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Stranger Knocked on Door Begging for Money
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cuzimawesome
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What a weird thing to say. |
Anonymous
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I lived in Africa and got used to people walking thru neighbourhoods asking for work, food, old clothes, toys, money
There truly are a lot of desperate people out there. Unfortunately I no longer have cash, but would have offered a tin of vegetables |
Anonymous
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Not sure if the PP was talking about me, but I did post earlier saying that I open my door. Am I "the guy who is mentally about age ten"? Well, I'm a 44 year old mother of two. If being trusting means I'm ten, then I'm ten.
I always open my door. If I'm not expecting someone, I typically answer with the phone in my hand as if I'm on the line with someone. Not a huge deterrent, but it's something. I don't let my kids answer the door. I've only once been asked flat out for a hand-out. I've had people ask me to subscribe to magazines for various causes. (I've asked them to give me the website address so that I can research the organization and donate directly. They decline). I've had people handing out cards for home-related services, which I've accepted and used in a couple of cases. I've had exactly one person say that she was in distress. I asked her to wait outside, I gathered some groceries and $5, and handed the bag to her. She thanked me. I don't really get what the big deal is. I've been taking what some of you obviously consider risky chances for over 20 years. I'm still alive, and still feel good about treating people with trust and respect. Almost always, they live up to my expectations. |
Anonymous
| 23:49, that's great. But there are people out there who desperately need more money than you can afford to give, are mentally ill or are truly bad. Be careful lady. |
Anonymous
| 23:49 It sounds as if you have reached an appropriate compromise between willingness to help and self-protection. Thanks for the post. |
Anonymous
I assure you that if you offered a tin of vegetables to anyone knocking on doors for money in America, they would hurl it back at you or your closed door and let loose a loud stream of insults. It's just the way it is. Many Americans feel entitled and are overly proud and rude. |
Anonymous
| ^^I'm PP--and before the jingoistic flames begin--I am only contrasting Americans to typical sub-Saharan Africans on the tradition of begging. |
Anonymous
I do. And this is why I go cell phone in hand to look out the upstairs front window to see who is knocking on my door unexpectedly. Okay, I'll admit I was paranoid before but ever since that Chevy Chase couple buglary a few years ago where someone knocked on the front door while a person was trying to break in thru the back, I've been more on guard. As other people said - rather be safe than sorry. |
Anonymous
Have you seen Funny Games? Don't open the door. Do call cops. If this is boring suburbia it does not hurt them to drive thru and make a presence known. If your not near a metro handout type people should not readily have access to your residential area. Keep a weapon (can be a bat or a gun, I don't judge) and phone near. |
Anonymous
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The point is, those who answer the door claim to not be selfish, yet are endangering their neighbors. There are so many other routes for desperate people to more quickly get the help they need. By opening the door, you are putting your neighbors at risk (since you don't really care about yourself? Is that your point?); you are allowing people to invade others space where they do not belong. You are introducing new problems where there were none previously. I really don't know how anyone can explain common sense to you. Do you have parents?
It is not either "give or be paranoid". It is simply common sense. Do not make it more complicated than it has to be. If you want to give so badly, I have a list of places that need your services, where we give regularly. They are extremely grateful for those NOT encouraging begging. There are resources in place that help people keep their pride so they do not have to beg door to door. Google for your area, there will be plenty of ways for you to give, time or money or whatever. Whatever you fail to give to established resources, causes more chances that resource will be shut down. We need to keep these charitable organizations in business so that people reliably get what they need when they need it. There are families that need specific things. Your giving on your doorstep to one person may take away from that. And it encourages begging and strangers, some mentally ill, where there should not be. Why are you so willing to put neighborhoods and children at risk? Does that make you smart, risky, whatever? No, it makes you very naive and uninformed. Don't be stupid. This is not a third world country. |
Anonymous
Boy, are you worked up. I've worked in both grantmaking and grantseeking for more than 20 years, so please spare me the lectures. (You don't actually represent the opinions of all philanthropies everywhere). I'm pretty darn familiar with what the overhead on a $5 donation would be. I don't need to "keep charitable organizations in business" by making that size gift. And, by answering my door I'm not taking anything away from the 7 charities that my family supports annually. Thanks all the same for the insults. |
Anonymous
| I think the main issue is that these people are not looking for handouts. They are up to no good. |
Anonymous
| Get a dog, even a small one, just make sure it barks/yaps. We have two medium-large dogs who bark like crazy when soermone comes to the front door, or anywhere around our house. Its scares everyone. They are actually pretty harmless, sweet boys who are just hyper protective. It is also a great excuse to peer through the side windows amnd say, sorry, I cant open the door right now, the dogs are really workled up. Also, get an alarm and/or put alarm signs and stickers up. Wev live in NWDC and people knock on our door all the time. It is usually PAC people lookinmg for signatures and donations but we also get the occaisional magazine seller and random yard/trees ervice/forewood guys. Best to just say "no thank you" through the window. It is not paranoid, it is smart. A full grown man could easily push aside a woman and invade your homer. Its does happen and more frequently than you might think. It happened in the most expensive neighborhoods or DC not too long ago (one of which we live in). Always better to be safe than sorry or dead. |
Anonymous
| I answer the door with my hand around the collar of my large breed dog that is barking, drooling and lungeing ferociously....no one notices the wagging tail, they tend to just leave. |
Anonymous
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13:09 - well said!
They could beg almost anywhere, yet find your doorstep suitable? And you are okay with that? You would rather call someone judgmental than face the facts? Why would you want to set the precedent that your (and your neighbors) doorsteps are okay? I knew someone that moved into a new house. Clearly the beggars were familiar enough with her house to know the comings and goings. Scary enough. The beggars and their crime ring got $20. the first time, caught her off guard. Each time they brought more people. My friend did not see the people because they were busy working other houses. This is in a remote area with no metro, so the beggars could afford cars. Soon enough, the residents cars were getting broken into. Then it was their houses. It starts with beggars on your doorstep. They know their audience and depend on you being naive and giving and somehow obligated. Why do people think they owe those up to no good an explanation? Are we too polite? Yet we cut people off in traffic? Funny! |