[NPV]

At the cost of sounding heartless, etc i say this:
I ignore most beggars I see near the traffic lights in a 5 km radius around my home since I have seen most of these people on rotation at various signals in the area. I have even seen them being dropped off in a mini truck in the morning so it definitely feels like an organised group at work. What makes me feel very uncomfortable is when they go around with drowsy infants, something just doesn't feel right in that scene. Look around on the net and you will see there are organised groups who steal kids and drug them and this is exactly what it looks like.
I'd rather just stick to making donations to needy organizations via the corporates (employer supported organizations) or some good NGO's that are mentioned by friends and family from their experiences. And I've been doing this for a few years now, we even go over to some of the campuses as volunteers.

[wishnipon]

Beggars are a common sight at traffic lights in Kolkata. Since last 3-4 years, the intersex people have outnumbered the beggars! They are not violent though, unlike in non-AC coaches of long distance trains where they can be a big bully. I never pay alms of any kind. In the traffic lights, I politely shake my head indicating I am not going to give money.

I am already paying taxes to the government. I can't help every person in the world. For philanthropy, I like to help if I know the person. E.g. extra money for the chauffeur's children's education. Extra money for the maid if she asks for a particular reason.

Recently there is a new trend - teenagers dash towards the car and attack the windshield with red cleaning rags. I stop them every time with an angry look and a stern warning. Once before I could stop them, they smeared a fresh bird dropping and made my windshield further dirty.

I strongly feel begging or selling in the traffic lights should be banned. However, in Kolkata the police and the politicians are complicit with the beggars and this is not going to end anytime soon. Alas!

[luvDriving]

It is a mix of A and B for me. Of course I know that it is a multi-million rupee industry and I do agree that beggars are a menace to the traffic, not adding the small crimes that take place under the guise of begging.

But on the other side do these beggars really profit from the earnings or does a major portion go to the goon hiring these people is a point to ponder. It also is a pain to see very young children risking their lives begging whenever the signal turns red while their caretakers sit by the roadside.

Once I had gone to the RTO office in Pune for some work. An old beggar came begging to me and since as a rule I do not entertain beggars, I said NO to him. Another person standing besides me told me that the old man was in fact a rich man, owning 7-8 buffaloes and also 2 apartments but comes to beg here everyday.

Whenever I can, I give them food to eat or a water bottle but never money. Once a woman holding an infant approached me with the usual plea - please give some money so that I can feed the little one. I told her to come with me to the shop and I will buy some milk and biscuits for her but wont give any money. She did come till the shop but disappeared when I turned my back.