Material standard of living in various nations

[Psychonaut]

The city of San Francisco, California, due to its mild climate and its social programs that have provided cash payments for homeless individuals, is often considered the homelessness capital of the United States.[89]

Whoever considers SF to be the US's homeless capital is retarded. Honolulu's homeless rate is more than twice as high and the panhandlers are twice as aggressive.

[Austin]

Make no mistake nobody is saying the U.S. doesn't have tons of homeless people. It does and always will. If my leaner, future-generation has anything to say about it there will be a hell of a lot more homeless people in the future to put it charitably.

Most homeless in the U.S. are black followed by Mexicans and then followed by other which means Asian/Arab/Indian. This will always be the case. What white couple wants to adopt a black child? Very few. So few that thousands of white couples fly all the way to Russia and South Korea to adopt their children over black American children.

[SwordoftheVistula]

Maybe they aren´t on the census and other cities export their homeless to San Francisco as Sword said because there were way more in the streets than in Spain believe me. Actually all the european students were commenting the same thing because we didnt expect to see so many of them.

I have experienced the most aggressive form of panhandling in San Francisco, where the panhandler will try and intimidate you into giving them money!

I've noticed that there does seem to be a large amount of homeless along the west coast, but this also includes Vancouver and Seattle too - there were quite a lot of homeless people there. I remember talking to a middle aged homeless woman who asked me for money, she was originally from Manitoba. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Sounds like you guys have encountered the bum population which the major cities here have. I don't know how many of them are actually homeless. They hang out in areas which have lots of tourists and hassle them for money. If you stop and talk to them, they all have some elaborate story which ends in them asking for money. They call it 'hustling', and go around with made-up stories looking to get drug money.

We don't have mobs of gypsy children who will steal your cheesburger out of your hand or slice your bags open, like they do in many places of Europe - (American Stereotype of Europe).

That really is true. Some of the bums here will get in your face, but won't actually touch you (doing so would get them hauled off to jail). The gypsy kids will grab your arm when you're trying to walk past them and demand money.

[Treffie]

Sounds like you guys have encountered the bum population which the major cities here have. I don't know how many of them are actually homeless. They hang out in areas which have lots of tourists and hassle them for money. If you stop and talk to them, they all have some elaborate story which ends in them asking for money. They call it 'hustling', and go around with made-up stories looking to get drug money.

I have never given money to the homeless, in the UK, US or wherever - I always give food, usually something that I'm already carrying around with me. If they're genuine and hungry, they'll eat it; if they're not, they'll discard it and ask for the cash instead.

There's one guy in my city who uses the same old excuse that he needs the money for bus fayre to get home. The only problem is that he's so stoned when he asks, he can't remember that he's already given me the same story about 50 times before.

[joe blowe]

Another important factor is the level of taxation of each country. Not only direct income tax, but tax on consumer items like cars, computers, appliances, and homes & land,etc.

There has been in the last 60 years, (following Moore's Law) a great deal of deflation in consumer goods and incredible inflation in the amount of entertainment available at really low cost such as music, films and the internet.

The 'poor' of today, have much more entertainment and live a better life, free from pain and discomfort, than at any other time in history.

[Savant]

Yeah, I've heard that Welsh folks are generally kind, giving ppl to the needy as a cultural trait.

There was one when I was living in Los Angeles who had a wheelchair, and he'd be sitting in it begging for money and say he was a disabled vet, when the people went away I'd see him jogging, pushing the chair in front of him to another crowded area. When he asked me for money I called him out on his act. He said "well you know it comes and it goes"....

I have never given money to the homeless, in the UK, US or wherever - I always give food, usually something that I'm already carrying around with me. If they're genuine and hungry, they'll eat it; if they're not, they'll discard it and ask for the cash instead.

There's one guy in my city who uses the same old excuse that he needs the money for bus fayre to get home. The only problem is that he's so stoned when he asks, he can't remember that he's already given me the same story about 50 times before.