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What's the proper way to deal with someone begging?

I walked through my local highstreet, for the most part I spend my time walking around with earphones in.
Anyways one woman spotted me coming and attempted to ask me for money, I chose to ignore her.
The second woman less than 5ft away tried the same thing.

I do feel guilty as i feel like if I give to one I have to give to them all.

What bothers me is that here in the uk, you can claim benefits.
But I worry these people are not here legally.
And I worry if I stop and talk someone might mugg me.

I'm not judging, I just avoid talking to them because on another seperate occasion recently one woman swore at me for saying I no longer walk with change, which since the pandemic is true.

😔

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Abstraction · 61-69, M

Best advice I can give came from a friend when I was in Kenya. In my work overseas I could lose all my money quickly if I gave to every beggar.
He said, I give to beggars... when I feel like it.
I'll tell you why I like that. My grandfather was reduced to begging in his youth and was only ever helped by the poor. Yet he became a company manager. A true gentleman, kind, honest, generous.
I used to have ready made answers in my head that I spat out whenever I saw beggars. But that made them less human to me, made me less human to them and me.
If I feel like it, I give something. I haven't shut off my humanity, but neither can I give to every beggar I see.