Was walking home yesterday and there was a small alcove in the wall of the building. In the alcove was a cart carrying lots of Chinese medicines and the like. Next to the cart was a Chinese man, holding himself upside down with his hands on the sides of a plastic crate and his head inside. I walked past twice - neither of us said a word. He seemed busy.
I also overhead a conversation while on the SkyTrain. Something like "Dude, I was about to give this beggar on the street some money but then he pulled out a cellphone! Do they all have cellphones? Do they call each other up to check how much money each collected today? Are they some organised group?"
It has surprised me the number of beggars on the streets here, considering that Canada is at least as socialist as Australia. They each have their own routine, like the guy who says "sir! ma'am! si- ma'a- sirr! m- sir ma'a- sir!" over and over as people of different genders walk past. Always the same tone, always going. I remember a friend once commenting "I will give money to people in the US, but rarely in Australia. In the US there is basically no support, but in Australia there is little excuse." I wonder which applies here?
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I think we're really a mix in between. The Canadian system does include some social support but because we're so politically center - country is generally center.. teeny tiny bit left (and especially in places like Alberta where we're center right), the social support isn't actually that good. There are rules in the system that make funds very hard to access. Basically unless they're "in the know" (and even harder if they're not) it's hard to get sufficient funds to live decently. In the US, there is support but the support is very conditional. Many don't make those requirements, I believe. (Watch Bowling for Columbine for a tidbit of info about it. They send the people off to work, far from their home) I guess another thing you should watch out for is the fact that there are those who lie. My friend saw someone asking for money for food and later they saw the same person in starbucks relaxing with a coffee and a newspaper. If you truly want to help, get them what they're asking for. If they're asking for money for food, take them to the grocery store and buy them a sandwich.
Flash back to 'Falling down'. The guy who accosts Defrends in the park is _eating_ and says 'I haven't eaten all week'. It's surprising how many people are just after the cash. Interesting article about a guy (20 years old or so) in Australia who was followed after begging. He was seen jumping into a car and driving off. Apparently you can make $300 a day easy if you are in the right place.
How can you tell he's Chinese when he's head is in a crate ;p
It was a milk crate with that lattice-like sides. He needed to breathe. :P
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