Phil

I have an idea, next time before you are approached by beggers in Italy, approach them and ask for a Euro. That should throw them off guard. Maybe even rifle through their pockets for some change. A little turn about is fair play. Any ideas?

mean

I feel blessed that I needn't beg on the streets and can afford to travel to wonderful places, eat fabulous food and order expensive wines. I would not ridicule someone who is on the street begging.

Pat

I ridicule beggers all the time. I say no thank you I already have money when they beg, throws them off. I doesn't mean I am a bad person.....

buzz

An English friend of mine has a wonderful response. We were in a park somewhere, passed a fellow who looked up and said, "Spare change, mate?"<BR><BR>To which my friend replied as he passed, "No thanks, I have plenty."

xxx

On my first trip to Italy a while back, I was surprised at the LACK of panhandlers in Rome. Only approached by a handful the whole time in Italy. Contrast that with the last time I was in Washington, D.C. and couldn't walk 20 feet without being hit up for "spare change." I'll take the panhandlers in Italy any day over the crackheads and speed freaks we've got here in the U.S.

Pat

Works in every country.

tuupie

tp