Homeless woman using an I phone on NY subway. She started singing (poorly). And then announced she s homeless and needed money

I did not give her anything because she was well dressed an using an iPhone. The I phone had a case and she had ear bud headphones. Do you think she was faking being homeless or do you think she really was? Or is there some homeless relief program in NYC that gives you a phone.

There's no type of relief for iPhones in NYC. She was faking it. Good thing you didn't give that person money

Yes.

I don't blame you 100%. Once I stayed in a shelter until I could start working at a a temp service. I saved enough to get a place, but I got the place first. I found out firsthand that when I'm homeless, I can't afford a phone with a plan. This was before these iphones and smart phones. I never understood how others could afford their up to date cell phones until I realized that they panhandled for it. I was giving them change here and there, until someone advised me that that's what they were doing. And when I once again had a job and a place, I had to get a prepaid phone before I could trade up, and even then, that was years later. Now I have a phone that can download apps, but I worked for it. People can say not to judge but I say you are right because I observed these things firsthand.

Phone could be stolen or "found", not have a service plan.

However, there are people who fake being homeless. I saw a guy panhandling in Boston, I noticed he had one of those company ID badges hanging around his neck, under his coat, which was partially unzipped. Worked his real job all day, then went down to the tourist part of Boston to panhandle before going home.

About twenty five years ago coming home from work I would get off the Belt Parkway at Cross Bay Boulevard. A woman was usually panhandling at the traffic light. She would walk limping along the line of cars.

The first thing I noticed as I went through there every day was that she was there only when the weather was nice. She wasn't there when it rained. Then I noticed that one day she would limp on her right leg and her left the next. When you have a limp the soles of your shoes wear out unevenly. The soles of her new tennis shoes were worn the same way.

Finally, being an engineer, I tried to make an estimate of how much she made. I noticed that every other time I went through the area someone gave her something, usually a dollar, but sometimes five dollars. I guesstimated that she averaged about 50 to 75 cents per traffic light cycle. So, she made about $20 to $25 per hour. This is comparable to what a union journeyman carpenter made back in those days.

There's a good chance that it was fake. When I lived in Italy, there was a young woman who used to dress up as an old woman and beg in Venice.

Probably really homeless. A lot of people look askance at homeless people who have nice things, but in many cases these are newly homeless people. She may have gotten the iphone when she was in better financial shape but then lost a job or something and not been able to afford her rent. She may be able to afford the phone (which would be cheaper than rent in NYC) or it may be entirely paid off.

She was probably trying to upgrade her income.

Probably mentally ill.