What would you do if you're in a restaurant..and a homeless man goes up asking for leftovers?

[Syringer]

My friend (who's kind of a quiet, timid girl) was telling me that after her dinner tonight with her friend, a homeless man approached them at an outdoor restaurant asking for leftovers. She says he was nice about it, but she was understandably uncomfortable through the situation. Her friend, being the big liberal that she is was quick to push her own leftover food into the man's newspaper that he was holding..and explained that her friend was going to take her food home with a nice smile, which was fine with the homeless man.

When they paid the bill and left, they saw the homeless man outside eating his food from the newspaper who was real appreciative of the both of them. My friend, the one who kept her food, then felt real guilty after passing him carrying her huge takeout box in front of him.

What would you guys have done in the situation?

I personally do like helping people, and working in tech support it's always a really great feeling to know you may have made someone's day by helping them out with something they otherwise couldn't have figured out..but it's obviously a completely different situation when it comes to giving to homeless people. I'd say there are a good number out there who I'd say "deserve" my money, in that they really couldn't help their situation and will do good things with what I give them..but others who simply made the wrong choices in life and are simply helpless from that point on.

How do you separate the two though?

 

[bleeb]

Order some food for the guy.

 

[n0cmonkey]

I'd rather give them food than money.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I'd rather give them food than money.

 

[Apex]

Ask what the guy wants, and order if for him.

 

[Hyperblaze]

Always better to give them food the money....

because you never know what they might use the money for...could be drugs, alchocol, or other stuff they really don't "need"

Harder to buy things with food =)

 

[Orsorum]

I had a homeless guy walk around a pho restaurant once asking for change; the guy reeked and his pants were literally around his knees. My friend gave him some change, but the owners kicked him out a few seconds later.

I'd say give them your leftovers.

 

[crazycarl]

definitely give them the food - to not would be immoral and in my mind un-christian

 

[gopunk]

well, if i don't want them, then he can have at them (since they'd just get thrown away anyways), but if i want to save them for later, then i'd say no. my decision would depend solely on whether i still wanted the food.

 

[Whitecloak]

I would have bought him some food.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Order the guy anything and everything he wants.

 

[slickcat]

I would order the guy something to eat. I hate to see somebody go hungry that really is looking for food and not a fix. I wouldn't hesitate to buy food for somebody that really is in need.

 

[Kelemvor]

I never take out leftovers because even if I do, I would never eat them anyway. If I had some, I might consider giving it to him. But I'm normally of the mindset that it's not that hard to get a job (plenty of fast food or gas station type jobs around) if someone actually gave it any effort at all. If they spent as much time looking for a job as they did looking for a handout, they'd sure have a lot more to show for it.

 

[bobbybe01]

I definitely would give him the leftovers or get him what he wants from the menu. Hopefully your friend learned a lesson.

Her friend, being the big liberal that she is

And just how does being "liberal" have anything with being kind towards your fellow man? Should we call PETA for your mistreatment towards spiders?

 

[yobarman]

I'd give it to him. No problem. Cause I feel a lot better giving someone food than money, cause you never know what they'll do with money... but with food you know you're helping someone out that instant.

 

[gotensan01]

I would ask for a doggy bag then give it to him after I leave the restaurant. I don't know how management would feel about feeding the homeless right from the restaurant. It may promote the homeless bumming around the restaurant.

Once my friend and I were walking to get something to eat between classes and I saw this bum whom I had sort of talked to before. Before I gave him change. After we talked to him, I offered a meal to where I was going. He said that he didn't need food, just change. I asked if he would buy booze, and he said sometimes. Then my friend offered to buy him booze.

I don't really mind that homeless people buy alcohol. I mean they can always find stuff to eat so why not drink when they can. If they were really concerned with gettin back to a normal life, I think they could. I think homeless people mostly like to stay homeless...but I could be wrong.

 

[jjones]

Give him a spider.

 

[Gooberlx2]

I'd give him my leftovers if I'm not taking them home....but I wouldn't order food for the guy. I don't have alot of money either.

I never give homeless people money. One guy asked for money for coffee, so I took him to the Starbucks that was across the street and ordered him a coffee. He was pissed and left......without his coffee.

Most just give me the same "story" over and over. Usually some variant of their significant other beating them up (lots of gay homeless people in my area) then showing me their arm and how it's all bruised (which I think is more likely from track marks) or some other area. It's all BS, and they almost always get pissed when you won't give them money (and instead direct them to the nearest police station to file charges on their SO or some other common-sensical thing).

That and all the people holding help-signs on just about every corner along the busy streets has made me very desensitized. That's why I donate to organizations instead.

 

[snoopdoug1]

Originally posted by: Apex
Ask what the guy wants, and order if for him.

 

[ggavinmoss]

I've given homeless people my leftovers before -- they need it more than I do. However, I make them dance a jig and bark like a seal first.

-geoff

 

[Hankerton]

Yeah, after living in an urban area for the past 5 1/2 years, the sympathy I have for these people has slowly degenerated.

Most of them are cracked out worthless bums who wouldn't lift a finger if it meant a roof over their heads.

 

[Argo]

I'd definitely give him food, maybe even order something from the restaraunt if it's not very expensive. I'm sorry, but your friend is heartless.

 

[Zombie]

I have never been asked but I would give the leftovers if I had any.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Jero
Always better to give them food the money....

because you never know what they might use the money for...could be drugs, alchocol, or other stuff they really don't "need"

Harder to buy things with food =)

:thumbsup:

 

[rocadelpunk]

i'd give the leftovers for sure, imean you already ate and paid for it, so it's not anymore money out of your pocket for the frugal peeps.