Should you give your phone number to panhandlers?

I honestly thought I’d see at least 99% of people giving a negative response to this question, haha🙂

If anyone else had started this thread, I probably would have answered negatively too. But, well, it is what it is. Now I'm just sitting here waiting for my wife to call me😁😁

Oh, sure, because that makes total sense🤣 Honestly, I might as well just hand them my credit card along with the PIN, right? That way they can just swipe whatever amount they feel like every single month...

Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue. 🤷 It’s entirely plausible that I would just go along with it, simply because I lack the basic instinct to react properly in those kinds of situations—and frankly, the thought of being rude enough to refuse sounds utterly mortifying. 🤷

If you actually want to be helpful, you’re better off just getting their number and giving them a call once you've actually picked up what they need.🤷

There is absolutely no way I'm handing out someone's phone number to the whole neighborhood.

Michelle Sanchez said:If you’re actually looking to step up and help someone out, I guess it might be better to just grab their number first. That way, you can give them a call once you've actually managed to track down exactly what they need. It probably makes things a bit more organized that way, don't you think?🤷

Honestly, it didn't even cross my mind at the time! About ten minutes later, I was just sitting there thinking, "Gosh, I'm such a klutz," because I totally could have just asked her for her address and sent her something if I ended up picking anything up. But oh well... I guess it’s already done now.

slyfox8 said:Honestly, it just didn't cross my mind at the moment! About ten minutes later, I was kicking myself for being so clueless—I totally could have asked for her address and just dropped something off if I picked anything up. But oh well... what's done is done.

It’s hard to think straight in the heat of the moment, especially when you get caught off guard like that.😉
Let us know if she calls; we can all chip in to help out.🙂

Michelle Sanchez said:It’s always a bit of a shock when someone catches you off guard like that.😉
Let me know if she actually calls, and maybe we can all chip in together.🙂

Hehe, I'll definitely let you know.🙂 I'm honestly thinking about telling her that the girl who gave her the number actually sold it to me, haha!🙂))

Man, no way. That just doesn't make sense... letting someone walk all over you like that...
Instead of being grateful that you're stepping up to help right then and there, they’ll probably just try to squeeze you for more later. 🙂Even if they're going through some major struggles...
People who are actually struggling show so much gratitude for even the smallest thing... everyone else is just a fraud to me. ☕

hm...so, what kind of names is a beggar gonna throw at you 🤣

irondrifter5 said:hmm... what is a beggar even going to call you 🤣

Not with a cell phone... life is tough, sure, but people find the money for a phone. It’s not some luxury anymore, it’s a necessity. 😬

To specific woman from this story? I definitely wouldn't be handing over my number... honestly, she should probably just be grateful instead of burdening some complete stranger by asking them to go out and buy diapers and stuff for her🙄.
It would have been fine if she’d asked about a job opening or something useful, but this whole approach just doesn't sit right with me at all...
I've certainly given my number to other people and I've done it plenty of times before, because helping someone out with money or supplies isn't an issue for me, provided my gut feeling tells me they're actually a good person...

not a chance

irondrifter5 said:hmm... I mean, what exactly would a beggar even call you 🤣

Yeah, that's what I was wondering too... maybe just out of politeness? 😁

Elizabeth Baker38 said:Specifically regarding the woman in this story, I wouldn't have given her my number. She should be feeling grateful rather than burdening some stranger with requests to buy diapers and things like that.🙄
It would have been fine if she asked about job openings or something similar, but the way she did it? I'm really not a fan.
I'd give my number to other people, and I have in the past—I don't mind setting aside money or supplies for someone—but I always need to have a good gut feeling about them first.

I totally agree with you! Honestly, I feel like she kind of played me; she saw I was willing to help and used that empathy against me. You know, with those tears in her eyes and everything. Okay, I'm glad I bought her those wipes, but the whole thing about the diapers... man, 🙂

It just bothers me how even when you tell people you don't have much or that you barely have enough for the subway, they still push their stuff on you.

Btw, she hasn't called me yet 😁 Maybe she won't! (Fingers crossed!).

I’m honestly a little surprised she hasn't reached out yet. I can't help but wonder if my number even made it to her? 🤷

🙈

When I first saw the title, I honestly thought, "Wow, what kind of lunatic actually starts a thread like this?" But after scrolling through all the posts, I guess it doesn't seem quite as crazy as I initially thought. Still, I don't think I'd ever be the type to just drop my phone number like that.😁

Oh my goodness, I am definitely not crazy! 😁 Okay, maybe just every once in a while, haha 😁

Sometimes things just happen where you aren't really thinking straight, and you end up doing something silly, just like I did... I guess I might have a little more luck than brains most of the time 😁

Of course not!

That’s a smart way to look at it, really 🙂