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Ozzykamikaze t1_iupsf05 wrote

Reply to comment by Friendly_Listen6216 in Scary experience with a homeless man asking for money in Newport mall. by Friendly_Listen6216

"No." Means "I have it but I don't want to give it to you." What I say is "Sorry, I don't have any cash." Not as much left to say after that. You can claim I'm lying, but you can't try to get something I don't have.

Or ignore and don't make eye contact.

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BeMadTV t1_iuqo90u wrote

"I don't have any cash" sometimes gets followed up by "can you buy me x with your card or the Dunkin app".

I once saw a dude ask someone to Venmo them.

Ignore and don't make eye contact has worked best for me. Unless it's Portland.

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JellyfishConscious t1_iur2zkv wrote

What’s the protocol in Portland?

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BeMadTV t1_iurdfjb wrote

I don't wanna give a general one size fits all overview based on my anecdote, but it was the only time someone followed me after ignoring them. And there are a lot more concentrations of homeless there than over here or in NYC.

saying nothing, not breaking stride = (this one time in my personal experience) "What the fuck! Am I invisible? You got something important to get to!? More important than human starvation!?"

I don't wanna say ignoring them and not breaking stride will always result in the above, so I would stick to that. There really is no better alternative I can think of if you're not feeling philanthropic.

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JellyfishConscious t1_iurdt49 wrote

I’d look at them in they eyes and say “Yes”

No but really wtf

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BeMadTV t1_iurfyya wrote

My girlfriend and I were totally thrown off! The catalyst was simply minding my own business lol

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LincolnPorkRoll t1_iurit6g wrote

that happened to me in missoula. I was so used to ignoring and continuing on from living in the NYC area but it really got this guy riled up!

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BeMadTV t1_iurn7x3 wrote

"Where's your Western Hospitality!!!"

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Poison_Pancakes t1_iur7nph wrote

I feel like they’re playing a game with you. If they can a) get your attention and b) prove that you have money on you, then they win and you have to give them some.

A few years ago in Harlem a guy told me I dropped my wallet and I fell for it. He then asked for money and got mad when I said no. He got REALLY mad when he saw that I was trying to find my Uber so I “had money for a cab but not for him to get something to eat.” I’m sure he wouldn’t understand that Uber is cashless.

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