WAS I WRONG? ... I tried to help a Blind man today pass a Homeless encampment, not a good idea! >Video<

[BernieTaupson]

This says it all.

https://youtu.be/5gjCUfVjsKM

[DangerZone]

I have intervened when a man was berating one of my homeless friends in front of the post office. Shouting at him "nobody once to see this, what are you doing here? go get a job!" I walked up, asked my friend if he was ok and told the asshole that unless he had some money or a job offer for my friend to beat it. He looked at me like I was an alien and sheepishly left.

Are you part of the Hollywood writers strike? This part sounds like a scene from "a very special episode" of an '80s sitcom.

having his character say ‘beat it!’ was a nice touch.
Scram! & sit on it! were also considered

[BernieTaupson]

Whatchu talkin’ bout Stevie?

[Bono Nettencourt]

I have intervened when a man was berating one of my homeless friends in front of the post office. Shouting at him "nobody once to see this, what are you doing here? go get a job!" I walked up, asked my friend if he was ok and told the asshole that unless he had some money or a job offer for my friend to beat it. He looked at me like I was an alien and sheepishly left.

Are you part of the Hollywood writers strike? This part sounds like a scene from "a very special episode" of an '80s sitcom.

having his character say ‘beat it!’ was a nice touch.

no one wants to be defeated

[cowpins]

Perhaps when blind dude saw you filming he questioned if your intentions were pure?

[BernieTaupson]

Perhaps when blind dude saw you filming

[JackieDaytona]

I have nothing new to add here that hasn't already been said, but that hasn't stopped me before.

Typically when people do good deeds, they don't get out a camera to film it and then post it online. Once the blind guy started yelling at you, that was your clue to turn around and walk away, as opposed to just standing there filming him and talking to him. What did you want from him at that point? A reward? He was obviously pissed and was right when he said you weren't listening. Anybody walking towards any situation with a camera to engage with somebody is already making the situation worse. Nobody wants to be filmed by some random person they don't know.

On that note, anybody have the Instagram page of the homeless guy filming? I'd love to see his video!

[cowpins]

Perhaps when blind dude saw you filming

[Playboyliquor59]

Believe it or not, not all homeless people want to be filmed and for family and friends to see them posted all over the internet.

[keyofgee]

The bible reads “don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing”

[Tommy]

Its californy. The have been given the green light to set up camp almost anywhere they want..
But now We have those camps too, and sadly our town has decided to give them what used to be a community park with ballfields and play ground equipment for their homeless
Camps for free.
Homeless are homeless for a reason. Very few out of the masses is legit such as lost my job and home and i am fighting to get back on my feet. Most are addicts or
Suffer mental illness or just want to fall off the grid and freeload.
Screw them all.
If they ask me for food i will buy them a meal. If they ask me for money they can k**f off.
Maybe the answer is
“Soylent green?” ( just teasing)

I avoid homeless like the plaque that they are
They dont want help, they want handouts..

I'm the exact diametric opposite. I think it could happen to anybody. I was very close myself once. Unless you want to provide some hard facts and statistics on causes of homelessness I'm going to disagree strongly with pretty much everything you said. I live in "Californy". The reason there's so many homeless here is because the weather is nice! Duh!! When I see a homeless person I ask them their name, shake their hand, give 'em $20 and wish 'em well. Almost without fail they are incredibly gracious and grateful. Very few people choose to beg on the street and risk ridicule and abuse from schmucks like you. I have intervened when a man was berating one of my homeless friends in front of the post office. Shouting at him "nobody once to see this, what are you doing here? go get a job!" I walked up, asked my friend if he was ok and told the asshole that unless he had some money or a job offer for my friend to beat it. He looked at me like I was an alien and sheepishly left. Later...

'job offer'


Lol, get the fuck outta here.

[dmbrocker]

The bible reads “don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing”

Good! I'll try and remember this sage advice the next time my right hand starts firing off knuckle children while watching porn.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Its californy. The have been given the green light to set up camp almost anywhere they want..
But now We have those camps too, and sadly our town has decided to give them what used to be a community park with ballfields and play ground equipment for their homeless
Camps for free.
Homeless are homeless for a reason. Very few out of the masses is legit such as lost my job and home and i am fighting to get back on my feet. Most are addicts or
Suffer mental illness or just want to fall off the grid and freeload.
Screw them all.
If they ask me for food i will buy them a meal. If they ask me for money they can k**f off.
Maybe the answer is
“Soylent green?” ( just teasing)

I avoid homeless like the plaque that they are
They dont want help, they want handouts..

I'm the exact diametric opposite. I think it could happen to anybody. I was very close myself once. Unless you want to provide some hard facts and statistics on causes of homelessness I'm going to disagree strongly with pretty much everything you said. I live in "Californy". The reason there's so many homeless here is because the weather is nice! Duh!! When I see a homeless person I ask them their name, shake their hand, give 'em $20 and wish 'em well. Almost without fail they are incredibly gracious and grateful. Very few people choose to beg on the street and risk ridicule and abuse from schmucks like you. I have intervened when a man was berating one of my homeless friends in front of the post office. Shouting at him "nobody once to see this, what are you doing here? go get a job!" I walked up, asked my friend if he was ok and told the asshole that unless he had some money or a job offer for my friend to beat it. He looked at me like I was an alien and sheepishly left. Later...

'job offer'


Lol, get the fuck outta here.

You're right. I actually told the POS harasser to get the fuck outta there if he had no money for the guy. Was that you?? You sound like kind of a dick. Actually strike the kind of...

[GreatWhiteSnake]

I understand when I see posts like keyofgee, Mister Freeze and Tommy that my behavior is so alien to some as to be unbelievable. I was inspired to start doing this years ago by legendary SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll who invented something called the Untied Way. Not the United Way, The Untied Way. As in giving the needy money with no strings attached. It was a lot easier in the old days when I always had cash on hand but now but the only time I have cash is when I get change from the weed store cause I still pay cash for weed because cheaper. But if I see someone on the street asking and I've got something on me I'll give it to them every time. So whatevs...

[Tommy]

I understand when I see posts like keyofgee, Mister Freeze and Tommy that my behavior is so alien to some as to be unbelievable. I was inspired to start doing this years ago by legendary SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll who invented something called the Untied Way. Not the United Way, The Untied Way. As in giving the needy money with no strings attached. It was a lot easier in the old days when I always had cash on hand but now but the only time I have cash is when I get change from the weed store cause I still pay cash for weed because cheaper. But if I see someone on the street asking and I've got something on me I'll give it to them every time. So whatevs...

You're gonna fuck up your back trying to suck your own dick.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

I understand when I see posts like keyofgee, Mister Freeze and Tommy that my behavior is so alien to some as to be unbelievable. I was inspired to start doing this years ago by legendary SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll who invented something called the Untied Way. Not the United Way, The Untied Way. As in giving the needy money with no strings attached. It was a lot easier in the old days when I always had cash on hand but now but the only time I have cash is when I get change from the weed store cause I still pay cash for weed because cheaper. But if I see someone on the street asking and I've got something on me I'll give it to them every time. So whatevs...

You're gonna fuck up your back trying to suck your own dick.

Response is typical. Careful, your knuckles are dragging...

[Tommy]

I understand when I see posts like keyofgee, Mister Freeze and Tommy that my behavior is so alien to some as to be unbelievable. I was inspired to start doing this years ago by legendary SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll who invented something called the Untied Way. Not the United Way, The Untied Way. As in giving the needy money with no strings attached. It was a lot easier in the old days when I always had cash on hand but now but the only time I have cash is when I get change from the weed store cause I still pay cash for weed because cheaper. But if I see someone on the street asking and I've got something on me I'll give it to them every time. So whatevs...

You're gonna fuck up your back trying to suck your own dick.

Response is typical. Careful, your knuckles are dragging...

Dude, I realize it's the internet but your post is 100% bullshit. They don't want a 'job offer' and you're not handing out $20's. If you actually are then you're an even bigger dumbass than I thought because you're a walking mark for being mugged. Might as well wear a fucking sign.

[Cindy Buzzedimisa]

As soon as the blind guy said "it's ok" I would have held up my palms like Cliff Huxtable and gotten back in my car. One of my friends recently lost his leg in an accident and if he says he's got it, you drop it.

As for "Ron" did you not see his eyes big as saucers and how quickly agitated he got? He was zipping his tent up hurriedly so if you were an undercover cop you couldn't search it without consent. You were possibly costing him a sale there blind guy is obviously a regular. AND you were filming them AND you stood your ground when they told you to leave. They thought you were the law or about to report them to the law. If you were them what would you think?

[GreatWhiteSnake]

You're gonna fuck up your back trying to suck your own dick.

Response is typical. Careful, your knuckles are dragging...

Dude, I realize it's the internet but your post is 100% bullshit. They don't want a 'job offer' and you're not handing out $20's. If you actually are then you're an even bigger dumbass than I thought because you're a walking mark for being mugged. Might as well wear a fucking sign.

Oh Hi Tommy, I can see you're still having trouble. Please see previous post re: behavior so alien to some as to be incomprehensible. You don't understand. It's ok. I don't understand how anyone can be so callous as you apparently are. Also two posts clarifying that, no I don't always have $20, sometimes, like I noted above about a guy last week I only had $8 on me. And dude was thrilled! But sometimes I do have a $20. And I gladly give it away. Even to you if you were on the street in 100 degree heat or pouring rain with an I'm Hungry sign. I'm not doing this in areas where I'm likely to get mugged. Unlike $tevil I never felt the need to film myself. You know absolutely nothing about me. I'm bored of your ignorance. Now go shave your unibrow...

[Tommy]

Response is typical. Careful, your knuckles are dragging...

Dude, I realize it's the internet but your post is 100% bullshit. They don't want a 'job offer' and you're not handing out $20's. If you actually are then you're an even bigger dumbass than I thought because you're a walking mark for being mugged. Might as well wear a fucking sign.

Oh Hi Tommy, I can see you're still having trouble. Please see previous post re: behavior so alien to some as to be incomprehensible. You don't understand. It's ok. I don't understand how anyone can be so callous as you apparently are. Also two posts clarifying that, no I don't always have $20, sometimes, like I noted above about a guy last week I only had $8 on me. And dude was thrilled! But sometimes I do have a $20. And I gladly give it away. Even to you if you were on the street in 100 degree heat or pouring rain with an I'm Hungry sign. I'm not doing this in areas where I'm likely to get mugged. Unlike $tevil I never felt the need to film myself. You know absolutely nothing about me. I'm bored of your ignorance. Now go shave your unibrow...

You're really bad at this.

[Mister Freeze]

GreatWhiteSnake, sitting on the sidewalk with Mr. Wendal, wondering why the rest of the Sludge universe doesn't understand them.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Mr. Freeze meet Tommy. Tommy meet Mr. Freeze. Seems like you two would have a lot to talk about...

[Mister Freeze]

"Oh, hi Mr. Wendal. Please continue to fuck up everybody's neighborhoods and property values. The more drugs, tents and sidewalk shit, the better. I'll even contribute $20 to the cause."

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Difference is I know do this year round instead of just the holidays as I see the need increasing. And Mr. Freeze, nobody in Marin or Sonoma County CA (look them up, very rich counties) are worried about their property values going down because I'm aiding homeless. That's a stupendously stupid take...

JON CARROLL -- It's Time Again For the Untied Way
By Jon Carroll
Dec 9, 1996
WE TAKE AS OUR text this year a quotation from Rabbi Schmelke as reprinted in the Street Spirit, an East Bay homeless newspaper sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee:

"When a poor man asks you for aid, do not use his faults as an excuse for not helping him. For then God will look for your offenses, and he is sure to find many of them. Keep in mind that a poor man's transgressions have been atoned for by his poverty while yours still remain with you."

Whether you agree with the specific cosmology, the basic message is clear: Have a little humility in the face of want and need. There but for the grace of God go you.

In this joyous holiday season, there is want and need freely available in major shopping areas. There are human beings who are, quite frankly, seeking your money. Most of them are standing behind counters and offering you overpriced consumer goods, but some of them are squatting in doorways and offering you nothing at all.

Sometimes, even if you give them money, they don't say "thank you." They don't make you feel good about yourself. They're too busy being cold.

Technically speaking, charity is not about feeling good. It's about need and want. The Untied Way is about need and want.

The Untied Way has no central office, no paid employees, no brochures or fund-raisers, no celebrity spokeshumans, no gala benefits. The Untied Way has only volunteers, has only one plan. It seeks to reach those people who require reaching.

When someone squats in a doorway and asks for money, it is a fair assumption that he or she requires reaching.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Go to your ATM and take out $100 in crisp $20 bills. The $100 figure is a suggestion only; $200 would be better and $40 would be splendid, too. What's one-five-hundredth of your annual gross income? Surely that's little enough to handle the need and want in your area.

Take these lovely bills and go to a busy area in your community. If your community does not have a busy area, downtown San Francisco is darned busy this time of year.

Walk along the street admiring whatever you choose to admire. When someone asks you for money, give that person a $20 bill. Repeat this process until all the 20s are gone. Voila and zip: the Untied Way.

NOW IT MAY BE that some of the people to whom you give money will spend it unwisely. They will not use it to update their resumes; they might not even put it toward the purchase of a better pair of shoes.

Some of the people experiencing need and want are also suffering from confusion. This confusion is often chemical. Sometimes the chemicals are ingested; sometimes they are produced naturally by the brain. Naturally, it would be better if they sought help. It would be better if you sought help sometimes, too, and you have not always done so.

Within the context of need and want, we owe people the dignity of their own confusion. We are not performing triage here, nor are we sitting on a golden throne. We are doing what we can. We are aware that it is not enough, and still we are doing it. That's the Untied Way.

Gratitude may not be apparent at all, or it may be embarrassing and overly effusive. It would be unwise to have an opinion about that. When a person is in a doorway, the concept of "appropriate" may be a little fuzzy.

You can be sure the money has gone to someone who needs it. You can be sure that your client will spend 100 percent of the donation on self-identified need areas. You can use the experience to meditate on the nature of charity, or the fragility of personal narrative, or anything else -- it's a little koan-in-a-box, just for this holiday season.

Dec 9, 1996

Jon Carroll has been a San Francisco Chronicle columnist for 35 years. Before that he was a magazine editor. He's won awards doing both things. He writes about cats, politics, children, religion, more cats, travel, word games and strange, almost unknowable things. He was born in Los Angeles of hardy native stock.

[Tommy]

Mr. Freeze meet Tommy. Tommy meet Mr. Freeze. Seems like you two would have a lot to talk about...

Are you gonna bow up on us like you did to the 'harasser' you compete and total bullshitter?

[Tommy]

Difference is I know do this year round instead of just the holidays as I see the need increasing. And Mr. Freeze, nobody in Marin or Sonoma County CA (look them up, very rich counties) are worried about their property values going down because I'm aiding homeless. That's a stupendously stupid take...

JON CARROLL -- It's Time Again For the Untied Way
By Jon Carroll
Dec 9, 1996
WE TAKE AS OUR text this year a quotation from Rabbi Schmelke as reprinted in the Street Spirit, an East Bay homeless newspaper sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee:

"When a poor man asks you for aid, do not use his faults as an excuse for not helping him. For then God will look for your offenses, and he is sure to find many of them. Keep in mind that a poor man's transgressions have been atoned for by his poverty while yours still remain with you."

Whether you agree with the specific cosmology, the basic message is clear: Have a little humility in the face of want and need. There but for the grace of God go you.

In this joyous holiday season, there is want and need freely available in major shopping areas. There are human beings who are, quite frankly, seeking your money. Most of them are standing behind counters and offering you overpriced consumer goods, but some of them are squatting in doorways and offering you nothing at all.

Sometimes, even if you give them money, they don't say "thank you." They don't make you feel good about yourself. They're too busy being cold.

Technically speaking, charity is not about feeling good. It's about need and want. The Untied Way is about need and want.

The Untied Way has no central office, no paid employees, no brochures or fund-raisers, no celebrity spokeshumans, no gala benefits. The Untied Way has only volunteers, has only one plan. It seeks to reach those people who require reaching.

When someone squats in a doorway and asks for money, it is a fair assumption that he or she requires reaching.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Go to your ATM and take out $100 in crisp $20 bills. The $100 figure is a suggestion only; $200 would be better and $40 would be splendid, too. What's one-five-hundredth of your annual gross income? Surely that's little enough to handle the need and want in your area.

Take these lovely bills and go to a busy area in your community. If your community does not have a busy area, downtown San Francisco is darned busy this time of year.

Walk along the street admiring whatever you choose to admire. When someone asks you for money, give that person a $20 bill. Repeat this process until all the 20s are gone. Voila and zip: the Untied Way.

NOW IT MAY BE that some of the people to whom you give money will spend it unwisely. They will not use it to update their resumes; they might not even put it toward the purchase of a better pair of shoes.

Some of the people experiencing need and want are also suffering from confusion. This confusion is often chemical. Sometimes the chemicals are ingested; sometimes they are produced naturally by the brain. Naturally, it would be better if they sought help. It would be better if you sought help sometimes, too, and you have not always done so.

Within the context of need and want, we owe people the dignity of their own confusion. We are not performing triage here, nor are we sitting on a golden throne. We are doing what we can. We are aware that it is not enough, and still we are doing it. That's the Untied Way.

Gratitude may not be apparent at all, or it may be embarrassing and overly effusive. It would be unwise to have an opinion about that. When a person is in a doorway, the concept of "appropriate" may be a little fuzzy.

You can be sure the money has gone to someone who needs it. You can be sure that your client will spend 100 percent of the donation on self-identified need areas. You can use the experience to meditate on the nature of charity, or the fragility of personal narrative, or anything else -- it's a little koan-in-a-box, just for this holiday season.

Dec 9, 1996
Photo of Jon Carroll
By Jon Carroll
Jon Carroll has been a San Francisco Chronicle columnist for 35 years. Before that he was a magazine editor. He's won awards doing both things. He writes about cats, politics, children, religion, more cats, travel, word games and strange, almost unknowable things. He was born in Los Angeles of hardy native stock.

Ah, the altruist spending other people's money and labor. Fuck off with this shit.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Difference is I know do this year round instead of just the holidays as I see the need increasing. And Mr. Freeze, nobody in Marin or Sonoma County CA (look them up, very rich counties) are worried about their property values going down because I'm aiding homeless. That's a stupendously stupid take...

JON CARROLL -- It's Time Again For the Untied Way
By Jon Carroll
Dec 9, 1996
WE TAKE AS OUR text this year a quotation from Rabbi Schmelke as reprinted in the Street Spirit, an East Bay homeless newspaper sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee:

"When a poor man asks you for aid, do not use his faults as an excuse for not helping him. For then God will look for your offenses, and he is sure to find many of them. Keep in mind that a poor man's transgressions have been atoned for by his poverty while yours still remain with you."

Whether you agree with the specific cosmology, the basic message is clear: Have a little humility in the face of want and need. There but for the grace of God go you.

In this joyous holiday season, there is want and need freely available in major shopping areas. There are human beings who are, quite frankly, seeking your money. Most of them are standing behind counters and offering you overpriced consumer goods, but some of them are squatting in doorways and offering you nothing at all.

Sometimes, even if you give them money, they don't say "thank you." They don't make you feel good about yourself. They're too busy being cold.

Technically speaking, charity is not about feeling good. It's about need and want. The Untied Way is about need and want.

The Untied Way has no central office, no paid employees, no brochures or fund-raisers, no celebrity spokeshumans, no gala benefits. The Untied Way has only volunteers, has only one plan. It seeks to reach those people who require reaching.

When someone squats in a doorway and asks for money, it is a fair assumption that he or she requires reaching.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Go to your ATM and take out $100 in crisp $20 bills. The $100 figure is a suggestion only; $200 would be better and $40 would be splendid, too. What's one-five-hundredth of your annual gross income? Surely that's little enough to handle the need and want in your area.

Take these lovely bills and go to a busy area in your community. If your community does not have a busy area, downtown San Francisco is darned busy this time of year.

Walk along the street admiring whatever you choose to admire. When someone asks you for money, give that person a $20 bill. Repeat this process until all the 20s are gone. Voila and zip: the Untied Way.

NOW IT MAY BE that some of the people to whom you give money will spend it unwisely. They will not use it to update their resumes; they might not even put it toward the purchase of a better pair of shoes.

Some of the people experiencing need and want are also suffering from confusion. This confusion is often chemical. Sometimes the chemicals are ingested; sometimes they are produced naturally by the brain. Naturally, it would be better if they sought help. It would be better if you sought help sometimes, too, and you have not always done so.

Within the context of need and want, we owe people the dignity of their own confusion. We are not performing triage here, nor are we sitting on a golden throne. We are doing what we can. We are aware that it is not enough, and still we are doing it. That's the Untied Way.

Gratitude may not be apparent at all, or it may be embarrassing and overly effusive. It would be unwise to have an opinion about that. When a person is in a doorway, the concept of "appropriate" may be a little fuzzy.

You can be sure the money has gone to someone who needs it. You can be sure that your client will spend 100 percent of the donation on self-identified need areas. You can use the experience to meditate on the nature of charity, or the fragility of personal narrative, or anything else -- it's a little koan-in-a-box, just for this holiday season.

Dec 9, 1996
Photo of Jon Carroll
By Jon Carroll
Jon Carroll has been a San Francisco Chronicle columnist for 35 years. Before that he was a magazine editor. He's won awards doing both things. He writes about cats, politics, children, religion, more cats, travel, word games and strange, almost unknowable things. He was born in Los Angeles of hardy native stock.

Ah, the altruist spending other people's money and labor. Fuck off with this shit.

Other people's money? What?? I've been a Libertarian most of my adult life until the Jan. 6th Fucktards infiltrated my party. I now consider myself a Tinytarian. I admire Randian style Objectivism but disagree with her take on Altruism to the extent that I can do whatever I want with the money I earned, even if it means giving it to altruistic causes. Nothing at all to do with other people's money. Jon Carroll also never mentions anything about "other people's money". This was a point of view also shared by Neil Peart and why he called himself a bleeding heart LIbertarian which is somewhat contradictory but makes sense to me. Anyway you and your ilk are incredibly tiresome and again, will obviously never understand so goodnight now...

[Mister Freeze]

Difference is I know do this year round instead of just the holidays as I see the need increasing. And Mr. Freeze, nobody in Marin or Sonoma County CA (look them up, very rich counties) are worried about their property values going down because I'm aiding homeless. That's a stupendously stupid take...

Was literally in Sonoma last month for a wedding. No homeless on the sidewalks. But lots of BLM signs and rainbow flags.

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Difference is I know do this year round instead of just the holidays as I see the need increasing. And Mr. Freeze, nobody in Marin or Sonoma County CA (look them up, very rich counties) are worried about their property values going down because I'm aiding homeless. That's a stupendously stupid take...

Was literally in Sonoma last month for a wedding. No homeless on the sidewalks. But lots of BLM signs and rainbow flags.

What in the holy fucking hell does that have to do with anything? I live here every day. The house I bought in 1999 for $225,000 is now worth $780,000. Ouch those BLM signs are killing my property value! Careful you and Tommy are kind of exposing yourselves...

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Gotta love the internet. Just walking along minding my own business sharing personal stories about how I interact with the homeless and I get jumped by Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dummer, neither of who know the first thing about me, but can't wait to jump on their keyboards and scream "bullshit! faker". What a place...