12-10-2003 21:00									#1
	Squeegee kids fight back Inflate your Upload Space

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/11/squeegee031011

Should these poor kids be excluded from the dream of free enterprise? Breaking windshield wipers is a definate no-no but what is the big deal with kids washing your windshield and then asking for a donation?

I had mine washed while in traffic in New York and the guy asked for some food. I gave him a can of tuna but he didn't seem to happy. They usually wash first and ask later playing the guilt trip game (that's what he did to me). But why not leave these kids alone unless they are damaging vehicles. Meanwhile the crooks on Wallstreet ripoff the public for millions and object when some poor kid tries to make an honest buck. What is the world coming to??

	12-10-2003 21:07									#2
	Re: Squeegee kids fight back Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by Lincoln I had mine washed while in traffic in New York and the guy asked for some food. I gave him a can of tuna but he didn't seem to happy.

Because he wanted money for booze. He can get food at a soup kitchen.

quote: Meanwhile the crooks on Wallstreet ripoff the public for millions and object when some poor kid tries to make an honest buck.

Since when is panhandling either honest or work?

	12-10-2003 21:37									#3
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He washes the windshield and the driver pays if he wants. What is wrong with that. It is a legitimate service.

	12-10-2003 21:39									#4
	Re: Re: Squeegee kids fight back Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by DinoDoc Because he wanted money for booze. He can get food at a soup kitchen.

Then why'd he ask for food?

	12-10-2003 21:39									#5
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It's only legitimate if the driver asks beforehand.

	12-10-2003 21:40									#6
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Squeegee Kids
Ken Lay

But whenever possible you should give Squeegee people donations in food and other useful things. Because if you give them money they might just as DD said blow it on booze

	12-10-2003 21:42									#7
	Re: Re: Re: Squeegee kids fight back Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by Osweld Then why'd he ask for food?

You don't get a very good response by asking for booze.

	12-10-2003 21:43									#8
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quote: Originally posted by DinoDoc You don't get a very good response by asking for booze.

You can't buy booze with food, if he wanted money he'd ask for it. He didn't look happy because it was a ****ing can of tuna.

	12-10-2003 22:08									#9
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I'm surprised that he didn't heave the can of tuna at your car..


Never, ever let the squeegee people even start doing your car.

In the same vein, don't give the homeless food generally because I've had it thrown back at me. It's not pleasant.

	12-10-2003 22:15									#10
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quote: Originally posted by Osweld He didn't look happy because it was a ****ing can of tuna.

Beggers can not be choosers.

	12-10-2003 22:17									#11
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Booze contains calories! If he 'wasted' his money on booze he wouldn't starve.

	12-10-2003 22:20									#12
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quote: Originally posted by Osweld He didn't look happy because it was a ****ing can of tuna.

Maybe he was happy about getting the tuna but unhappy that he didnt have a can opener

	12-10-2003 22:22									#13
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I gave a bottle of Glenfiddich to a tramp once. He was happy.

	12-10-2003 22:49									#14
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Give 'em food stamps. You can buy them if you feel a need to have them on hand. Or if you have time offer to buy them lunch.

If they refuse, then they want drugs or booze.

	12-10-2003 22:52									#15
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Squee... gee...???

	12-10-2003 23:15									#16
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Squeegees are rubber scrapers mounted on sticks used to wipe car windows clean. First you apply a soapy solution, then you wipe it off with the squeegee.

	12-10-2003 23:22									#17
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Whereas windscreen wipers are rubber scrapers that wipe the screen clean with a soapy solution. And don't expect to be paid.

	12-10-2003 23:50									#18
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I hate a dirty windshield so I think the next time I come accross a squeegee kid I will ask him to do all the windows and pay him a decent amount for his service. I should have been more generous to the first guy but I was kind of taken by surprise. As far as buying booze goes, that is up to him what he does with money he earned. Many homeless people are not drunks. That is a steriotype that does not always fit, especially with the cost of rent nowdays.

	12-10-2003 23:52									#19
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I think I might buy some rock and get a squeegee tramp to clean my car....with his tongue, in return for the sweet sweet crack.

	13-10-2003 00:03									#20
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Why do I feel that Lincoln is being sarcastic?

	13-10-2003 00:07									#21
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I doubt it.

	13-10-2003 00:15									#22
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Actually I felt bad later about giving the man a can of tuna. I made a similar mistake before when I offered a street person a real job. He actually did a great job even though I thought he was running a scam and I wanted to expose it. having worked with homeless people I have come to learn that they are not all scam artists. Many are really hungry and they often avoid the shelters provided because of the rampant crime etc. in some of them that are not well managed.

	13-10-2003 00:28									#23
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my guns usually scare those window washers off.

If not, I just put my gun on my dashboard to scare them away

	13-10-2003 00:30									#24
	Re: Re: Re: Re: Squeegee kids fight back Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by DinoDoc You don't get a very good response by asking for booze.

in my city lots of people are now carrying signs saying: Why Lie- I just need a beer.

I can't help but chuckle everytime I pass one of those.

	13-10-2003 00:36									#25
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A lady friend of mine said that she felt sorry for a man she passed who had one of those signs. I told her it was probebly just a scam but she insisted on giving me about $20 with instructions to take him out for lunch. I finally agreed. Well, first I had to beg the guy to leave his corner, then I had to beg him actually sit down for lunch (he didn't seem to be hungry and finally he rushed back to his lucrative corner. It was kind of funny when I finaly convinced him by telling him to please do it for my friend because it means so much to her. So he was a great help! I guess should have thanked him...

	13-10-2003 01:12									#26
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident in my city lots of people are now carrying signs saying: Why Lie- I just need a beer. I can't help but chuckle everytime I pass one of those.

That's because one guy in Denver had that sign a few years back, and made a lot of money.

	13-10-2003 02:13									#27
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I agree with Lincoln here. I tend to give stupidly large amounts of cash to beggars, particularly at night when I am either p***ed off (or just plain p***ed). Yes, a lot of them probably do spend it on drugs or booze...but thats their choice. You could always say that, if they're getting the money from strange people like me then at least they are not having to turn to crime etc.

Anyway, I too have worked with homeless people (but in England, obviously). Its a far bigger problem than most people seem to realise, so perhaps we should have people leaping onto our windscreens over here a bit more often, just to alert my beloved fellow citizens that there are people like this around.

A little bit of a rant perhaps...but hey, it needed saying!

	13-10-2003 02:39									#28
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I never give money to anyone. Am I an *******?

Another thing that has been happenning in my city is all kinds of people beg for cash. Not just homless. Very often in supermarket parking lots people will come up to me asking for money for a bus, or to fix their car. I never give them any money either .

I'm always worried about them attacking me. I only roll the window down a crack to talk to them.

I'm mostly just a cheap person. I'm very stingy with my money.

	13-10-2003 03:43									#29
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In Amsterdam, there seem to be a bunch of foreigners who pretend to be stranded tourists.

They say how they've lost everything, including their passport and that one special toy they bought for their kid at home (or something). They even wave some filled-out form from the police.

Being way too gullible, I fell for it both times. (Not counting all those times I gave money to other kinds of (pretend-)homeless people.)

One of them I saw a few months later, telling the same story to another "victim".
The other I met a few weeks later, and he started with the same story again... But in contrast with most others, he actually recognized me.

After that, and one occassion where some guy just out of prison said he'd hack me in the head if he had had an axe, I decided not to give any money anymore.


But for the squeegee kids... As long they ask before they wash. And if they don't, they shouldn't be surprised if they don't get anything.

I have no problem with people asking, as long as they don't expect me to actually give anything when I've confirmed I don't mind them asking...

	13-10-2003 03:57									#30
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In New Orleans you have to watch for the shoe shiners. they wanted to shine my tennis shoes (well basketball shoes really) even after I said no.

The best way to avoid that is to keep walking. They can shine your shoes when you are moving.