Panhandlers at 1604 and Potranco! (San Antonio, San Diego: military, job, home)

[Paka]

I guess we have arrived...there are not one but TWO pandhandlers working the intersection of 1604 and Potranco as I came home from work this afternoon.....UGH!!!

I am PRAYING they find this a TOTALLY non-productive intersection and move on!!!

Don't get me wrong, we contribute a LOT to charities, but hate to see this type of situation take over our area (not to mention a VERY busy and dangerous) intersection....

[gwrober]

A couple of those guys are the same that used to work the Military and 90 area - they've been doing this for YEARS.

[Midorigreen]

Originally Posted by gwrober

A couple of those guys are the same that used to work the Military and 90 area - they've been doing this for YEARS.

I'd better not tell my husband about that....

Whenever we see panhandlers I always feel bad for them and suggest giving them something. He, on the other hand, rants that it's a "con" and that they probably have more money than we do.....

[rd2007]

listen to your husband and they probably do..

[Pete R]

Your husband is right do the math.

Out of the 10's of thousand's of vehicles that pass through there lets say 300 give up some change. I usually witness the suckers giving paper though. So 300 x .50 = 150.00

At christmas they are given 50.00 and 100.00

[luckygreeniii]

My husband saw them when he came home from work. He always says "look at their shoes" Most of the time, they look brand new.

We saw a guy out by 1604 and Culebra that said he and his family were standed and he had a nice pair of pants, shirt, and tie. Either it was a new hook, or he really did have a run of bad luck.

[sapphire]

Wow, I hope and pray you guys never lose a job, or suffer from any type of mental illness..........I'm ready to get flamed now.

I honestly think the big money-makers are the exception rather than the rule.

[gwrober]

Originally Posted by Midorigreen

I'd better not tell my husband about that....

Whenever we see panhandlers I always feel bad for them and suggest giving them something. He, on the other hand, rants that it's a "con" and that they probably have more money than we do.....

I know for a FACT, that the guy working Potranco/1604 last week and then worked Culebra/1604 over the weekend has been at it for a looong time. It's pretty bad when you can recognize the panhandlers.

Now, there was a guy at Potranco that was on a prosthetic leg - BUT, he had rolled up his pants to display it, and that I had a problem with. But then, he might get lots of "show me" comments...

[rd2007]

it's usually a "job". I personally wouldn't want to do it, mostly because I have very fair skin and would get the crap burned out of me here in San Antonio.. but they did a study on these people in San Diego and they averaged over $100K/year. It takes my wife and I working together to come up with that, so maybe we're in the wrong carreer field..

[AFMike]

They do it right in front of stores with help wanted ads and idiots still give them money...

Read this, different city, same story:

What you should know about panhandling?
In the experience of most local social service agencies and the Grand Junction Police Department, many people who panhandle suffer from drug and alcohol addictions, and giving spare change only sustains those addictions. In addition, panhandlers are not always homeless. Some are individuals attempting to take advantage of Grand Junction's generosity.