Observation On An Off-Ramp

There's a vagrant standing there with the standard vagrant sign, "Will Work For Food." A man in an SUV reaches out of the window and hands the vagrant some money. Immediately, the scruffy-looking man returns to the side of the road, gathers his backpack and plastic bag, and walks over to the overpass. He tucks his cardboard sign admist the gnarled vines along the side of the overpass and sets off walking in the direction of Wal-Mart.

Coffee break? Or unspoken act of courtesy for the next vagrant at the same overpass?

And what would happen if somebody stole it?