Should I Give Money to Panhandlers When I Travel?

Unpacked by AFAR

There are few things as challenging as the moment when, while walking along a sidewalk in Paris, San Francisco, or Cartagena, someone in need asks you for money. (I will also say that I imagine there are few things as challenging as being in a place in your life where you have to ask strangers for money.)

What do you do, personally? Do you give? Do you avert your eyes and keep on walking? Is it somewhere in between? Regardless of the decision you make, it’s a complex moment from a human perspective. And that complexity was the subject of our inaugural digital advice column, also called Unpacked. In it Dr. Anu Taranath, a speaker, consultant, and author of the book Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World, responds to a reader’s question asking if she did the right thing by giving money.

And in today’s episode, Dr. Anu expands on her answer. We talked about her initial reaction to the question, the insidiousness of inequality, and the times in her life when she’s encountered panhandling. (She has an incredible story from a trip to Senegal.) What I love about Anu’s response is that she doesn’t have a definitive answer. In fact, she says, there are no easy answers when it comes to living in an unequal world.

But her advice is empathetic and full of understanding that the world isn’t black and white. And most importantly, she shares how to navigate these situations with dignity and grace—for all involved.

Meet this week’s guest

• Dr. Anu Taranath, speaker, consultant, and author

Resources

• Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
• Read Dr. Anu’s original response to the reader’s question.
• Read Dr. Anu’s second column, about what to do when the person sitting next to you on the plane is drunk.
• Buy her book, Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World