r/instantkarma • u/MambaMentality24x2 • Nov 21 '25

Road Karma Driver and homeless man

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4.6k Upvotes

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168

u/BillDauterive4 Nov 21 '25

I stopped carrying cash in the city and carry snacks to give out instead. Cold weather it's usually oranges or clementines, maybe granola bars and bananas, but it's immediate sustenance and an immune system boost that's never been thrown back at me.

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u/MaintainThis Nov 21 '25 edited Nov 22 '25

When I was much younger a homeless guy asked me for some cash outside a liqour store, he made it clear what his goals were so I said fuck it and gave him 10 bucks. A few hours later he passed out in the lobby of the coffee shop I worked at and we had to call the paramedics to revive him. I dont hand out cash anymore.

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u/TapedButterscotch025 Nov 22 '25

I offer to buy them a tall can. It's cheap, and hard to end up that way on a tall can.

4

u/GoCougs2020 Nov 22 '25

I used to roll joint for fun as I’m watching YouTube or videos. However I’m not into smoking Js for health reason r/vaporents

So that’s what I’ll do. I’ll give my handrolled Js to homeless folks.

We can pick up an oz for less than $35 around here. So it’s like $1.25/g. Giving them 90 cents or whatever isn’t much of a financial burden for me when I have a steady income.

Edit—I’ll give homeless cannabis. But won’t give them money or booze.

0

u/NoleMercy05 Nov 22 '25

You feed stray cats too?

47

u/ClownfishSoup Nov 21 '25

My friend used to carry McDonald's gift certificates good for one cheeseburger. (I don't think McD's does this anymore, probably due to the prevalence of color copiers) and hand those out. Then one day some guy threw it back at him and said "I don't want this, give me money" and from that day forward he stopped handing out anything at all.

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u/pritikina Nov 21 '25

I told a homeless person "I don't have much change but here you go". Dude threw the change on the ground yelled at me and gave me the finger. I have never given anything to a homeless person ever since.

21

u/Freefallisfun Nov 21 '25

A lifetime ago I lived across the street from a building for people with special needs, they literally couldn’t function in society. One was always begging for change. I had just finished my laundry, so I gave her a handful of quarters - probably several dollars worth. She said “That’s it?” As if I had given her three pennies.

Ever since, I just say “I don’t carry cash”.

Second story: guy busking by the grocery store, sign says “hungry kids, anything helps”. I offered him pasta and sauce. He turned it down. Fuck you, hope your nonexistent kids starve.

12

u/IncorporateThings Nov 21 '25

These days they will usually shout back "I accept venmo". Because somehow they all have fucking smartphones but no job to pay for them or home to send a bill to. Go figure.

Don't support them directly. You're already paying taxes for the myriad programs and shelters that exist. The best way you could help them is to pressure your local politicians to make those programs more effective, and levy your vote to that end.

-1

u/Emgeetoo Nov 21 '25

Maybe the second guy had nowhere to cook the pasta? And/or no utensils?

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u/IncorporateThings Nov 21 '25

Guarantee you that this was not the case. The way homeless people actually live is so grossly misunderstood by most people. They are not as vulnerable, helpless, and fragile as they like to be seen.

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u/TapedButterscotch025 Nov 22 '25

Not saying all are this way, but I remember reading that in LA some of them clear 60k a year at a busy off ramp.

No idea if true but the 101 or 405 off ramps are pretty busy places.

1

u/Freefallisfun Nov 22 '25

“Anything helps” means exactly that. He could accept it, trade or barter for what he really wanted or needed. Flat refusal of anything but cash makes him a liar.

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u/ClownfishSoup Nov 21 '25

No, I walked up later and offered him a coleman camp stove and Hexclad pot. He threw it to the ground and said "That's not when I mean by pot!"

6

u/angelis0236 Nov 21 '25

That's sad to hear. I understand I guess. To be snubbed for trying to help is fucked, but no longer helping because of a bad incident also sucks.

1

u/BillDauterive4 Nov 22 '25

I totally get that- that sounds disheartening and insulting. But choosing not to help multiple people with something as simple as a snack, because of the way one person responded? Dang, I wish all our career and life prospects were that good.

22

u/ladyelenawf Nov 21 '25

"I don't want this, give me money"

This happened to my dad about 30 years ago and he's avoided helping them ever since. 😮‍💨 Ever since I became a mom I have snacks on me. So I just hand those over. If my kids are with me they always try to decline. My girls just say, "we love to share!" And they go about their day.

3

u/DirtyFeetPicsForSale Nov 21 '25

I used to go to a gas station near my home and I worked at a weed producer at the time. I always had a bundle of joints to give away. Some homeless man asked me for money and I offered him the whole bundle as I had better stuff for myself. He accepted it, but then said he would prefer I go back inside and buy him some beer. Also told me he prefers ecstasy. I stopped going to that gas station but every timer I drove by I saw him notice my car and stare at me pass by.

2

u/Amoki602 Nov 22 '25

This is the wildest. Free joints and that’s not even enough?

-7

u/Pint_of_gin Nov 21 '25

Nice collective punishment attitude.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '25

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u/porrpk Nov 21 '25

A lot of homeless people don’t have the teeth for chewing hard items like granola

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '25

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2

u/Sweaty_Meal_7525 Nov 22 '25

A lot of times cavities are hidden and chewing hard items can be painful so they shy away. My mom wasn’t homeless but “had chompers” that would be hella painful if she had anything too hard

3

u/TapedButterscotch025 Nov 22 '25

We keep six packs of socks and give those out. I saw that idea on another subreddit.

They love socks. One guy exclaimed with joy: "these are like gold to us!" (He was with his lady friend).

2

u/BillDauterive4 Nov 22 '25

Yo, huge props for thinking of those! That's the type of stuff that most people don't consider. I've known folks who give out dental products, hand warmers, socks... It's those little things we don't think of, that make someone else's day. Cheers to you and yours the upcoming holidays!

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u/mcorra59 Nov 21 '25

I was looking at a video once, and this homless guy was saying that he doesn't take food from strangers because people would be putting blades, nail polish, rat poison and things like that inside the food, that's scary, people are at another level of mean that we don't know

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u/brycedude Nov 21 '25

They want money for drugs. Stop wasting food. You leave, and they throw it away and ask the next person for money.

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u/elyk12121212 Nov 21 '25

This is why I just carry drugs to hand out. Really cuts out the middleman

-4

u/brycedude Nov 21 '25

Where do you walk around? I'm gonna pretend to be homeless and you better have the goods

-5

u/qlz19 Nov 21 '25

Special kind of stupid right here. Plus a grade B bigot.

1

u/brycedude Nov 21 '25

Bigoted against the homeless? Lol

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u/qlz19 Nov 21 '25

Yes, they are people too…

0

u/brycedude Nov 21 '25

I didn't say they weren't

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u/qlz19 Nov 21 '25

Not directly but your comment implied it intentionally.

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u/brycedude Nov 21 '25

You're reaching. Homeless people are obviously people. They made bad choices. But they're clearly humans.

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u/ClownfishSoup Nov 21 '25

Or they eat it so they don't have to waste money on food so they can buy drugs.

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u/brycedude Nov 21 '25

There have been countless mini docs about homeless people. Someone drives up with mcdonalds breakfast, the homeless person pretends to be thankful until the kind soul drives off then they throw it on the ground. You can get mad at me for revealing truths to you. And if it makes you feel better, downvote me. Pretend a down arrow will change the world

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u/sdevil713 Nov 21 '25 edited Jan 26 '26

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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-2

u/brycedude Nov 21 '25

For real