OT, but if someone says they're hungry, I'll offer to feed them. If they gratefully accept then they are likely to get a small amount of cash as well. I'm not trying to boast or say anything other than feeding a hungry person is what my boss told me to do and it can be fulfilling.VMI77 wrote: My son exited a restaurant in Chicago and a panhandler approached him and said she was hungry. He told her he'd take her into the restaurant and buy her a meal. She said she didn't like that kind of food and wanted Chinese food. The result: she got nothing. They do think they're owed a handout....that's precisely what the government and the "entitlement" system have taught them.
OTOH, if they don't, or they get nasty they get nothing, same goes for a "will work for food" ploy. I desperately needed help with a yard project, stopped near a "able bodied" type and offered a $100 plus meals to help me for a few hours. He said, "I can make more staying here," and he got nothing.
Finally to the OP. I'm not the ninja fast youngster I used to be. If you approach me in a parking lot you best be announcing your intentions from a long ways off. Otherwise it won't be pleasant. I think you did fine, you came away with no one hurt, Gander Mountain knows and you'll live to shop another day. The one criticism is a common one as almost everyone forgets the step when faced with this; call 911 early or have your partner/SO do so while you are occupied. Let your story be the first one on record. Not only does it get your story on record, it bolsters your "I feel threatened" position.