basic necessities from shelters and such. The money they beg for is probably for "extra" things. I don't blame them too much for wanting booze or extra treats though.

My job site was near a homeless camp of people so I can confirm that schizophrenia and/or alcoholism is the common thread. They were all on SSI and ran out of money near the end of the month and I often loaned them money. They were good about paying me back to. But unavoidable they slowly slipped to where the time they could pay back and need another loan was close to zero time interval. I quit my job and never worried about collecting the several hundred in outstanding debt. I was a single man with a fairly good job so I could afford to buy a bum a beer and some smokes sometimes.

sounds like you had compassion. thank you

I just show them my empty hands and smile and mean it, and say "Sorry." Once, though, I was so depressed and mad that I pushed one of them away rather roughly and ran off down the street. He was nice; all he and his friend were doing were asking for money, and I was with my mother. I feel so horrible about it still; I wish I could apologize to him. It was horrible timing. My mother had been expressing to me just then about her lack of confidence in my ability to keep away the baddies, so when I saw one I thought, basically, "Never again will I let someone make a fool of me, even if they're not trying or don't mean it!" And so I pushed him away and ran off like a coward.