How do you politely decline if someone asks you for money?

[Antonia]

People very often think I'm foreign - so I usually pretend to not speak English when approached for money and it works. Last year at a Braves game several people approached us in the parking lot (we got there early) and I suddenly could not speak English and they quickly moved on.

 

[HollyJoy]

I tell people that I'm sorry, I don't have any extra cash... most of the time it's the truth!

 

[DisneyVillain]

I don't understand the need to be polite....many are scam artists.

Reason #1: Not all of them are scam artists.
Reason #2: Being polite isn't about them, it is about you.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I never give money to these people. I've bought them food, but I don't give money because too often it goes to liquor, cigarettes or drugs.

I too prefer to donate to non profits that are designed to help the people who really want help.

I usually just hold up my hand and say "Sorry I don't have any cash on me" and walk by them.

If they pursue me, IMO, that is harrassment and I will either look for a building to walk into , a cop or security guard to inform or I suppose if I were ever in a situation where there were no open buildings, shops, resteraunts etc. I'd scream Stop Following Me! as loudly as I could.

 

[redbirdgrad]

I usually get asked for money about 8 times a day in downtown Chicago, usually on my walk back to the train station (about 30 minute walk). There's alot of regulars who've been here for years, and alot of people with scam ideas, some are very creative (Richard Roeper in the Sun-Times recently did an article about some of them). I figure if I gave everyone I saw, including the people selling Streetwise (newspaper), a $1, I'd spend about $40 a week in handouts. I give generously to charity organizations, but for all my street requests I just say "sorry, not today".

 

[marlasmom]

A couple of years ago a Boston tv station had a story about a middle class suburban guy with a good job who put two kids through expensive colleges by spending weekends on a Boston street corner offering to "wash windshields." Strangely, I was never approached in New Hampshire, nor have I been in Florida.

 

[MeanLaureen]

I run into this a lot where I work. The city of Richmond has tried to make it harder on these "Will Work for Food" people you see at the intersections and now they have to buy a license to beg.

I have to say I haven't had a legit begger yet. When they are in the parking lot at work the police come and tell them to leave and they leave in a nicer car than me.

They would sit on the corner at the intersection for my mall - there would be 4-5 of them in shifts with a will work for food sign. The ones that weren't "working it" would be sitting playing cards in their brand new SUV

One time a contractor that was putting the Christmas lights out on the center offered a will work for food person a temp job helping him put up the lights to earn money. The guy refused the work and went back to collecting change from the street from people that fell for his scam

I just say no and continue walking

 

[NotSoMini]

During our Christmas vacation to WDW last year, we were approached in the parking lot at the Super Walmart. Just responded with a "sorry", but that is the first time we were ever pan handled (is that a verb?) in Florida.

 

[onecoolmama]

Originally posted by EsmeraldaX
I'd scream Stop Following Me! as loudly as I could.

Oh My Gosh! You reminded me of a story! One time this guy approachedmeand my 9 year old cousin (I was 13) and was offereing us drugs. I went to a pretty rich school, so maybe other kids had the money..i dunno. Anyway, he like starts saying "oh you have money this is the richest school in DC everyone last one of you has money!"

Well, I started getting nervous..so I screamed "STOP TRYING TO SELL ME DRUGS! NO MEANS NO.." On and on while I was walking away.

I scared the poopy (I dunno if you can say crap) out of him!LOL!

 

[Saffron]

Hmmm, well I live in D.C. where there is a large homeless population. I know most of the beggars that live around here, some have been living here for years. Sadly, some have died here too. Most are mentally ill, and some are addicts/alcoholics. We don't have many scammers here -- you can definately tell who our homeless are, they sure aren't making a profit.

That's what I see in the neigborhoods I venture through and go to work and school in in the Philadelphia area, snoopy. I can't say that I've seen any scams artists. I see the same homeless people, with some new faces every now and again that come and go rather quickly. No one I see if profiting off the money they recieve.

I'm one of those people who rarely carries cash. I carry my CC's and my bank card. I only have cash on me if I stop at a nearby Wawa for a cup of coffee and hit the cash machine in order to pay for it. Right now for instance - I don't have any paper money on me at all and I don't think I have for two weeks. If I don't want to give someone money, or I don't have any to give, I just say, "Sorry." Or, "Sorry, don't have any."

 

[Keli]

Panhandlers have only approached me once or twice in my entire life and my first instinct was to reach in my purse and give them some money. My dh stopped me the one time I remember by asking the guy a few questions and it became clear he was lying. You'd think he'd have his story down better, lol.

 

[Melora]

One of my friends used to joke and say he wanted to stand on the street corner with a sign that said "Will pose nude for food" Just to see peoples reaction.

We live in a very low crime rate area..lowest crime rate in a city over 100,000 in the US so our police force is BORED stiff. When they dont have certain areas staked out for speeders or stop-sign roller-throughers they are chasing the homeless/beggers out. So it's rare to see any out this way.

We do have one regular older gentleman (a black man dressed in an old suit) who stands on one of the off ramps and plays the saxaphone. Ive never given him anything but Im never in that lane to turn. The girls think he looks cool and he does play a pretty mean sax!

One time there was a family standing near one of the shopping plazas. A mom, dad and one (if not 2) little kids asleep in a broken down stroller with the usual sign of out of work etc. They all looked pretty ragged and I bought the kids 2 happy meals (with milk) and took it over to them. Im not sure the mom looked real happy about that and then I started wondering if they werent scamming everyone.

Usually when people ask I smile and say No Im sorry, and sometimes add I dont have any change.

 

[Serena]

One time I saw a man sitting at an intersection. He had a big sign, "Will Work for Beer".

 

[browneyes]

I carry very little cash on me, and I tell them that.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

Originally posted by MeanLaureen
I run into this a lot where I work. The city of Richmond has tried to make it harder on these "Will Work for Food" people you see at the intersections and now they have to buy a license to beg.

hmmm...that is interesting. I hadn't heard they needed a license. I work in Richmond and still see plenty of them out. The guy I gave money to last summer is still out with his sign and cast on his leg. Just how long does one wear a cast???

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I feel bad when I don't give to someone who is truly needy, but some people are so good at deception that you can't be sure. I usually just say, "no, sorry", and they move on. DH and I once came across a guy sitting on the sidewalk with a sign and we felt bad for him, so we bought him a pizza. He was very grateful. I can't imagine what I would say to someone who was posing as needing food for his starving children, then having him throw back the food I offered, saying he didn't need that "stuff".

One thing you should never do if you are going to give someone money is to let them see your wallet. Or even take out your wallet. This ploy is sometimes used by robbers...

Unfortunately the way things are today, the best thing to do is just keep moving along without saying anything...It's really sad what some people will do.

Oh, and the people who collect money in busy intersections..I wish they would outlaw that. (here they have to have a permit.) That is just so dangerous, I can't believe it is legal. I never make eye contact with those collectors. I won't give, even if it is a charity I believe in. I wouldn't want to encourage that kind of dangerous activity.

 

[wdwdvcdad]

I tell them to get out of my face a to get a job.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

I just don't make eye contact - they usually won't ask you if you do that. My DH on the other hand - I'm convinced he's got "Sucker" tattooed on his forehead. No matter where we go he always has somebody come up and ask him for money. We were having dinner at a Godfather's Pizza place and a guy walked all the way through the restaurant full of people to our table to ask for $1. He said he needed it to go across the street and buy a beer at the tavern - because he was an alcoholic.

I give to charity and the few times I was asked for money in downtown Seattle - I just point them to the nearest homeless shelter.

 

[welovedisneyx4]

Just say NO!

 

[WeirdEyes]

I am approached constantly and it drives me nuts! I guess I have one of those faces. Not too long ago, I was approached by a guy who looked really rough and told me that he was taking his daughter to Atlanta to Emory University Hospital and broke down. I told him I didn't have any money (I never carry cash). He then asked me to write him a check! I said no way! He would then have all of my personal information.

Also, on my way home every day, there is the same man standing at the interstate exit with a sign saying his is traveling and ran out of money. People hand him money all of the time. I figured if he can stand there all day for weeks and weeks, he can get a job at the McDonald's right next to the exit.