I was scammed!

Today as I was driving down the exit ramp off the interstate, there was a man holding a sign that read, " Vet out of work, homeless and hungry, need money for food". What caught my eye was his dog laying beside him. I always feel more sorry for animals than I do people, and as I drove by, the dog gave me a look that broke my heart. I wasnt going to give him any money but I was planning on going to Petco anyway, so while I was there, I rushed around forgetting what I went there for, picked up a bag of dog food and a rawhide bone for this man's dog. At the checkout, the girl over charged me for the bone($10), and when she corrected the price, I kindof laughed and said, "That's better, it's for a homeless man's dog I just saw" She looked at me and said....I hate to tell you this but it's a scam. The man is not homeless, we saw him getting into a nice truck the other day and called his license plate in, and the police knew all about him already. I still bought the dog food and bone to give to the dog anyway and went right down where he was. I was only in Petco for 6 minutes, and when I got to the spot where he was, he was gone! I looked all over for him, but he had vanished....probably drove off in his truck! I still feel sorry for his dog, but I hate people who scam that way!

Gosh, imagine if you weren't overcharged for the bone, you would not have known he was a fake. Shame on that guy! Poor dog to be used that way.

I really do hate the way they use animals to get money!

I'm forever buying food for the animals round here!

I usually give those people a buck or 2 if I have it. I know some of them are scammers, but I would hate to see the ones that are not go hungry. Several years ago I was going to Wal-Mart and saw an elderly couple sitting on a station wagon holding a sign that said "will work." Apparently they had been to visit their kids and had some problems on the road, leaving them short on gas money 50 miles from home. They had several cats with them. We bought them lunch, a bag of cat food, and gave them enough money to get home on. They really wanted to work for it, but we didn't need anything done at the time. It was summer, and there was just no way we could let those old folks and their kitties sit there in that heat.

Good points, Krazy Kat...This one man could have been less than honest...But we can 't start thinking that about most homeless people. There used to be an old frail gentleman downtown here that would walk around the entire day with an empty prescrip. bottle, stating he just needed two dollars to refill his medication. After the first time of giving him the 2 bucks, a friend told me that he has been doing that for years..with the same bottle. He uses it to buy liquor.

Well, I thought to myself. If a bottle of wine helps this frail old man sleep a little better at night, why not? And why should I judge him for it? I saw him for a few years after that and then one day, he just wasn't there anymore. Its sad to think that he died alone in an alley somewhere...

Another story that was in our local paper was about a homeless man who DID die in an alley alone. They found a phone number on him and called it. It was an aunt who lived in Ontario (a province over). She said that he called her every so often and that she sent him what she could, but he wouldn't leave his "home" to go live with her. He had had a job for a previous 9 years, lived alone in a rooming house, but when his alcoholism caused him to get fired, he resorted to living on the street. When his past employer found he had died, they paid for a funeral for him and everyone from his old work attended, as he was so kind hearted (they said)...If they hadn't found out about his death, there would have been no funeral, just a city cremation.

That was soooo sweet of you! I always think it's better to give them food rather than money, but we don't really have any panhandlers here.

What is worse is when people use their children in these scams. Several years ago, I saw a woman with 2 small, dirty, ragged kids bumming money in a parking lot. She had the works, homeless sign etc. I was on my way to lunch but I was going to give her a couple of bucks when I returned to work. After lunch, as I was walking back to work, I saw this same woman getting into a caddy!! Homeless people do NOT have a nice car like that. I didn't even have a car at that time. I feel sorry for the kids, to have their mom put them thru that.

I dont like scammers. And I usually dont give money to those standing on the corner. That being said, there is a gentleman who has been living on a street we live off of now for years. He now has a dog with him. And he takes better care of the dog than himself. I have picked up a bag of dog food and some simple food for him several times. each time he politely declines the food for himself, saying he is fine. But thanks me graciously for the food for his dog. This pup may be living "homeless" but he is well cared for as I can see. And I drive by purposely anytime i go somewhere that direction. Shinny coat and pretty chubby.

I can not believe people like that, especially when there are people that really need the help.

My Uncle was telling that there is a place in L.A. that acually teach people to scam money off people like that. Can you believe that? I have no problem giving to people that need the money but to do it for a few extra bucks. Shame on those people to take advantage of peoples good hearts.

We were just having a discussion over the weekend about this. A friend was telling us about a man that was panhandling for money and then drove off from the underpass in his brand new Cadillac. Ugh.

I'm glad that people on this site have such good hearts. So many people will turn their backs on those less fortunate just in case they are scammers.

A man on a bicycle with his dog (yes, also on the bicycle) asked directions while I was saying goodbye to my dad one evening. He kept his distance as if he was scared of us. He was very skinny and so was his dog. He was towing a wagon full of his belongings. I figured he was homeless.
My BF happened to approach him from behind. He wanted to offer him some food and some help. The poor man got startled and rode away as fast as he could. My BF called to him, but he didn't stop.
How terrible to be homeless and so afraid.

Absolutely, if I saw an elderly person in this position...needing money for food or whatever, I always give them what I can. But it really saddens me when I see a young healthy man that is still able to work, sitting on the side of the road with a sign that says 'Homeless and hungry, need money for food'. I raise sheep, and I have endless amounts of work for anyone willing to do it. I will also give them a ride to and from my place, but no one ever answers my work adds! So for those reasons, I wont give them money, I will go and get them some food, and if they have an animal with them I'll get it food also. And even after the clerk told me he was a scam and he drives a new truck(when my car is 15 years old), I wanted to give him the food anyway. But he had vanished from the area. It just seems hard for me to understand how young able people can stand with their hand out, instead of feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment from a days work and an honest wage.

I'll come work for you! I would love to muck about on a farm for work

I know. Its sad. Even if you offered some of these people a job with you, they would likely not take it as they make some good money out there.

I meet people begging for money on occasion not far from the hospital where I work. And while it unerves me to be honest, I did stop and talk to one fellow and found out that yes, while he has a sort of home - lives in some kind of motel - and a pension, he does not make enmough from it to live on so he does this. The merchants on this sreet (Spring Garden Rd, in Hfx if anyone is from the Maritimes) plan to find jobs for some of these people would would be great!! There was a woman who approached me on another street - she told me this story about her child (not with her) and I asked her pointed questions and she fled. So I wonder even if there is a child - I gave her the name and numbers of services who coiuld help her and to call my office and we'd have more stuff ofile. We have never heard from her. I do worry if there is a child though....