Panhandlers in Chatt (legally, shop, bus)

[MT Independent]

I've done projects in Birmingham, Mobile, Houston, Atlanta, Nashville and probably 15-20 other southern cities in the past 10 years. Recently completed a 4 month project in Chatt. Nice little city. Good people, and an overall decent experience.

In all the places I have been in the south for business though I have yet to see the level of panhandling that we experienced in Chatt. Panhandlers were downright aggressive & would not take no for an answer and often followed us around downtown repeatedly asking for cash.

I guess it kind of surprised me to some degree. Has it always been like this?

[An Einnseanair]

Some people asking for money are actually desperate and hungry. Unfortunately, most panhandlers are not actually homeless, they are professional scam artists who are skilled at picking out marks and who usually make decent money at their chosen trade. Another way to look at it is they sell a service. They will help you absolve your guilt for a small fee (ignoring the fact that they are the source of the guilt... like a tire repair shop throwing nails in the road).

They often employ tools or objects to work into their story. One guy carries around a cordless drill which he'll run for a second or two in part of his story about needing a few bucks to fix something for his mom... he must be telling the truth, right? Why else would he be carrying a drill around? Then there's the guy with an empty gas can who needs a few bucks for gas, and the guy with an empty can of fix-a-flat who needs a few bucks for another can (his car has apparently sitting in the Walmart parking lot for several years now, because I keep seeing him).

Where were you being scammed? For what it's worth, it's actually illegal to panhandle in certain areas of downtown. From the Riverfront south to 5th? 6th? Street, the North Shore, and the renovated portions of Main Street around Market are all legally off limits.

[Blue502]

Blech, sorry you ran into that MT. Yes, this town is horrible with the panhandlers. Yes, it is illegal in the downtown area, but that doesn't stop them. I've even had them cuss me when they tell me they are hungry and I let them know where the community kitchen is located (usually a block or 2 from where they are standing). I work downtown, so I run into alot of them.
Like jwkilgore stated, they come up with all kinds of issues to bum, lol.. I've had them carrying around old electric bills, I've even seen them stand with their kids with notes ...just moved here, cold and hungry. Sorry, but just too many places willing to take in and or help women and children. The men bums around here are atrocious! nasty, mean and ugly. I have 2 regulars I help....1 is Sandy, he will "sell" you a nice flower and is always gracious. The other is the old guy, who looks like a matted dog, smells, etc, etc, but never bothers anyone or asks for anything.

From what I have always heard, alot of them are brought here and dropped off because of the care they can get here compared to alot of other cities. I've even heard tell that Georgia has a bus drop them off, lol. Who knows, but we do have alot of ballsy ones.

[antiquesmountainapache]

I have ran into one since I've been back. It was a woman at the shuttle next to the CVB. She was sick, etc. I just kept walking.

[MT Independent]

We made the mistake of taking the free CARTA electric shuttle the first week we were on the project. Starting at the Marriott and continuing downtown we were probably asked for money, cigarettes or food by at least 4 or 5 people getting on or off. That was the last time we took the shuttle. I have been panhandled before so I know not to make eye contact. But some of my co-workers were not and the first time they were asked for money they reached for their wallets and gave willingly. Big mistake as the same panhandlers would approach them again and again. The one gal that was especially aggressive had track marks on both arms from shooting up. Any fellow was huffing Lysol in bag. Yet another smelled so bad that it almost induced vomiting. One of the fellows on our team was a local guy from about 1/2 hour away. He'd straight up tell the panhandlers that there was a free Christian mission where they could get a warm meal. None of them wanted to hear that and would just give him a dirty look.

The more time I spent there the more I recognized the places to avoid for panhandlers. That area around the Patton Towers was like a gathering point for them. There always seemed to be some kind of drama with cops going on over there.

None of this detracted from our enjoyment of Chatt at all. We found plenty of places in the suburbs where we didn't need to worry about being hassled for money and some nights downtown no one bothered us at all. You all have a great city down there. Hope to make it back again.