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You wouldn't think those two qualities could coexist in the same body, but they do.
I have never panhandled--I have a hard enough time asking people who owe me money to pony it up. So, I have never understood the panhandling mentality.
The gall part: The panhandler seems to think that you will not mind that he is interrupting your conversation, meal, phone call, reading, or quiet stroll, and will be inclined to give him cash after having done this. Anyone with chutzpah like this should be able to walk into an H.R. office and knock 'em dead.
Total Lack of Self-Respect: The most blatant example of this was one Saturday morning when I was biking to work. I saw a guy whom I had seen panhandling in the past. The guy ran after me for a block, shouting, "Excuse me, sir! Excuse me, sir! Excuse me, sir!" How low can you sink when you're running after strangers begging for money? Were I not running late, I would have explained that this was a Saturday morning, when I would much rather be home in bed, but I was up at dawn's early light to earn more money. But, I was running late, and explaining "work" to this guy would be like describing plaid to a person born blind.
I like 'em. I always offer to pay them for some work and they always decline.
I gave money to a panhandler once. It was at the ferry dock in Seattle; he had a sign that stated "I won't lie, I need it to buy beer!" I thought such honesty was worth a dollar, but I told him to get REAL beer, not Colorado Kool-aid.
I have often wondered how I would do if I scrounged the thrift stores and surplus stores for some old Army fatigues (the OD ones) that would fit my expanded old body (the ones I had at discharge won't fit) then stood on a street corner near a parking lot where I could park my old truck, holding a sign saying "Vietnam vet needs enough money to get the hell out of your town!" I would have the "Electric Strawberry" (25th Inf. Div. symbol) on the sign, and my fat little Corgi on a leash beside me (many people are sympathetic towards veterans and dog owners, especially little dogs).
It might be an interesting experiment.
Panhandlers earn up to $200 per day which is better than a lot of the people inclined to give them money do. I'd like the IRS to go after some of them for tax evasion.
I had a pregnant women asking me for gas money because she didn't have enough to get home in front of Target. She didn't know that I saw her and her husband/boyfriend get out of a fairly new Audi. He went in the store and it was her job to collect money as she is rubbing her belly.
I gave money to a panhandler once. It was at the ferry dock in Seattle; he had a sign that stated "I won't lie, I need it to buy beer!" I thought such honesty was worth a dollar, but I told him to get REAL beer, not Colorado Kool-aid.
I have often wondered how I would do if I scrounged the thrift stores and surplus stores for some old Army fatigues (the OD ones) that would fit my expanded old body (the ones I had at discharge won't fit) then stood on a street corner near a parking lot where I could park my old truck, holding a sign saying "Vietnam vet needs enough money to get the hell out of your town!" I would have the "Electric Strawberry" (25th Inf. Div. symbol) on the sign, and my fat little Corgi on a leash beside me (many people are sympathetic towards veterans and dog owners, especially little dogs).
It might be an interesting experiment.
Well, if you ran into me, I'd give you dog food. I always have dog food in the car to give to the street kids with dogs.
They do appreciate it.
Volobjectitarian's tried and true rules for dealing with panhandlers:
1) Ignore.
2) Ignore some more.
3) No seriously, ignore like you're a 3 year old playing the ignore game.
4) If Steps 1-3 do not work, take a menacing step towards the panhandler and bark "get the hell away from me."
In 5 years of walking around downtown Cleveland past countless panhandlers, I've gotten to #4 like a half dozen times. Steps 1-3 tend to work really, really well.
Walking out of 7-11 I got the "Sir, do you have any change?" thing, to which I replied "no, thank you."
Since that answer apparently wasn't satisfactory, he persisted.
I gave him directions to the local day labor office and called it a day.
I have no patience for young, healthy people who refuse to do a day's work.
Lately, I've noticed the trend is to stand on the islands and approach people fast who have windows down. It appears most give them money mostly out of fear.
I see the exact same faces on the exact same street corners for years on end. Panhandling is working out quite well for some of these folks if they can stand on the same corner for years and beg instead of spending at least some of that time looking for work. 99% of the time ignoring works great. I have encountered some bizarre panhandlers though. One asked me for $20. And was angry when I said no. $20!! Another cornered me in a parking lot and said he needed bus money to get to a hospital. I had just witnessed him getting money from someone else he cornered. I gave him the change in my pocket which was roughly half the cost of a bus ticket. He grumbled about the amount. So obnoxious. I'm not your mommy or your daddy. I don't owe you anything.
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