I gave up giving to bums and the homeless off the street!
I was doing cold calls about 20 years ago and this homeless dude asked for a few bucks so he could get a bite to eat, having a few sales under my belt that day, I thought what is $10 compared to what this guy goes through daily.
Little did I know this dude was scamming right and left, a few days later as I was taking the Metra train north, I could see the very same guy getting into a late model Caddy.
Nowadays if I am approached by some homeless person wanting a few bucks to get something to eat, I tell them we'll get something together right now, then they don't want to eat. Downtown Chicago with a resturant in every direction within a block of wherever you stand and 9 out of 10 times they don't want to eat.
What really breaks my heart is when you get mothers with their kids as part of the scam...
"Mister, I missed the last train to Aurora, can you spare a few bucks so me and my 2 year old son can take a cab?"
I always offer to call Amm's Limousine and prepay the ride out to Aurora, no one has ever taken me up on that ride.
I'm more than happy to help them, Chicago has excellent social services and private groups, the homeless and the bums here are just too interested in the drugs not to get any help, and find the out-of-towners easy marks for continuing their lifestyle.