Never have I ever had this happen while sitting at a restaurant to eat. Unbelievable!

[Porter Rockwell]

I had a bum (alcoholic looking guy, a house painter by trade he said) beg for money at a shopping center in Gainesville. Nice new shopping plaza and good area.

He said he was hungry and needed money for food.

I took him to dinner.

He barely touched his food and soda.
He kept saying he needed cash.
When we left, he'd wasted 3/4 of his meal, left on the table.

I'm sure he wanted $ for booze or drugs.

Good for you for trying though.

 

[Plinker66]

At the end, the hard alcoholics can’t eat. They just metabolize the alcohol, and slowly wither away.

 

[YOTESHOOTER]

At the DOWNTOWN Varsity, and the ATHENS, one also...

 

[HERMET]

Professional panhandlers are right down there with the lowest of the low.
I will probably be volunteering at a local food bank tomorrow. If people want a hand UP, there are services available BUT.... they often require vetting. If people want a hand OUT.... well......

The full time panhandlers make it tough to pick out the people who really need a hand or a meal.
I was raised to believe you always helped the helpless because you never knew when God was testing you. Now I'm afraid my heart has hardened and I just dismiss them all with equal disdain. I will give to groups that do charity work or an individual I know needs help.

 

[potenza]

Begging is their job, and I’ve seen them make as much or more than a working stiff. But inside of a restaurant, that’s a first

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Took my wife to Outback Steakhouse tonite for a nice dinner on her birthday. While we are eating our food a girl about 16 or 17 comes over and stands at the head of our table and says nothing. We thought she might have been staff that had a disability. She then opens up a card she is holding that says "hello we are homeless and hungry can you please donate some money to help us". That's right you read that right! Sitting trying to eat in Outback of all places and get damn panhandled at our dinner table. I waved her off and she went to the next table with her partner that was either her mother or sister. The Manager immediately escorted them out the front door. I am still in disbelief and have never had that happen I am 52.

Damn! I would have expected that in Macon or Atlanta but not down in Camden County. It's hard to believe that the management and wait staff didn't notice her before it got that far.
I took my wife and daughter to Carrabba's in North Macon back in 2012 after making a nice profit on a Festiva deal. When we got there it was still early . Like early for lunch on a Saturday. One thing I really hate about these chain places is how they seat everyone right next to each other. So they sat us next to some folks that rode up in a Honda Oddysy full of younguns. I don't hate kids. Ours was still little and with us at the time. What I DO hate is parents that let the kids raise hell in public.
Anyway when my wife went to the ladies room I told the waitress that she didn't get to go out very often and we WOULD be moving to the other side of the restaurant or going somewhere else. So short version is my wife had to come find us after the ladies room visit.

 

[Apollo]

I own a restaurant and I've had this one family come a couple times. the story is always the same, a girl calls ahead and says her Dad just got out the hospital and they are broke and looking for something to eat. The first time I said come on in and I'll pay for your meal. When they showed up they were well dressed, pulled in with a newer Tahoe, and all had smart phones they were all using. Father did not look sick or just "out"the hospital. It was 2 girls in their early 20's and "dad" in his early 40's. I kept my word and let them leave without paying. Month or 2 later a teenage girl came in the front door with the same story, that her family was homeless and needed something to eat, I looked outside and it was the same Tahoe parked out front. I told the girl I could pay for her only, and she could take it to go, she declined and left... They literally drive around different areas scoring free food with a sob story. No shame

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[JDS556762]

How’s that Bernie Sanders life style working out for em?

 

[The Old Jaybird]

About 10 years ago, in upscale Scottsdale, there were a group of beggars that would hang out in the "restaurant area" of town and ask for the doggie bags of people leaving the restaurants. This was in an area like around Mall of GA where there are a bunch of eating places side by side.

 

[palmettomoon]

How’s that Bernie Sanders life style working out for em?

It must work quite well since grifters abound. I rarely even acknowledge them now. Too bad because some folks really are just looking for a meal (although that's kind of BS as food is one thing this nation has in abundance).

When I lived in Cincinnati I had my first exposure to real aggressive panhandlers. I'd offer to buy them a meal and most would say "Nah, need money." A few would take me up on the offer but I had a condition. I'd sit on the bench at the park and eat with them if I bought the meal (cheap way to make friends, LOL). Seriously, most that took up the offer were just mental and were in fact hungry.

In Chicago, I had a bum come off the green line and demand a "mother ****ing cigarette." I laughed and said, "You better git boy." He stepped and bowed up at me and I whipped my belt off and chased him down Clinton giving him a good lashing, right in front of my office building. He gave me wide berth when he saw me at the smoker's station after that.