RANT: Beggars at stoplights in major intsections

[blainehamilton]

I've noticed over the last 3 to 6 months that beggars with a cardboard sign at major intersections saying 'hungry, no money' or some drivel to that effect.

Am I the only person who finds this absolute BS in our ecomony, where you can make $10+ an hour for fast food jobs.

I just yell the standard 'get a job you friggin bum' as I drive by, but someone should call the cops on these guys and keep them away from the stoplights like this. They are just asking to cause an accident.

[goneinsixtyseconds]

I've noticed over the last 3 to 6 months that beggars with a cardboard sign at major intersections saying 'hungry, no money' or some drivel to that effect.

Am I the only person who finds this absolute BS in our ecomony, where you can make $10+ an hour for fast food jobs.

I just yell the standard 'get a job you friggin bum' as I drive by, but someone should call the cops on these guys and keep them away from the stoplights like this. They are just asking to cause an accident.

riiiiight .. because it's THAT easy to get a job when you submit a job application with no permanent address and walk in with tattered clothes. i dislike being harrassed by panhandlers as well when i'm walking to work downtown, but the solution to homelessness and unemployment isn't as cut and dry as "oh, why don't you go get a job?" especially for a large portion of these individuals who have little to no training or education.

[astraea]

Be nice. Not everyone is as fortunate as you
First of all, no employer would hire a 'bum'.
Yeah, part of the problem may be their unwillingness to work-- but then again, there are some that are mentally/physically incapable of working or getting an education.

This is kind of off-topic and I bet the guy isn't even a 'bum' but there's this guy called the 'Chalkmaster' who draws beautiful portraits on sidewalks in front of the Eatons Centre and asks for donations. They're quite brilliant. I gave him $3-- which isn't much, I know :P But its something. At least he's being productive, right?

Contrastingly, during my trip to San Francisco there was this 'bum' holding up a piece of cardboard that read "Please donate money for alcohol research". THAT'S not being productive at all & he definitely deserves to be in his position.

[UrbanPoet]

Be nice. Not everyone is as fortunate as you
First of all, no employer would hire a 'bum'.
Yeah, part of the problem may be their unwillingness to work-- but then again, there are some that are mentally/physically incapable of working or getting an education.

This is kind of off-topic and I bet the guy isn't even a 'bum' but there's this guy called the 'Chalkmaster' who draws beautiful portraits on sidewalks in front of the Eatons Centre and asks for donations. They're quite brilliant. I gave him $3-- which isn't much, I know :P But its something. At least he's being productive, right?

Contrastingly, during my trip to San Francisco there was this 'bum' holding up a piece of cardboard that read "Please donate money for alcohol research". THAT'S not being productive at all & he definitely deserves to be in his position.

chalkmaster is no bum. Just an Artist trying to make a buck... artist are typically pretty damn poor.
Ever see a job listing for 'artist'? not really... Yes they are out there, but for the typical fine artist there isnt =)

[astraea]

chalkmaster is no bum. Just an Artist trying to make a buck... artist are typically pretty damn poor.
Ever see a job listing for 'artist'? not really... Yes they are out there, but for the typical fine artist there isnt =)

Hence why I said "I bet the guy isn't even a 'bum'" =)
But thanks for the clarification.

[ElChico]

This is kind of off-topic and I bet the guy isn't even a 'bum' but there's this guy called the 'Chalkmaster' who draws beautiful portraits on sidewalks in front of the Eatons Centre and asks for donations. They're quite brilliant. I gave him $3-- which isn't much, I know :P But its something. At least he's being productive, right?

That guy is a master.

http://www.journalism.ryerson.ca/onl...halkmaster.htm

This is on the sidewalk!
http://www.journalism.ryerson.ca/onl...ous/spider.htm

[JAGpilot]

Instead of pissing money into all kinds of other useless **** in the city like new signs that say "Beach" instead of "The Beaches" spend it on opening employment awareness centers. Give the people clothes and help them with a resume. Thats for the mentally sound ones. If I ever saw you yelling that to a homeless person I would punch you in the face. Thats disgusting way to talk to a person. Most of these people are either mentally ill or victims of abuse. I will never give money to homeless people. Instead I will offer to buy them something to eat or drink and if they refuse then they get nothing. That just shows they are going to spend the money on smokes, drugs or booze.

As for this "Chalkmaster" I saw what I think was him outside the Eaton Center. He had an iPod (which was nearly black from the dirt on his fingers) and I threw him $3. At least hes doing something.

[direct-x]

I just yell the standard 'get a job you friggin bum' as I drive by,

Classy.

[hightechfan]

Instead of pissing money into all kinds of other useless **** in the city like new signs that say "Beach" instead of "The Beaches" spend it on opening employment awareness centers. Give the people clothes and help them with a resume. Thats for the mentally sound ones. If I ever saw you yelling that to a homeless person I would punch you in the face. Thats disgusting way to talk to a person. Most of these people are either mentally ill or victims of abuse.

As for this "Chalkmaster" I saw what I think was him outside the Eaton Center. He had an iPod (which was nearly black from the dirt on his fingers) and I threw him $3. At least hes doing something.

The fact is yes some of them are ill or vics of abuse but alot are not.To say most of them are ill is crap.In ottawa they have done everything to help the homeless most don't want help.Some homeless are very aggresive somethign needs to be done about them asap.

[gorf]

Hey Blaine, where are you seeing the signs? I used to see a bum 97th and 137th all the time in the summer, but he's gone now.

There is no excuse for not having a job in Edmonton. Everywhere you go, signs looking for people to work. The paper has never been so full for job opportunites in my lifetime.

I'm not going to defend these guys bumming on the streets. There's more than enough agencies to provide clothing to people who want a job, there's agencies for councelling, food banks and other food handout programs, a program for people with disabilities, there's social assistance to help people get their feet off the ground. IMO, they just prefer to be bums and want to beg. I refuse to support them and encourage that type of behaviour.

http://www.donatearide.ab.ca/who_doe...e_support.html

[eelfliw]

You think you've bums in Edmonton? Come to Toronto! We have more bums here than the population of Edmonton!

The Ontario MPPs just voted themselves a 25% raise. They now earn $110K a year with cabinet ministers collecting over $153K a year.

Yet the number of bums do not decrease each year.

I think we should make politician's pay tied to the number of bums on the street harassing people. If 100% of the bums found jobs, then they get full pay. If the number of bums don't change year to year, politicians get no pay.

[3weddings]

Instead of pissing money into all kinds of other useless **** in the city like new signs that say "Beach" instead of "The Beaches" spend it on opening employment awareness centers. Give the people clothes and help them with a resume. Thats for the mentally sound ones. If I ever saw you yelling that to a homeless person I would punch you in the face. Thats disgusting way to talk to a person. Most of these people are either mentally ill or victims of abuse. I will never give money to homeless people. Instead I will offer to buy them something to eat or drink and if they refuse then they get nothing. That just shows they are going to spend the money on smokes, drugs or booze.

Thank you for you post!!!! ITA!!!!!!!!!

[15-20_God]

I've noticed over the last 3 to 6 months that beggars with a cardboard sign at major intersections saying 'hungry, no money' or some drivel to that effect.

I just yell the standard 'get a job you friggin bum' as I drive by, but someone should call the cops on these guys and keep them away from the stoplights like this.

i agree, all poor ppl should be arrested and thrown in jail somewhere. how dare they be poor and hungry in an area that I drive in. they should be huddled in a corner somewhere out of sight. better yet, they should feed poor ppl to less poor ppl.

[BlueMax]

"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses??"
"...but many would rather die than go there!"
"Then they should do so and decrease the surplus population!"


...that said, I've actually known people quite capable of working but considered it far easier to just sit on the streets of downtown Calgary and beg instead. She had it down to a fair science, too.

I don't give money to beggars - too many are either abusing themselves, or us.


I'm happy to say there are some free unemployment places all over Alberta, and great churches that help get people a shower, shave, clean clothes and a hot meal. Some places might be willing to help the "bum" who's willing to help himself.

Squeegee kids just bug me.... but not near as much as the beggar out there for several weeks with a sign saying "just passing through, etc." LIAR!

[Twitch1977]

spend it on opening employment awareness centers. Give the people clothes and help them with a resume.

Those centers already exist, they'll provide computers, fax machines, classes on how to do your resume, covering letter, videos you can watch on different job seeking topics, books you can read, resume building software packages to use, subscriptions to all the papers, classes that can help you develop skills, help arranging financial assistance if you are unemployed and want to go back to school, help finding day care for kids and pretty much anything else you need to help you find a job.

In Saskatchewan they are ran by the provincial gov't under the dept. of learning, I'd assume they're ran similarly outside Sask.

But the only times I've seen a 'bum' in one of these offices is when they wanted some place to sleep, sit down, or warm up.

T