Your words are nowhere near cruel and I thank you for sharing your thoughts. You may be surprised to find out that most people in America are also told by their parents to avoid our homeless population for the very same reasons. It is impossible to tell who is being genuine and who is not.

This is why I never hand over cash to anyone on the streets. My outreach is usually in the form of a friendly conversation, simple acknowledgement of their presence, or on occasion the offer of a free meal.

That approach allows me to avoid judging them in any unfair manner. I'm sure it's not the perfect approach in some people's eyes, but it currently works for me.