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I can relate to your experience, having been "burned" by bums before.
(Austin was notorious for shit like that)
I give what I can when asked. I am not capable ot judging honestly whether someone needs it or whether they just WANT it, so I give what I can.
If I see the same person begging in the same place, panhandling basically, then I give them something once and not again.
In Austin I once gave a gutterpunk a dollar (mind you I was making $7.50/hour at a shit file clerk job) and the fucker looked back at m,e in disdain and said "Man, can you give me $5? What can I do with $1?" He had his gutterpunk "wife" and a baby with him (sad shit), and I grabbed my dollar back and told him to fuck off. he got VERY ANGRY and I had to be rushed away by a friend who kept whispering "those fuckers will stab you man. don;t even talk to them."
but I know what it is like to be desperate, to be so hungry you are digging in garbage looking for food.
I can't help but give when I can, even if I really could use the $1-$2 in coins myself....
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