How are the homeless threatening?

[Ultrarunner]

I know about the being upset part...

I try to help where I can and I was approached by a women with a small dog in her arms telling me that her dog hasn't had anything to eat and asking me to help her get food for her dog... she actually first asked me if I liked dogs...

I told her that I would be happy to help and I reached into my vehicle and pulled out a foil pack of dog food I had just bought grocery shopping earlier that morning...

She looked at me and said what am I supposed to do with this... I said it's for your dog... she dropped it on the ground and said indignantly that her dog only eats people food and stormed off saying obscenities...

The scammers really hurt the people that need help the most...

Whenever I have out of town visitors... the number one destination for first time guests is San Francisco... many repeat visitors will not go back because of the rampant panhandling along the wharf and cable car lines...

[gizmo980]

Oh, I HATE when they pull that crap... I'm more than happy to help a person eat, but soooooo sorry I won't support your alcoholism. I don't care what they do, and lawd knows I'd be drinking too if I were homeless - but I'm not giving them my HARD earned money to waste it on liquor! I do frequently give out cigarettes, which they're always happy to take in lieu of money. I also used to feed a dog on Haight St, who'd follow me to McDonald's when his owner was sleeping (or otherwise occupied). He'd gladly accept a cheeseburger, then faithfully return to his master's side. People could learn a lot from dogs, huh?

[krudmonk]

How are they threatening? Why do you think SF has so few children? They're eaten by homeless people.

[HIGH!Lonesome]

I notice that more and more I see less homeless people as compared to what it was about five or ten years ago, either they got housing or they must have move on but ever since we had the invasion of the homeless when then mayor Art agnos invited them to San Francisco with free monthly greeting checks for 604.00.

I have always made it a point never to give away any money including pocket change, we have our regular homeless hanging out daily in front of the neighborhood market and you get to know the guy by name, but thats as far as it goes, on a couple occasians he offered me weed in exchange for money but jokenly I tell him, Nah! I already got some.

But you know maybe over by the Powell street turn around, the homeless do target the tourist, the tourist dont know any better.

[Alisande]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

How are they threatening? Why do you think SF has so few children? They're eaten by homeless people.

Maybe those dogs they have are lunch.

[perfectplacetolive]

yeah... i have to say that the homelessness issue in sf is a problem. coming from nyc, i was astonished at how bad it was the last time i was in sf (spring '08). it made me uncomfortable when i was there.. bc so many of them appeared unstable. is there any kind of (governmental) plan in place to handle this issue? although i am excited to move to the bay area and a perfect place to live(!), the homelessness issue was certainly a reason to avoid sf. will it ever improve... and how?

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I know about the being upset part...

I try to help where I can and I was approached by a women with a small dog in her arms telling me that her dog hasn't had anything to eat and asking me to help her get food for her dog... she actually first asked me if I liked dogs...

I told her that I would be happy to help and I reached into my vehicle and pulled out a foil pack of dog food I had just bought grocery shopping earlier that morning...

She looked at me and said what am I supposed to do with this... I said it's for your dog... she dropped it on the ground and said indignantly that her dog only eats people food and stormed off saying obscenities...

The scammers really hurt the people that need help the most...

Whenever I have out of town visitors... the number one destination for first time guests is San Francisco... many repeat visitors will not go back because of the rampant panhandling along the wharf and cable car lines...

[Alisande]

Originally Posted by perfectplacetolive

yeah... i have to say that the homelessness issue in sf is a problem. coming from nyc, i was astonished at how bad it was the last time i was in sf (spring '08). it made me uncomfortable when i was there.. bc so many of them appeared unstable. is there any kind of (governmental) plan in place to handle this issue? although i am excited to move to the bay area and a perfect place to live(!), the homelessness issue was certainly a reason to avoid sf. will it ever improve... and how?

I honestly don't think it will change. We are way to soft on them and encourage them to remain homeless. I'd love to see a Mayor like Rudy
clean up the place.

[Alisande]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I know about the being upset part...

I try to help where I can and I was approached by a women with a small dog in her arms telling me that her dog hasn't had anything to eat and asking me to help her get food for her dog... she actually first asked me if I liked dogs...

I told her that I would be happy to help and I reached into my vehicle and pulled out a foil pack of dog food I had just bought grocery shopping earlier that morning...

She looked at me and said what am I supposed to do with this... I said it's for your dog... she dropped it on the ground and said indignantly that her dog only eats people food and stormed off saying obscenities...

The scammers really hurt the people that need help the most...

Whenever I have out of town visitors... the number one destination for first time guests is San Francisco... many repeat visitors will not go back because of the rampant panhandling along the wharf and cable car lines...

I always warn our visitors about what to expect. I also try to take them into area's that you have to pay to get to. Rule of thumb-No eye contact, don't speak to them and keep walking.