Someone said "...most are good people and are just down on their luck". That's a very optimistic point of view but is short on fact (or, at least, it's misleading). Most may be "good" people, relatively speaking, but they're "down on their luck" for a reason. You name the reasons....they're endless. They are not "homeless", they are beggars, and they choose that lifestyle.

Generally, I always say I'll give them nothing...not a dime....zip. I reason that all I'm doing is contributing to their problem. But the reality is, almost everytime I see them, whether stopped at a redlight or begging in front of a store, I end up pitching in a few coins or a dollar or two. I don;t know why, I just can;t help it.