Some arent homeless. There's a begger around my work that I've seen walk into a very nice house several times that just happens to be on my way home. Then there was a mother/young son duo wearing tattered clothes and no shoes. I was sitting there in my truck watching people give them money and some guy kept coming down the hill behind them talking to them every few minutes. When I drove away I realized it was the dad and he was chilling in his brand new Mercedes out of sight. Some people make so much money doing that.
Most of them you see in SF are legit. You can tell just by looking at them. Not by smell though because SF smells like urine and crap anyway. Filthy city.
Yes. There was a girl that would beg for money so she could get back to college, then a car full of her friends would come by and pick her up and they'd probably go buy drugs. I gave money to a guy in the parking lot at my old work and watched him immediately walk into the liquor store.
I didn't mean to hijack this thread and make it bad though...I know there are a lot of people that do really need help, but I also know the only person that can usually truly help you is you.