Why Flying A Sign Isn't Cool

[Scrappy]

I guess if everyone was just the same, we'd all be working at the same job, or flying a sign on the same corner, but the beauty of travelling around the country is seeing that everyone's different. They're the same in that they are all humans, but different in their wants and views. Whoever can really say for someone else's needs and wants, must be a heck of a person, cause I can only say for me. Love, peace, and happiness, may be only vague concepts inside my head, but I believe in them. At the same time, if I try to push them on to someone else's life or value system, maybe I should try to clean up my own back yard first. Just as soon as I become perfect, I'm going to start on a huge lecture tour, but until that happens, I have to humbly wipe clean my own behind, and take care to be the best that I can be. Opinions are like.....Well, you know.

[hobowonkanobe]

the only real important Q when the day is done is; are you and yours fed, sheltered and healthy? yes? Good!
enjoy the road.

[pokravenz]

i spange, i fly a sign , i collect cans, i sell songs/poems, i play music, i tell stories. i do a lot of things.i do not have a problem with people giveing me money. if they did not want to they would not.if they did not want to work they would not. i only need like 5 to 10 dollars every couple of days.enough for some tobbacco. hell i even steal from stores. i do not see a problem with that.they steal from us.stores sell over priced crap.there is no need for that.i never steal from a person.just corporate.

P.o.K.

[pokravenz]

hell i even steal from stores. i do not see a problem with that.they steal from us.stores sell over priced crap.there is no need for that.i never steal from a person.just corporate.

I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I DO NOT SUGGEST TO ANY ONE THAT THEY SHOULD STEAL. I ONLY STEAL WHAN THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE.AND IT IS MOSTLEY FOOD THAT I TAKE. SORRY IF I UPSET ANY ONE OR IF I HAVE GAVE OUT THE WRONG IDEA.

P.o.K.

[eric_lco]

[quote:044a5ea3ed="pokravenz"]hell i even steal from stores. i do not see a problem with that.they steal from us.stores sell over priced crap.there is no need for that.i never steal from a person.just corporate.
[/quote:044a5ea3ed]

Ha Ha. Me TOO!! You ever gotten caught? i'm always afraid cuz walmart has like a GAZILLION cameras.... But what are they gonna do? i'm a nobody. Usually dont even have id, and if i'm stealing i dont have money. Throw me in jail for a few nights? so what. at least i get a bed and a few warm meals, right?


~Peace~

[eric_lco]

people wong give unless they want to. becasue they get something of value out of it. its economics 101 everyone. I was once talking to a guy who said, that

"even on the road you get greedy. you want 'just a few more dollars'. his advice was to keep everything in perspective. If somebody gives you a buck, thats enough for a burger, and you are fed for 3 or 4 hours. if you get 5 bucks, thats enough for your car to run 25 miles. think of things (esp money) in term of VALUE not AMOUNT. Because its in mans nature to be greed, so as soon as you drift away from the principle of value and focus on quantity, you will never be satisfied. It's always more. wither you are a beggar, or CEO. the principle remains"


~Peace~

[Raven_1019]

people give not just to get something in return but, also because they feel in there heart that they should or just because they want to. I don't throughly agree that people are greedy. I know for a fact that there are some people out there that fly because they honestly do need the money be it for gas, food or whatever. People like my husband, brother-in-law, and I do fly a sign sometimes but, definitly not out of greed. We need are either in desperate need of food or gas and we only take what we need to help us get back on our feet for however long it may be. We have never once flown out of greed.

[eric_lco]

yes. i agree w you raven. i wasnt saying ppl fly because of greed. if thats what you are in it for, you should get a job. i meerly meant, if while flying, becasue you need it, if your head and heart aren't in the right place, you will only end up wishing you had more. (like everyone else in this world..)

~Peace~

[Dameon]

Personally, I busk for my money. Some people view busking as begging with an instrument, when in reality it's very different. You're providing a service, and you make money not by how good you are at spinning a sob story or looking pitiful (or, for the ladies, pretty), but directly relative to your skill with your instrument.

I rarely give spangers money, and I never spange (although I would if I absolutely had to). The long and short of it is that if it's food somebody really needs, just about anybody on the streets knows that it's only a matter of finding the right dumpster. Get the right fast food dumpster at the right time, and it's as good as going in and ordering.

Before I even considered spanging, I would be offering a service in return for money. If you have some sort of skill to offer people, offer it. Clean yourself up a bit in a restroom somewhere and go door to door offering to mow lawns, fix cars, do any manual labor they need, whatever you can do. People will be MUCH more receptive to a homeless person who is obviously willing to work than somebody sitting on a street corner with a sign somewhere. I'm not suggesting following this all the way to wage slavery, but if you need money, you'll do better if you're willing to work for it.

I once made $150 from an old man in about three hours by cleaning up his apartment, not to mention he fed me and gave me a place on his floor to sleep. There was also lots of listening to his old hippie stories involved, but I didn't mind that, since they were great stories. When has anybody ever done so well out of spanging?

'course, there's situations where spanging is just plain necessary, but most of the time, there are other ways that'll let you keep at least some measure of your pride.

[sunsetroute]

I agree with "ceo" (earlier post) ...I've flown signs when I really needed it- and in the past when I didn't. Nowadays I figure I'll only do it if I REALLY need money for something. I busk for my money, I play music and people have the freedom/right to either give me money or not to.