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what would you do if you were too poor to buy a meal？
hermitwin
Veteran
this question is inspired by the thai insurance commercial lamarama posted.
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Comments
i have seen a man eating left-over food at a food court.
will beg - if get money or food eitherwise will be able to eat something.
You mean - what DID I do....
We are fortunate to have 'Food Banks' in the UK. I have had to avail myself of their kind generosity more than once....
You don't get to choose what they give you - but you can say whether you're vegetarian or diabetic, and they will give you appropriate food - which in turn is donated to them by generous shoppers. And let me tell you, the people running these banks have seen a tragic increase in the number of people needing their help - people from all walks of life. Preconceived ideas about the "type" of person who may need free food, fly out of the window. From the 'well-heeled' to the 'well-worn'.... many people now find they need support in this way.
i have seen poor people begging ranging in age from very small children to very old person begging.
i saw a little girl, while i was waiting on a train station to get my train - what the little girl was doing was she tried to perform some acts involving acrobatics and dance steps, with a circular rod she had - after she had done with her acts, she raised her hands in front of all people(including me) sitting and waiting for their trains, one by one, and then some people gave her some money - then i saw a boy, who asked that little girl, if she would like to eat and she said yes but she said she has to perform her act in front of other people, so that she can get alms from them, then that boy said to her that ok, you can complete your act and then come back to him and then he will take her to a food stall to give her some food to eat.
this is another way, which i have seen, in which some poor people perform some type of act in front of other people and then other people give some money or food to them for their act.
Timely article about recently deceased author Sue Townsend (some of you may remember Adrian Mole, her most brilliant creation) and how she managed on benefits.
And let me tell you, the situation is both accurate and hardly changed.
It's tragic how one of the wealthiest and most influential countries in the world, treats those below the so-called poverty line. Shameful, indecent, inhumane.
I can understand financially-strapped, deprived, third-world countries needing global support and help.
But here?
It's just utterly, breath-takingly horrific.
There have been situations in the past that we utilized food banks as well. We are lucky in this area to have them very well funded (as in provided with donations by individuals and businesses). Thankfully, my husband and I both have large extended families and if we ever need anything, we can ask them. In the past I was with another partner and there were times he was unemployed and I was too ashamed of needing help to ask my family.
Honestly, if we were in such a position of not being able to buy food and not having family or food banks, I would hunt. My family growing up did it when my father was temporarily unemployed. I grew up hunting and fishing. We live in a wilderness area, so there are ample fish, deer, rabbits and other things. While it isn't something I would like to resort to, I would if I had to and I am glad to have that as an option.
I also used a food bank a few times, and was able to qualify for government social programs like food stamps. I was on SNAP/WIC for my first child. It took me about 2 years to get a good enough job to get off all government assistance. While living in my car, I got a job as a waitress on purpose. I could eat there once a day for free.
>
Here in the U.S., conservatives are determined to further shame the poor by forcing them to undergo drug testing in order to claim their benefits. This same political party is all about cutting costs and "hands-off" government, except when it comes to making sure poor people "deserve" to be helped. It is sad to imagine what will happen to this country if conservatives prevail.
If I were too poor to afford a meal I'd be happy to avail myself of food banks, food stamps, soup kitchens, etc. My mother got food stamps for awhile - she didn't let us kids know until years later. Poor people have pride too.
Ironic this got posted today. Could we change the question to: what would you do if you were too poor for internet?
As I recently described in another thread, I became disabled in May of last year and have not been able to get benefits yet. The doctors tell me I can't work - the pain from such activity raises my blood pressure to ridiculous heights prompting a heart attack. I've lost count now of how many I've had. Problem is, I didn't have health insurance either until a couple of months ago and so, they couldn't run tests to see what the problem was. Without a diagnosis, I can't get disability - symptoms don't equal a disability I'm told.
Anywho, as I said in that related post, my wife got hurt at work and couldn't work for four months either and was just released by her doctor to go back to work three weeks ago. In that time we did make use of food banks when we could. Unfortunately, there is not always gas money to get to the food bank. My wife was supposed to get her first check from returning to work on Monday but when we got there to pick up the check - they had forgotten to cut it. Monday was food bank day but we had used up our gas money going to pick up the check that wasn't there and so we had to forgo the food bank this week or have money to go back and get her check the next day.
Frankly, sometimes we go without. On a related note, on that I alluded to above, we are losing internet today. My wife needed a cell phone for work and we piggybacked internet off her cell phone, but it is being shut off today. So, love to all - be back when I can.
Hope we see you soon @yagr.
More time to meditate! Yay!!
@lobster. LOL?? .... Awwwwkward. :-/ . I wasn't trying to be funny. I was serious.
EDIT:
On second thought...No worries. If my story tickled you or gave you enough joy to laugh...it's all good. Maybe it just sounds different to you than I meant to say.
@yagr be well, looking forward to your return!
My apologies. I think maybe my password was compromised. I lost a post and a couple of strange responses from 'me', prompted me to change my password.
Sorry for any offence.
Never been without a meal except when fasting.
Not funny to be there.
Do what my ancestors did and steal!
That got them on a boat down under........
I would try to utilize all that I had learned in Buddhism, and try to feel lucky to be alive. Take it day by day and try to get back on my feet. Try to do good deeds each day to help in keeping bad karma away.
If I were to poor to buy a meal for my kids..I would steal or rob or beg. Or whatever it took.
Considerations of Karma-vipaka could wait.
If I was homeless I would hit up supermarket trash disposal containers, those huge ones They throw away so much decent food that is still edible, just gone past the sell by date. People do this who are not even poor.
Aside from that I guess beg..? and then going down the immoral path, rob post offices. If you get caught you get free meals in prison and a shelter, AKA prison, and if you don't get caught you have money to buy food.
People have been charged with stealing, by doing that. Fortunately, their case was thrown out.....
If it's a first offence, it's unlikely you'll get sent to prison; more a fine and community service.
@Vastminds that LOL was from me, I now realise. I saw this part of the message and LOL again . . . [shame on you crustacean!]
When you pointed what you were saying, I thought I would not laugh at that . . . but in fact I just have, so probably did. Not part of the password change mentioned . . .
Why laugh?
There is something in it that appeals to my quirky nature. The idea of accidentally getting a job as a waitress is suggested and purposefully/mindfully eating in ones car. It is the nature of the wording. However I am not laughing at any aspect of poverty . . . of course not. Apologies again for any offence.
Years ago before it became a normal routine comedy I would sometimes laugh at the solemn reporting of many tragic news reports. Not at the loss of life but at the somber and serious tone used . . .
Dukkha is hard.
@lobster .....That's why I went further with my edit.....I figured it must have been my wording. Let me re phrase....I intentionally got a job at a restaurant and I ate there, at work once a day, then went out to the car to sleep. A retail or labor job didn't have the benefit of a free meal.
No apologies necessary.....This is where my terrible writing skills fall back on me.
Unfortunately, I tend to write like the thoughts come. I've heard it called ' thinking out loud'. I've also heard it called 'dis jointed'. Anyway...learning the craft of writing is not exactly on my to do list anytime soon....but I will pay more attention to details and the flow of what I say.
What good is all my talking, if no one can understand me? hahaha
Depends where you live and how you rob it, back home and unarmed probably yes, but as soon as you have a gun, even a plastic toy gun, then it gets serious.
I can't believe people have been sent to court for taking 'rubbish' that is going to be discarded anyway, what the hell does that say about society.
Even with a plastic toy gun, you wouldn't get sent down, unless you were a continuous repeat offender. In the UK you probably would have to injure/kill someone for a mandatory prison sentence, even with a 1st time offence..... Then, you would probably have more to worry about than simply getting 3 meals a day.
Honestly, realistically - is it really worth it?
. . . been thinking some more about this . . .
Might go for begging, my local Hare Krishna, Sikh or Hindu temple for prasad, Salvation Army, dumpster diving. I know quite a lot about wild food from nettles to mushrooms . . .
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=humorous+begging+sign
The Hare Krishnas have daily food runs. It is illegal to hunt squirrels or rabbits without permission or the local deer, ducks, geese, family pets etc.
. . . this is a job for Tara
Curious you mention Tara.
I am into my fourth round of 20-circuit recitations of the Tara mantra: That is, I have done over 30 Mala recitations - 108 in one direction then 108 on the 'return journey, making 216 in all... done that 33 times so far. That's 7128 recitations hitherto.
What a good Theravadin I am!!
Despite my past from age 14-20 where I dealt drugs including ecstasy, cocaine and weed, other crazy situations I got myself into, the police/government have never got my prints or DNA, I have been lucky in that sense. so yea I have no convictions and U have never been in trouble with the law, a few close calls though. However, the karma of all of that has surely ripened to an extent.
I am not sure though federica, I know in the US people have been sent down for 15-20 years for robbing a store with a toy gun, I guess in the UK where the laws are less strict you probably could play the innocent victim down on his luck trying to get some money to at with a first offense and get a stern slap on the wrist. i wouldn't like to try it to find out though. Sometimes the justice system likes to make examples out of people.
I am perfectly fine with eating out of dumpsters... there is a ridiculously large amount of GOOD food still in its package or left over food that people threw away that day.
When I was traveling around homeless, or nomadically (by choice), I chose to eat out of dumpsters. Grocery stores throw away perfectly good food of all sorts, still packaged and not rotten.. just because its corporate rule. Once I found about 15 packages of perfectly good turkey bacon! Another time I found probably about 20-30 eggs! In New Orleans there are SO MANY delicious and expensive sea food meals and otherwise, thrown away by rich tourists...
We are a wasteful country. Out of the 10 months I traveled homeless, I dont believe I EVER went a day without eating. If I did, it was because of my own laziness. Sometimes I overate.
THIS is what I refer to, so much edible food is thrown away by supermarkets every day, I am sure it could feed Africa easily if compiled. And yet if the homeless or even the people who are knowledgeable about this try and take it to eat, they are liable for a criminal offense? Things needs to change and this is 1 in 1,000 things that need to change with the current standard
Hell ya! I totally agree with you. It would be nice if there was an organized, tax paid program that took in all of the pounds and pounds and pounds of wasted food, to give away.
Oh goodness, in the US you most certainly could, and probably would, get prison time for robbing the post office. In the US the post office is a federal government institution. Any theft (money, property, or otherwise) is considered a federal crime. But, it does matter somewhat what exactly you took, the value of it, why you took it, your past history, and so on. But the value of what was stolen is what matters the most. In the US what level crime you are charged with depends on the value of the items you stole. Also, it is different if you are talking about stealing pieces of mail (which even if they are addressed to individuals, it is still a federal crime) or actually robbing the post office of cash/stamps/etc. If you use a weapon (or even a fake weapon as they will point out you used a fake weapon to inflict fear and terror, ie terrorism) then you're really in big doo-doo.
Sorry for the second post. On the wasted food, it is simply utterly ridiculous. My son goes to preschool. There are 20 kids in his preschool. There are thousands of these preschools in every state. Every day, they have to offer fresh fruit and veggies. It's required. And every day, 50% of what is offered, goes in the trash. Once it is exposed to the kids/teachers and potentially touched, it cannot go back in the fridge, it cannot even go home with a family that would use them. It is required by law. Nevermind that most of the families in this preschool are low income and could really use the fresh food. But because someone touched it, it goes in the trash. Here, there isn't even the chance someone might dumpster dive to get it. Because we have bears, dumpsters are locked to prevent bears from getting in them.
In the praises to the 21 Tara's puja that I did at least once a day for a while, one of the benefits is never going hungry. Overcoming life difficulties is one of Tara's remits.
This blogger famously created a diet for herself and son for £10 per week. Natural wild spinach such as nettles, orache and god king henry are now being used by fancy restaurants because of better flavour. They are delicious. You need a plastic bag full of nettles to make a spinach and potatoe curry . . . very nice . . .
http://agirlcalledjack.com/tag/budget-recipes/
Learn how to make Jamaican dumplings, yum, or my own lobster bread, will fill you right up.
http://www.sweetjamaica.co.uk/cook-fried-dumplings/
(you can leave out the sugar)
Lobster bread is a mini fried chappatti/puri/pitta unleavened bread.
Ingredients:
Wholewheat flour
Salt
Water
Oil
Recipe instructions:
*- mix flour with pinch of salt.
*- add less water than you think.
*- mix, should be drier than dough.
*- add oil to make the dough 'wet'.
*- take dollops of mixture, flatten into small thin 'pancakes' and shallow fry in oil. Turning to avoid burning . . .
*- serve with humous, curry, sardines and onions, leftovers etc.
Yum
Sounds great - I've been meaning to make a flatbread. Do you need to fry in oil? When I have made chapatti's in the past I just put the flattened dough on a non-stick frying pan.
Yes you need to shallow fry in oil.
It was a shocking site I saw yesterday. All the food that had gone by the sell by date in the local Tescos, was piled in a large bin. It would have fed about 100 people - I am thinking of offering to take it away to the local homeless shelter every night, if I see it again
Well one person hit the newspapers recently. He basically visited every 5-star restaurant in Amsterdam, ordered the most expensive food and after he was finished he told the staff he didn't have any money. Of course they called the police which gave the man a roof over his head and a comfortable bed to sleep in at night.
That's what I would do
And they would tell you:
'Company Policy states we have to throw it away, due to Health & Safety reasons. What if someone contracts salmonella from one of our sandwiches? We can't take the risk'.
Trust me: Been there, done that.
Yep. Exactly the reason why every school, hospital, nursing home, restaurant, grocery store through out millions of pounds of food every day
Our desire for a sterile environment not only causes us to throw out so much food that people need, but also, in the end, only makes us MORE sick. The increased lack of exposure to germs and dirt and so on in our food supply is looking more and more like part of the reason autoimmune diseases have been on the rise. No healthy bacteria=haywire immune system...and the health bacteria come from eating them.
What would I do ? I'd go from door to door to do whatever chore anyone would need to do for a loaf of bread.
Or, I'd plainly steal. Really . I'd steal food until I either find a decent job ( hard to believe that anyone would do that after resorting to stealing ) or I end up in jail, with free food for little work.
( Before throwing stones at me, I have to say that this is nearly the every day life in my corner of the world; and believe me, by stealing and begging as your only jobs you'll raise a mansion in a year-> see gypsies ).