I really don't know why everyone's making a big deal out of my comment. To be honest, the "bums" in my town are usually dressed in clean clothes. And I heard a story once that somebody gave $50 to a "poor person" at the mall, and later while they were leaving, they saw that "poor person" hop into a brand new mercedes-benz....

Conclusion: most of them in my town try to scam people. Me, I don't trust any of them.

I don't directly hand them money, my charities do that for me.
But I agree if I don't want that bum to have my money I won't give it to him.

@ The Fox

It's nice you give money to a bum who deserves it, instead of the ones who "hop into a brand new mercedes-benz" (which I believe).

Depends, if the bum is selling these magazines for charity or playing his old rusty guitar which is his only possession, I sometimes like giving a euro.

But if they come asking for it specifically, particularly at railway stations or similar public areas, I ignore them, those are always the ones that just use it to buy weed.