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Q: Should I give money to Chinese beggars?
Many of my Chinese friends - actually MOST of them - say that I should definitely NOT give them any money, because they are all lying or pretending to be homeless, and actually they have nice apartments where they go home each night to sleep.
Even the disabled ones - blind, or amputees etc, are apparently faking it, or mutilated themselves in order to get sympathy and more money.
I find this highly far-fetched and rather hard to believe.
So what do you guys think? Do you give cash to beggars?
13 years 9 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
I never give money. If the beggar is really old I will buy food, just never cash.
I find it hard to believe that someone would burn or mutilate themselves and then turn to begging. I have always wanted to humble myself enough to try begging for money, but have never gotten the courage to do so. I think it is the part of the responsiblity of being human to practice acts of humanity and show some compassion for others, so yes most often I give money!
In Israel beggars are intentionally deformed by their parents during their first year of life. The Christian tourists are real suckers.
In Baja Mexico same as Israel. I followed a group of kids home, over several hills to their waiting US$300,000 mobile home bus.
In China there are beggars and then their are the frauds using grandchildren etc. Every time I visit Wuhan I give 100 rmb to the blind man playing the Chinese cello on the pedestrian overpass, come rain or shine. If it is raining I give him 200 rmb but insist he call it a night. You see I do not consider him a beggar. He is working hard to support himself.
I would say that it depends on the circumstances. I have seen old men begging and then getting into a BMW at the end of their "shift", but there are also people that legitimately need money.
I think it's fairly obvious which are which. If someone keeps following me and is just obnoxious, I never give them money on principle. Same with people using children.
I do give money to the following beggars: people seen eating out of trashcans, people barefoot in the winter sleeping under a newspaper, people who look like they are unable to work due to injury, and the blind musicians because like Martin said, he is working.
dont give .. i once did what WENNA7 has said . i bought her a bottle of tropicana , instead of drinking it she hid into her bag and then moved onto another person ..
These beggars are quite market oriented ;they know very well where its crowdy today . for e.g if there's a event where there will be many people then they will go there ..
It's kind of a catch 22 situation.
Many, if not most, of the beggars in China belong to some nefarious group of 'beggar-pimps' if you will. If you give those beggars money, almost all of it will go to their bosses. If you don't give money and those beggars don't get their quota for the day, they'll either get beaten or won't get their meal for the day.
Either option is depressing.
saw Toronto news story once, they followed a pan handler from her Younge and Bloor usualy post,, watched her get in a Buick and drive to a condo.
