What do you feel when you see beggars on the street?

@faisai (1138)
Hong Kong
May 24, 2009 8:26am CST
Are there many beggars around your living area or places that you will go? What do you feel when you see them? Do you feel sorry or pity for them? Would you give them some money (like the coins remaining in your pocket?) Have you considered that at the moment you give them money, you are actually encouraging them to continue what they are doing (begging for money)? Or do you think that the government is simply doing too few in helping out these people that these people have to go out to street as beggars?
9 responses
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
25 May 09
i feel sorry and sad for them but at the same time also wondering why they don't want to look for jobs... that's why sometimes i don't give money to beggars especially to the young and healthy ones because i think they are just plain lazy... so i have no compassion at all for people like that... but if i feel that the beggars are worthy to be helped (such as if he/she is an old person and disabled), then i will definitely help... take care and have a nice day...
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
25 May 09
Thanks for your reply. I also feel that the beggars deserve help as they wouldn't be begging if they can manage it on their own (I mean for those who really need help). But then, what help do they really need? A penny or a buck from your or me? Or some other long term aid from the government? I just hope that the government can do something on this.
• Malaysia
25 May 09
i hardly considered to give them money. doing so will make they become relieved begging and wouldnt want to work. they think that beggar can have a good income so why would they work.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
25 May 09
Thanks for your reply. But have you considered that some of them maybe really in need of help that they just have no other way out and thus turn out to begging?
• India
25 May 09
hiiii...... there are many beggars in our living area.not only in our living area and in this entire country.i will fell very pity about them when i notice them.and i will help as much as possible i can but this is only for old people.some young guys also will become beggars and they roam around the streets.we must not give the money to them.if we gave money to them i will become the encouragement.i wont become the help.if they were old people means its ok.happy mylotting
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
25 May 09
Thanks for your reply. Yes, there are more and more not so old people acting as beggars now when the economy turns down and they just use that as an excuse of not finding a job. I just hope that they can think for it a moment that while they may be able to make a living now, it just cannot last forever. Wasting time now is wasting their whole life.
• China
25 May 09
Well,i have to say something about the beggars,i'm angry about i got stuck,we know the beggars alway put on a pity face,once i see one child out of a mall and i gave him 5 dollors.cos i found a child be a beggars is too pity.but do you know when i finished my shopping and get out the maket i over heard that child with another ppl is laugh at me,he said i'm innocent and the money is easy to earn,then they plan to take stuck other ppl.Now i pity for the beggars but i'll never give them money just something to eat.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
25 May 09
Thanks for your reply. It really feels sad that these kids are doing things that they don't aware that it is simply cheating. And it is even worse to think that what has made them this way? It is the lack of parental guidance... I will say that these parents are the ones to blame for what these kids are doing.
@tracydee (172)
• Philippines
25 May 09
Whenever I see beggars in the street, I feel the urge of helping them but I don't want to help them by giving them coins. I would prefer to give them food to eat than to give them money because I once saw a beggar particularly a boy in the street who was given some coins by a man. When the man left, I saw the boy rushing in a nearby small store and he bought a rugby. Rugby boys are really rampant here in our country which is so alarming because these boys find pleasure in smelling the rugby and it will just make them high. From then on, I really give food even a candy rather than money. God bless!
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
25 May 09
Thanks for your reply. I haven't seen such case before but if I do see it, I wonder whether I may call the police. It feels like cheating from the boy that he is begging for money not even to satisfy the requirement of living but for pleasure only.
@broboque (146)
• Malaysia
25 May 09
Sorry to say... i feel that beggars are a bunch of people just lazy to strive to improve their living. I mean that so far, i only sees people who are capable of earning something just too lazy or short minded to get some earning. I have seen a very old lady who can hardly stand earn her living sweeping the street at night, i saw a blind people working/selling things at a food court. But when i see a person all healthy, just sitting at the path walk and asking for money, they actually disgust me .
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
25 May 09
Thanks for your reply. You have pointed out a very important thing that I believe the government has turned a blind eye on. There are so many people just stay on the street and beg for money while there are more less capable people working hard to support their own life. It looks like that government is doing not enough for neither of these situations
• Malaysia
24 May 09
The most recent which I gave money to beggar was a month ago, I guess. It was when I'm having lunch at a restaurant, and this lady she was holding her child with one hand and another hand asking for money. I guess that was her strategy for givers to pity on her. I gave her $1. I feel sorry for her and her child. I know that my government discourage to do so, but its not going to make me feel any better. At least I know she and her child will have something to eat. They're just human like us.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
25 May 09
Thanks for your reply. Yes, it always make me feel sorry for them when they are out on the street with a disabled child. However, it occurs to me that if we give them money based on that. There will be those people who are controlling these beggars will hurt them more just to make more money from us. It always troubles me.
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
25 May 09
I usually feel bad for the beggars. We do not have very many in the small town I live in. I only give something if there are children with the adult.
@airboyk2 (14)
• United States
25 May 09
When I see beggars in the streets i have mixed emotions. Of course i feel bad for them because they are obviously not living their life to their potentaL but i also feel like they deserve it. You see, i am a republican and i believe that everyone has a equal opportunity and when i see a beggar it is usally just because they were to lazy to go get a job or do something with their lives. The only beggars that i feel bad for are the ones with dissabilities or the children that were put in that lifestyle from birth. This is why i have mixed emotions whenever i see a begger on the streets.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
25 May 09
Thanks for your reply. I also feel bad when I see those who supposedly can get a job and yet beg for money. But then, for those disabled, I feel equally bad... not on them but on the society as a whole. I always wonder is it the aid from government to these people really that inadequate that has forced them to the street begging for more?