I've given cash to homeless people, but personally I don't know that I'd trust doing credit card....
Posted on 01/31/2016 4:39:22 PM PST by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis
A beggar in Detroit has entered the digital age, accepting credit card donations.
Abe Hagenston, 42, who has been on the streets for nearly a decade, has brought an unprecedented measure of sophistication to begging.
It is all rather a long way from "Buddy can you spare a dime."
Having a technological background - he was a web designer - Mr Hagenston has paved the way in cashless panhandling.
Thanks to his mobile phone, he can process payments before the traffic light has changed.
He takes Visa and MasterCard, naturally American Express will do nicely, with the money being transferred to his account thanks to a smartphone attachment which can read credit cards.
The phone – nicknamed the Obamaphone – was provided by the US government's Lifeline Assistance programme.
Like all true professionals, he has a LinkedIn account. Mr Hagenston also has his own website.
He uses the website to solicit further donations and offer his services to carry out odd jobs from clearing snow to mowing the lawn.
If he is unable to do the work, he knows other homeless people who are willing to do so.
"My business is being homeless, now homeless is my business," he explains
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I've given cash to homeless people, but personally I don't know that I'd trust doing credit card....
Occupation: Professional Bum
42 year old homeless Vietnam Vets can be trusted with your credit card.
I remember once, back in the 80s, being on an early morning run around Washington Square Park. An alarm clock went off, and a homeless guy got up out of his sleeping bag.
Seems more like a marketing angle.
LOLOLOLOLOL
Kudos to this guy for making it work. I had the same business plan years ago and never could make it pay off.
"I was Agent Orange, Special Agent Orange, that was me."
If you can use your body to beg, you can do something constructive.
No to bums.
UK?
For cryin’ out loud, why are we listenting to these Euro voyer/stalker outlets.
The UK is so jealous of the US it hurts. Poofter tossers so butthurt we CRUSHED them in the 1700’s they can’t post enough slather.
I don’t give a f what anyone in Europe thinks. If we followed those Sir Robin’s we’d all be runnin’ away from `dynomite` rabbits.
So I asked him, what unit he was in . . . he couldn't answer. So I asked him, what part of Viet Nam he served in . . . he couldn't answer. So I told him, "before you pull that vet BS on somebody, get your story together." I gave him nothing.
Which would have made him 1 year old when he was drafted...
Interesting supposition. The guy would have to fought in Vietnam at the age of two or so.
*snort* lol
I loathe giving money to beggars because it more often than not goes toward supporting an addiction.
So, when enlistment asked, he lied about his age...
So true.
I think you missed the humor. But I could be wrong. Maybe it just wasn’t humorous.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.