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Subscribe to RSSLONDON -- An apparently homeless man looks through a trashcan for food. Many people in big cities like London would simply walk on by.
But not Lewis Dediara. The 47-year-old was cycling to Parliament Hill park to fly a kite, when he noticed the “clearly hungry” man and decided to help, the London Evening Standard reported.
He got off his bicycle and offered to buy the man food from a nearby store. The encounter was captured by a camera Dediara wears on his helmet after he was knocked off his bicycle twice by vehicles in the past, the paper said.
“Are you hungry sir? ... Tell me what you want. Go and pick whatever you like … I’ll buy it for you, get anything you want,” Dediara says to the man.
'Is that all you want?'
The man picks up only a pint of milk and a bag of chips, and Dediara, who posted the video on YouTube, is heard asking more than once, “Is that all you want? You sure?”
The video, entitled "Always Help your Fellow Man," has gotten more than 60,000 views since it was posted on May 13.
Dediara, originally from Nigeria, told the Evening Standard he was “astonished” by the popularity of the film.
"I saw this man standing there - he was clearly hungry. When I saw him rooting through the bin I couldn't just leave him there,” he told the paper. "I come from a family where we are raised to help others when we see them suffering. I should have bought him more than what he wanted. Next time I see him I'll buy him a burger."
He added he had put the clip on YouTube because "sometimes London is a place where people don't take the time to care for others."
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Comments added by people who viewed the video appeared to be mostly positive.
"Thank you mr cyclist man ! seeing this give me hope in humanity," one wrote.
"That is good, we need more people like you and I shall do the same given the opportunity!" said another.
"One time outside a subway in canada some homless drug addict came to me pan handling in exchange to wash my windows on my car. I didnt have cash so i bought him a sub. Best feeling ever...," wrote a third.
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There was, however, some cynicism.
"One side I feel good for what you did, another side of me asks the question, would he have done that if not for the go pro [video] on his head?" wrote one viewer.
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I guess he posted this on YouTube to be an example for others to follow. Way to go Lewis!
Intel2, yes it's possible he wanted to inspire others. There are a few (not many, but few) people who do the same thing all the time, but never thought to record it for others to follow.
Politicians invented the mess.
Even those who help regularaly sometimes get beaten up in bad places!
Walking home from work in downtown Atlanta at 1:00 AM, I saw a man approaching and got ready for a fight. He stopped a respectable distance away an explained he had a flat on the interstate and needed a few dollars to get it fixed. Not having a bill smaller than $20.00, I gave him that. I have never seen someone so happy to be helped. I don't put money on anybody's collection plate but I do pass out a little from time to time to help people. My biggest charitable gift was about 200 units of platelets to the Red Cross. At the annual donor picnic, an appreciative parent was always there to thank us for helping their child, usually a cancer patient who got chemotherapy There was never a dry eye in the crowd. From arrival to departure, it usually took about 2 hours to give a double unit donation. My platelet count was very high, so with a little extra time and a little more plasma to suspend the platelets, I could give two units at once. The Red Cross really makes you feel good about what you are doing when you are a platelet donor. Not everybody is willing to lay still on a couch for about an hour with an IV in both arms. They will scratch your nose for you though, with a gloved hand of course. And where I went, they had movies for you. They even started Gladiator in the middle for me, as I had seen the first half two weeks earlier. Platelets can be given every two weeks, as I did for nearly four years. Every time, I answered the usual questions about sex and foreign travel amongst other things.
Be careful walking at home from work at 1am. Don't make that a habit. That can be very dangerous.
@softdude
Though money is always good, I really think people should step up to the plate on blood, platelets, etc, seeing as it can truly save someone's life. It is probably one of the best hours of your life you can give, and I thank you for that.
When I offered to buy food for a man who begged for money and told me he was hungry he called me a bitch and told me if I didn't just give him money he'd kill me. Now I avoid people who appear hungry. But I did buy a bag of dog food for a man who was walking his dog with a 'homeless' sign hung around his neck. I just walked up and handed him a 10 lb bag of food. The dog thanked me.
Wow. I have had a homeless person once reject food. I had food in my car and he said he was starving. They were meat empanadas, fresh, homemade. He said he wanted money, not food...so much for telling me you're starving. I drove off. I have fed several homeless people throughout the years, and this is the only instance that someone was not appreciative, but to call you a b!tch is out of this world, unless he was mentally ill and didn't realize what he was saying.
This is so true. Most of them do not really want food, they want money to buy booze and drugs. More often than not if you offer to buy one of them a meal they will turn you down. I applaud this guy for his generosity, but I do not understand posting the video. It makes it look like he is seeking recognition for his charitable act. Call me a cynic, but I do not think he posted the video solely to try and inspire others.
I do not know about London, but in NYC you are crazy to give money to these panhandlers. There was a story done several years ago that documented that many of the panhandlers in NYC do it as their job. They apparently can make a pretty good living and many of them live very nicely on their tax free income from panhandling, often better than those giving them the money. They put on some grungy clothes to go out panhandling the same way an office worker would put on a suit and tie. I am not saying that this is the case for all of these panhandlers, and it obviously was not for this guy in London, but it is well established that this is the case with many of them. If they turn down food and only want money, walk away. They are either one of these professional panhandlers or they just want the money to buy alcohol and drugs, not for food. In either case, they do not deserve your charity.
I've been out drinking with friends and been approached by bums. When I give them money, my friends give me the judgmental "they are only going to spend it on booze".
My reply, "what the hell was I just doing with it? It's OK for me to spend it on booze, but it's not OK for him to spend it on booze?"
Sweet but the difference is, you work hard to earn your money to buy your booze. Some people just want to bum money off others. I have no problems giving a poor person or homeless person food, that's a necessity to survive. Money however will not be spent to support a persons addictions to drugs or booze.
Once I took a homeless person to buy food at a McDonald's. After we left, he started to try selling his food in front of the shop.
you ignorants: they want money because they eat for free in the trash because humans are wasteful with food and not booze. Use your brain. Thats why i give them cash to do what with it they want. If you want to help them give them money and not force them to buy food what if they already ate you act like you are so good offering food but really you are limiting what good you are trying to do by only doing good your way or no way get over yourself. I always hate when i hear people crying about oh i was gonna help someone but... there is no buts either help them or dont but dont cry about it. Just like the lady saying she gave a homeless man a 10lb bag of dog food you think he wants to lug that around all day when he gets free food in trash? lol use the brain in your head.
Duplicate Post.
Yes, Mr. Dediara, you are good, kind, generous, thoughtful and saintly....even if you do say so yourself.
Bicycling through town on your way to a park to fly a kite. Probably going to pat some little heads and smile at children and spend time listening to old people talk about the old days.
Maybe donate a kidney on your way back home.
Filming your good deeds and posting them for all the world to see? Tacky.
There ya go. Just when you think all would be inspired and do a good deed just the same, someone thinks its uncool. Maybe were exposed to soo much violence and negative media propaganda we forget that good still exist.
I can certainly understand the cynicism of some individuals with regard to this man's kind act toward an apparently homeless person. That being said, I HIGHLY doubt that anyone with any means at all would be rummaging through a trash bin for food unless they really were quite famished.
No one, and I mean no one deserves to experience hunger in this world.
A great man in history once said, "I was hungry and you fed me, I was cold and you clothed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink." What more can we do for our fellow man than to give them the basic necessities of life.
Some people are cynical and say the bicycle rider just did this for personal glory. I say, so what. The fact remains, he did something. He was not dealing with a panhandler, who may or may not actually want money for food. He saw someone who was desperate for food and wanted to help provide it for them. Starvation is a very ugly thing. Only its counterpoint, greed, is worse.
It was a nice thing for the man to do and not the end of the world that he posted it on the internet, a little show-offy maybe, but hopefully it will inspire others to do something similar. A next door neighbor of mine once saw a woman in front of a restaurant who asked him for money, and he said, "I won't give you money but I'll buy you lunch," and he invited her in the restaurant, Denny's I think, to have lunch with him. She accepted and told him her life story. Always thought that was very nice. Sometimes letting someone bend your ear and giving them your time is worth a lot too.
So the guy posted it on YouTube ... at least he *DID* something. The world has become so cynical, distrustful. Just perform one random act of kindness a day for a week. Try it. The only conditions: (1) you cannot tell anyone; and (2) you cannot be caught by anyone other than the person you're helping. Just try it. We CAN change the world, one moment at a time, one person at a time.
I was raised to know you can always do SOMETHING to help those who need it. Over the years, instead of giving people cash, I've taken them grocery shopping and paid the bill, gotten utility bills and paid them, brought people's cars to the gas station and filled their tanks. Not bragging at all.....just saying that I've just about stopped donating cash altogether and am doing more concrete things to help out. At least I know the help is actually helping. I've found out in some nasty instances how money I've donated was misused. I really dont consider what I do giving, but sharing. It's really an easy thing to do. It's fun.
It would be nice if people did something nice for absolutely nothing and not be criticized for it. Selflessness is something we need more of on this planet. Imagine a culture of selflessness. A dream I know but you can still imagine.
Hmmm...you are all so forgiving of this man's ego. Surprising. Perhaps it is because I was raised to believe that doing good is expected of one and bragging about it would bring embarrassment.
But I am of the generation before those who were taught to value self-esteem above all else. At my schools, for instance, there was one trophy per accomplishment--not per student.
I am glad there are still some good, decent people around, but I also agree with some of the people making comments. Homeless people didn't get there because they enjoyed being homeless. Life dealt them a bad hand, they weren't capable of dealing with it, and had no one to help them recover from it. When you are that far down and out in society, it is impossible to pull oneself up and out without a helping hand. Buying food for someone is one thing, but leave the other help to professionals who are use to dealing with those in traumatic situations. No telling what that person has been through or how he/she will view your help or react to it.
Grateful individuals will be like the homeless man in this story, very appreciative to have something to eat and not greedy enough to buy a sack full of expense things just because someone else is footing the bill. When you are homeless, you become humbled real fast and thankful for anything good that might be given to you. I have heard of mean spirited people giving starving, homeless people bad food so they would become sick. Considering these people have no health insurance or access to medical services, such acts are mean and cruel.
When I worked as a manager in a fast food restaurant, a homeless man came in and asked me if he could take the garbage out so that he might look for food. I told him no, I would buy a meal for him. He didn't want to take it at first because I had to pay for the meal out of my own pocket, but eventually I got him to order something. But I also did volunteer work where I helped some church people serve food to the homeless. One man called me over and asked if he could have some more tea, as I was pouring it into his glass, I felt his hand go across the back of my leg. After the meal was over, I went into the restroom and found out that he had wiped his soiled hand on my pant leg getting food all over it. I never volunteered for that work again.
You never can tell what will happen when you are dealing with homeless people because they have dealt with so much before you ever came into their lives. Don't be afraid to help because some people do appreciate it.
I don't believe the gentleman was bragging in posting the video. Perhaps he has accomplished at least part of what he wanted to do---help a fellow human being, and then encourage others to do the same, or at least to prod others to begin thinking about what we do for others, and what we COULD do for someone less fortunate. Everyone has the ability to help someone else, in some way.
I've done this a couple times. Once, it was a man quietly standing outside a grocery store, asking very politely if I might be able to spare a quarter on my way out. I asked what he would like if I were to buy him a sandwich...ended up buying him a roast beef hoagie, a loaf of bread, mayo, mustard, and a bunch of sliced roast beef. The look of astonished gratitude on his face was priceless, as was the heartfelt smile. I just had a sense that he was travelling, tryiing to get somewhere, and that having some food would help. I've given a couple pairs of clean socks and a warm hat to the guy in rags on the corner who reeks of alcohol. Sometimes I bring leftovers from a rotisserie chicken in a ziplock bag and place by the shoes of the guy who sleeps in a particular building doorway. Who am i to judge? It costs me little--and I think the kindness of the gesture means as much or more as the actual item. I know I get back more than I give, and it helps me notice the many good things I have in my life, and to be grateful.
I saw an elderly woman laying down in our parking garage eating popcorn (early in the morning). I gave her my lunch. She was on my mind all day. I went home and got a down parka that I don't use and packed up some toiletries and hiking socks. I took them to work the next day, but didn't see her. I kept that in my office, waiting for her to come back. She did a few weeks later. I was so happy to give her my lunch and ran upstairs to get the parka and toiletries. I'll never forget the look on her face. I never told anyone, but here, no one knows me.
Love it, love it, love it!
There was a particular woman that I remember, older lady, who was one of a number of folks who worked for a particular newspaper. The funds generated from the newpaper went part to its own costs, and the rest to helping feed and shelter the homeless. I was a college freshman at the time, and she asked me if I wanted to by a copy; I turned it down, saying maybe next time, and she gave me an outdated copy and a little card with a picture and a happy phrase on it.
What, specifically, was on the card doesn't matter now - but at the time, it was exactly right to catch my attention, and was exactly what I needed at the time. I decided I would, indeed, but a paper from her if I saw her again.
Later on, I ran into a cheerful old woman on public transit, with a bunch of flowers and that newspaper. She told me that she "picks flowers every morning for Mary, Jesus' mother." It wasn't until she was getting off that I realized it was the same woman.
It was a few years before I finally saw her again. I gave her $5 and a little hug, and she got the biggest smile I'd ever seen. She gave me a newspaper, a card, and a flower. It really made my day.
My mom used to be friends with a homeless guy that hung out outside of her work. He told her that every day he would ride his bicycle through traffic and at red lights would bump into peoples' cars to make it look like they hit him. Then he would ask for money in exchange for not calling the cops...this 'homeless' man slept in a hotel every night and ate dang well. I'm glad some people will still help others but not everything is as it seems sometimes.
Btw, the guy eventually died. You guessed it...the karma bus ran his @$$ over for real
The best sign that I've seen by anyone panhandling was
All I really want is a beer
Had to give him credit for his honesty. Haven't seen the guy in a while but he always brought a smile to our faces when we'd see him at large intersections.
dirp #5.1: A great man in history once said, "I was hungry and you fed me, I was cold and you clothed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink."
tallgirl #13: I know I get back more than I give
What more can I say?
And meanwhile the queen and family are being celebrated. People are starving all over the world and those kings, queens, dictators, politicians continue to ignore the basics of humanity. Taxation without representation, vote for me and I will do as I please.
I love to buy a complete stranger a meal, gas or something. I love to see them so surprized
I was surprised by the comment in the article "most of the comments were positive..." Most of the comments were positive?
I am thankful there are people like this bicyclist. We need more caring people in this world.
Yes there are professional panhandlers, and I try to avoid them. And I like the idea of giving direct help instead of cash.
I don't like giving money to charities, especially United Way. After United Way takes it's cut and then shares the rest with the various (politically correct) organizations who take a cut for "administration cost" my cash donation hasn't gone very far in helping those I intended too.
On CNN, Andersen did an expose on a professional charitiable fund raiser. The company was contracted by a Vet organization to do fund raising. The company gathered volunteers who raised $56,000,000 but not a penny went to the Vet organization.
Lesson; be very careful who you donate cash to, whether it be an individual or a group.
A guy I know was approached by a woman asking for money to help get into a local shelter. Spur of the moment, he asked her to identify a randomly numbered president, himself having no idea who it was, just knowing it wasn't any of the well-known ones. The woman answered with a name he didn't recognize, and he gave her some money.
Later, he looked up the name she had given. She was correct.
That woman probably used to have a good life. Your comment resignates with me for some reason. Most people look over the homeless but do you ever think, what their lives were like before?
I remember reading something about a man who made a point to share a lunch with a homeless man, and picked one that was politely greeting people and opening the door to a restaurant for them. Unfortunately, the homeless man said that he was homeless after murdering someone, and said it matter-of-fact and seemingly proudly.
Most of those who have talked to me have only told incredibly far-fetched stories, like one who claimed that Rambo was based on his life. I did occasionally run into more sane and less frightening individuals at a plasma center, though. I remember a man who would go without sleep until he collapsed, just to make sure his wife slept safely. I also remember a professedly gay young man who was actually very pleasant to be around. On a train, I also happened across two young men who were very polite and kind, and extremely grateful when told where the heaters on the train were located. They all seemed like good people, just on hard times.
Rambo? Ha! I commented somewhere about a guy my mom used to know who was homeless. He would ride around on his bike and bump into moving cars to make it seem like they hit him. Then he'd ask for money in exchange for not calling the police...worked like a charm. He slept in motels and ate good food every night. Some people just know how to hustle and choose to live that way. He eventually did get hit by a car for real and died
YES people still do these things withouit camers on their heads. My daughter and I were headed to walmart the other day to grab some stuff to go to the Lake, a man was sitting on the corner with a sign saying "Anything Helps" I rolled down my window and hollered across the street to him to ask if he was hungry, He nodded. So we went in, bought our stuff, and grabbed him a full size bag of chips, a sub, and a gatorade. You should have seen his face when we pulled over to give him a full bag of food..
Made me feel great and showed my daughter a thing or two about helping people.