This is becoming more common in my town. I just either feel like an ass saying I dont have cash, or lying, but I also can’t be giving out 20’s to everyone who asks.
I feel bad for most of them but at the same time I get anxiety walking down the sidewalk and seeing someone up ahead that I know is going to ask me for money. Its not like you can say “oh no, I donate to services that help the needy” because that person isn’t necessarily being helped by that. And ignoring completely feels so mean, plus I tried that one time and the person was screaming at me as i walked away that I ignored them.
I also dont want my city to round them up and send them to prison camps, something they are planning and that I know a lot of people would vote for just to “get rid of them” but im not supporting that at all.
Its tough.
Interestingly the only time I had a homeless guy threatening me he was actually interested in my dog and he may not have actually been intentionally threatening.
When he asked to pet my dog, I said ok but to take it slow and easy because she was a rescue that didn’t trust people. He proceeded to spent like ten minutes saying he wasn’t worried because he had a knife.
I probably should have taken it much more seriously but this was a festival with people and police all over …… and my dog is pretty good at scaring people