PHP 5 file_get_contents() problems

I've encountered a situation where under PHP 5 the file_get_contents() function will not work properly (actually not at all) if the php.ini Filesystem configuration parameter, allow_url_include is set to OFF. According to the PHP documentation allow_url_include is intended to limiting PHP from accessing scripts on other servers. I have read posts that suggest setting allow_url_include to ON as a solution. Well that's great if you have the ability to modify your php.ini. But what if you have an account on a shared hosting system and the hosting company will NOT make the requested change? Is there a work around to this or how would one access remote web services if allow_url_include is OFF. This looks like a huge problem since many services, like PayPal's IPN and Google maps geocoding, rely on communication with their servers. Thanks, Chris