I haven't had much luck with bums.

Having lived in Santa Cruz for 3 years, I got alot of bum exposure, and I don't mean the full monty kind either. I mean the c-c-c-crazy kind, or the decided to reject modern society kind. Anyway, in Santa Cruz they're everywhere. I learned from someone on the "inside," that is, someone who worked with the homeless and shelters, that in S.C. at least, that there is always somewhere they can sleep at night, and get a meal, the programs are very generous. So he said, to not ever give them money.
I did a few times, and they usually ended badly. In particular, it seems I paid for some guy's sexual favor (aaaa!!) because right after I gave him the cash I had on me, he and another guy followed each other into a downtown port-a-potty. Another time, I gave this crazy woman all the cash I had, that was supposed to pay for my food for the rest of the week and then she proceded to ask for more and then get hostile.
Like I said, it never goes well for me.
So I don't know why I thought today would be any different. I guess because it's San Jose, not Santa Cruz, and I don't know how good the shelters are here, I dunno. I drive up to a stoplight where there is usually a guy with a cardboard sign (not always the same guy, I guess they rotate, or rock paper scissors for the spot). I keep little Jack in Box bucks in my glove box so I can give those instead of money. I handed the guy some of those and two dollars. He was very nice and apreciative, he even made polite conversation with me-- right before his cell phone rang! That's right, cell phone, the cardboard sign guy on the highway offramp, had to take a call.
C'mon, at least put in on vibrate to make the whole thing more convincing.
Oh well. It doesn't really matter to me how bad he needed what I gave him. But I did think, "gosh, I guess even homeless people are better about answering their phones than I am."