Why are there so many panhandlers in San Antonio? (Leon Valley: home, living)

[traveler guy]

Originally Posted by annie_annie

A fool and his money are easily parted. <---that's why. Fleecing of the idiots that are stupid enough to give money to them.

Then we wonder why the world hates us so much. Come on give some money once in a while at least.

[Paka]

Which brings up a GREAT point...today is the day to fill those food bags and leave out for your mailman/woman to pick up to help out the Food Bank for those REALLY in need of food...not a drink, or drugs, or worse!

If you want to help, here is your chance KNOWING it is helping those really hungry!

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by jettblack

Are you sure panhandling is illegal? If so it is definately not being inforced. I see cops all the time drive right by them.

Absolutely sure...

Sec. 19-8. Soliciting from occupants of vehicles prohibited; causing a child to solicit from occupants of vehicles prohibited; penalty.

(a) It shall be unlawful for a person to stand on a traffic median, shoulder, improved shoulder or sidewalk and solicit, or attempt to solicit, employment, business or charitable contributions from the occupants of any vehicle on a roadway.
(b) It shall be unlawful for a person to knowingly cause a child ten (10) years of age or younger to stand on a traffic median, shoulder, improved shoulder or sidewalk and solicit, or attempt to solicit, employment, business or charitable contributions from the occupants of any vehicle on a roadway.
(c) For purposes of this section, the term "cause" shall mean aid, direct, hire, encourage, permit, or allow.
(d) Violation of any portion of this section constitutes a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00).
(e) Notwithstanding the other provisions of section 19-8 or any other provision in the City Code, a person seventeen (17) years of age or older may solicit employment, business or charitable contributions while standing on a traffic median, shoulder, improved shoulder, sidewalk, or the improved portion of the roadway from occupants of any vehicle on a roadway provided said person wears a florescent orange visibility vest, does not impede traffic, enters or remains in a roadway only while the controlling traffic signal prohibits vehicle movement, and has obtained a permit to do so, or who is a member of an organization which has obtained a permit to do so, from the chief of police.
(f) Permits may be issued to no person or organization more than once per calendar year for a period of no more than two (2) consecutive days, which days must fall within fifteen (15) days prior to a nationally-recognized holiday, and for no hours other than those between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and one (1) hour before sunset.
(g) The chief of police shall issue a solicitation permit upon application provided said application states the name and address of the person or organization for whom solicitations are made, the names and addresses of the persons soliciting, the locations at which soliciting will take place, and the times during which the soliciting will take place.
(h) Permit applications must be accompanied by a fee of two hundred dollars ($200.00) and a certificate of insurance signed by an agent authorized to bind coverage indicating that the applicant has obtained, at his sole expense, insurance coverage (1) that is written by an insurance company with an A- or better rating by AM Best and that is admitted and licensed to do business in the State of Texas; (2) that is in full force and effect for the duration of the permit period; (3) that provides one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) of liability coverage per occurrence with no deductible; (4) that insures the applicant and all persons who will be soliciting; (5) that names the City of San Antonio, its officers, employees, and elected representatives as an additional insureds; (6) that provides that any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the city shall apply in excess of and not contribute with it; (7) that is written on an occurrence basis; and (8) that is otherwise acceptable to, and approved by, the risk manager of the City of San Antonio.
(i) Notwithstanding the other provisions of §§ 19-8, 16-227, 16-240 or any other provision of the City Code, a person sixteen (16) years of age or older may solicit the sale of newspapers to occupants of motor vehicles from sidewalks, walkways, raised medians, islands and other off-roadway surfaces and may deliver the newspaper to any such occupant who responds to the solicitation in order to complete the sales transaction so long as doing so does not impede traffic flow and provided that such person wears a fluorescent orange visibility vest. The owner and publisher of the newspaper will be responsible for periodically monitoring the activity of any such solicitor under the age of eighteen (18), such monitoring to be done by an agent or employee of the newspaper who is at least twenty-one (21) years of age. Any solicitor under the age of eighteen (18) must have the consent of a parent or adult having custody of the child.
(j) The owner and publisher of any newspaper distributed pursuant to subsection (i) shall maintain at its sole expense insurance coverage:
(1) That is written by an insurance company with an A- or better rating by AM Best and that is submitted and licensed to do business in the state;
(2) That is in full force and effect at any time sales and distribution are being conducted pursuant to subsection (i);
(3) That provides one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) of liability coverage per occurrence;
(4) That insures the newspaper and all persons who will be selling and distributing on its behalf;
(5) That names the city, its officers, employees and elected representatives as additional insures;
(6) That provides that any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the city shall apply in excess of and not contribute with it; and
(7) That is written on an occurrence basis.
The owner and publisher shall file and keep current a certificate of insurance signed by an agent authorized to bind coverage indicating that the owner and publisher has obtained the aforementioned insurance coverage, with the chief of police.
(Ord. No. 71696, §§ 1--5, 6-7-90; Ord. No. 82745, § 1, 8-31-95; Ord. No. 100823, § 1, 5-5-05)
Cross references: Peddlers, hawkers, canvassers, and solicitors, § 16-226 et seq.

(Source)

So if you give money to them, technically you are contributing to the crime; but yes, I too have seen the SAPD not take action when obviously someone is violating this ordinance...

Cheers! M2

[CreekKnoll]

Originally Posted by jettblack

Are you sure panhandling is illegal? If so it is definately not being inforced. I see cops all the time drive right by them.

I've seen SAPD confront panhandlers all the time.

[sapphire]

I can see being upset about all this if these guys are in your front yard. I just can't understand all this angst when honestly, how is your life affected? If and when I do see a panhandler, it's for approximately 36 seconds while I am waiting in traffic at an intersection. I am just not getting why everyone lets this ruin their day. If you don't want to give, drive off.

As to them "breaking the law" it's a misdemeanor, which is similar to you going 10 miles over the speed limit. LOL@ being an "accessory to the crime."

[texasdreamin]

Originally Posted by Cerebral_Platus

I have NEVER experienced this sort of thing anywhere else I've lived. Why are there panhandlers at seemingly every intersection in San Antonio...even in the nicer areas. I was shocked when I drove through Stone Oak and saw obviously homeless men and women standing in the intersection. It's unbelievable.

I guess they figured that the citizens so freely hand out big bucks to the tax authority, that they just may not mind handing out a few more bucks to some guy standing on the corner with a sign...who, of course gets to keep it all without paying any taxes.

Seriously, it is very lucrative for them. Can you imagine with all of the traffic going by in a day, if just 500 cars gave him $1...that would be $500/day, $2500/week for a 5 day "work" week...and $10,000/month...all tax free. That's why there are so many of them. I know someone who saw one of these guys being dropped off at "his" corner. He got out of a luxury vehicle. It's all a racket. Where I live, they have their "own" corners and are regulars. It is their "day" job.

[annie_annie]

Originally Posted by annie_annie
A fool and his money are easily parted. <---that's why. Fleecing of the idiots that are stupid enough to give money to them.

Originally Posted by traveler guy

Then we wonder why the world hates us so much. Come on give some money once in a while at least.

I give money to St. Jude and the ASPCA. I give it where it's actually needed. Not to someone too lazy to work.

One of the local news stations did a story on this several years ago. They followed a few of the panhandlers around and counted how much money they earned in a day. The panhandlers made a lot of money (tax free of course!) then later drove off (in their brand new cars of course!) and went home to their nice homes (a lot they had already managed to pay off the mortgage already). So yeah, if you want to give money to these poor souls that just don't want to work and instead get tax free handouts...it's your money, go ahead. I on the other hand choose to donate to reputable organizations.

[traveler guy]

Originally Posted by annie_annie

Originally Posted by annie_annie
A fool and his money are easily parted. <---that's why. Fleecing of the idiots that are stupid enough to give money to them.



I give money to St. Jude and the ASPCA. I give it where it's actually needed. Not to someone too lazy to work.

One of the local news stations did a story on this several years ago. They followed a few of the panhandlers around and counted how much money they earned in a day. The panhandlers made a lot of money (tax free of course!) then later drove off (in their brand new cars of course!) and went home to their nice homes (a lot they had already managed to pay off the mortgage already). So yeah, if you want to give money to these poor souls that just don't want to work and instead get tax free handouts...it's your money, go ahead. I on the other hand choose to donate to reputable organizations.

I understand what you mean but not all those people are actually con-artist.
And if you are a person of faith and give to the church then why get greedy just because that person might be a fake.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by annie_annie

One of the local news stations did a story on this several years ago. They followed a few of the panhandlers around and counted how much money they earned in a day. The panhandlers made a lot of money (tax free of course!) then later drove off (in their brand new cars of course!) and went home to their nice homes (a lot they had already managed to pay off the mortgage already). So yeah, if you want to give money to these poor souls that just don't want to work and instead get tax free handouts...it's your money, go ahead. I on the other hand choose to donate to reputable organizations.

Here's a link to a
TV news story about fake panhandlers from another city.

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by sapphire

I can see being upset about all this if these guys are in your front yard. I just can't understand all this angst when honestly, how is your life affected? If and when I do see a panhandler, it's for approximately 36 seconds while I am waiting in traffic at an intersection. I am just not getting why everyone lets this ruin their day. If you don't want to give, drive off.

As to them "breaking the law" it's a misdemeanor, which is similar to you going 10 miles over the speed limit. LOL@ being an "accessory to the crime."

Well, speeding is enforced, so why not this misdemeanor?

And it goes beyond the 36 seconds (and where do you only wait 36 seconds for a green light in this town? I want to move there!), I realized this when we had visitors in town last week. They noticed them right away and commented about it. It was embarassing as they are from Germany and it reflects poorly on ourselves and our country.

If people are so adamant about helping someone and especially the needy (which as we've determined isn't always the folks you see panhandling!); then your efforts should go towards the constructive mechanisms that help them out...shelters, soup kitchens, etc. Giving them a hamburger or a couple of bucks is not "teaching them to fish." To really turn their lives around, they need a safe place to stay, some form of training or education, and a job that allows them to be a contributing member of society and not someone who takes from it.

However, I would suspect that a majority of these "panhandlers" wouldn't take us up on such an offer...

Cheers! M2