Panhandling and harassment downtown

[ATLTJL]

I'd like to define what I view as aggressive begging.

If someone asks for money, I don't really have a huge problem with that. It's annoying, and I think we should try to curb it for the sake of attracting people downtown, but I don't necessarily feel threatened by it.

Begging turns aggressive when the person either starts following you and won't leave you alone after you have declined to give money. Or if they start lobbing insults at you, or asking you why you are ignoring them. Pretty much any further contact after you have politely said no, unless it is a friendly thanks anyway or something like that.

ANYTIME a beggar makes physical contact with you or invades your personal space it is aggressive.

That's trying to make the definition objective. To me, the loose definition of aggressive panhandling is any speech or action that makes an overt or implied threat that the person is going to harm you if you do not give them money.

[oldschoolChevy]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I'd like to define what I view as aggressive begging.

If someone asks for money, I don't really have a huge problem with that. It's annoying, and I think we should try to curb it for the sake of attracting people downtown, but I don't necessarily feel threatened by it.

Begging turns aggressive when the person either starts following you and won't leave you alone after you have declined to give money. Or if they start lobbing insults at you, or asking you why you are ignoring them. Pretty much any further contact after you have politely said no, unless it is a friendly thanks anyway or something like that.

ANYTIME a beggar makes physical contact with you or invades your personal space it is aggressive.

That's trying to make the definition objective. To me, the loose definition of aggressive panhandling is any speech or action that makes an overt or implied threat that the person is going to harm you if you do not give them money.

Do these panhandlers actually touch people though? I have never experienced that or seen it. I'm not a legal expert but I think that would be battery, and you probably are well within your legal right to whoop that arse and box them into submission at that point. And someone hurling an insult is not really a big deal, just ignore it or send one back. They are homeless and sometimes drug addicts after all, it shouldnt be too hard to come up a clever insult to send back to make them shutup. This crackhead chick who stands on Moreland Ave near the corner of Hosea Williams damn near everyday liked to mess with my smaller dog by throwing stuff at him in the yard from the street, then when I would go outside and tell her to stop she would cuss me out. One day I just went off and told her junkie female dog self to go sit somehwere a suck on a straight shooter (crack pipe). She was so taken aback she almost got hit by a car on her way back across the street. She went and got her wino bf while I was still standing outside like I was supposed to be scared and I saw them approaching and basically ran up on him and met him halfway and told him that my issue was not one that he wanted, after that they wont even walk in front of my house.

[atadyitc]

I wish a bum would think of putting a finger on me. I really do wish this would happen.

[filmsequal]

Homeless aren't the problem, it's all the hoodlums. Young teenagers hanging out in packs of 10-20 people are much more dangerous and annoying to any civilized person.

I've had issues with these groups of hoodlums taking up the whole sidewalk length, even the 24 foot sidewalk at piedmont park isn't wide enough for these packs of teenagers.

[RoslynHolcomb]

This one is particularly scary when you are a woman. I'm not fazed by someone asking for money, it becomes a problem when they follow you after you've declined.

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I'd like to define what I view as aggressive begging.

If someone asks for money, I don't really have a huge problem with that. It's annoying, and I think we should try to curb it for the sake of attracting people downtown, but I don't necessarily feel threatened by it.

Begging turns aggressive when the person either starts following you and won't leave you alone after you have declined to give money. Or if they start lobbing insults at you, or asking you why you are ignoring them. Pretty much any further contact after you have politely said no, unless it is a friendly thanks anyway or something like that.

ANYTIME a beggar makes physical contact with you or invades your personal space it is aggressive.

That's trying to make the definition objective. To me, the loose definition of aggressive panhandling is any speech or action that makes an overt or implied threat that the person is going to harm you if you do not give them money.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb

This one is particularly scary when you are a woman. I'm not fazed by someone asking for money, it becomes a problem when they follow you after you've declined.

Try not looking at or responding to them...it works a large percentage of the time no matter your gender.

[Onthemove2014]

If I tell them no and they keep asking that is aggressive to me. Anything else is ground for a fist to the face.

[ATLTJL]

Engaging someone who is pestering you is never a good idea and only leads to escalation.

Keep in mind that many of these people are mentally unstable. A lot of people take comfort in thinking "they're harmless, they're just crazy" but the fact of the matter is that mentally unstable people are often the most dangerous of all. Engaging with them rarely leads anywhere good.

For the record, I have been touched by a beggar before, but I still ignored him because I knew how dangerous engaging could be. Luckily I was able to duck into Halo with him still following me and I let him become the bouncer's problem.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Engaging someone who is pestering you is never a good idea and only leads to escalation.

Keep in mind that many of these people are mentally unstable. A lot of people take comfort in thinking "they're harmless, they're just crazy" but the fact of the matter is that mentally unstable people are often the most dangerous of all. Engaging with them rarely leads anywhere good.

For the record, I have been touched by a beggar before, but I still ignored him because I knew how dangerous engaging could be. Luckily I was able to duck into Halo with him still following me and I let him become the bouncer's problem.

This has always worked for me...I have never had one continue to follow or harrass me if I act like I don't even see or hear him. I know it could happen, but it hasn't so far in all my years here.